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ART FULL THE CURATED ITINERARY The Peabody Essex Museum's contemporary-art expert lists his not-to-be-missed Art Basel in Hong Kong events. ABOVE: To Be Titled, by Dan Colen, 2011. LEFT: Dollar Sign, by Andy Warhol, 1981. continued from page 69 building that has been converted into space for working artists. Not surprisingly, the Hong Kong show has proved attractive to corporate sponsors looking for a foothold in this fast-growing and significant market. Deutsche Bank has signed on as lead partner, joining associate sponsors such as Davidoff, Audemars Piguet, and Absolut Art Bureau, all of which also support the shows in Switzerland and Miami Beach. In fact, many people have compared today's Hong Kong art market to the one in Miami Beach 10 years ago. "The market is in a relatively early stage of development here, much like the atmosphere in Miami when we opened there," says Renfrew. "We want to be part of the cultural —MAGNUS RENFREW surge in this dynamic city, and the show provides the perfect global platform for that." Adds the Peabody Essex Museum's Trevor Smith, "Museums put on their top shows, private collectors open their doors, and professionals from around the world are here to exchange ideas." Art Basel in Hong Kong runs from May 23 to May 26 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information, visit artbasel.com/ en/Hong-Kong. BC "We want to be part of the cultural surge in this dynamic city." —magnus renfrew "We want to be part of the cultural surge in this dynamic city." 70 "HONG KONG, ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREAT CITIES, will offer myriad opportunities to create unique experiences for Art Basel visitors," says Trevor Smith, the Peabody Essex Museum's curator of contemporary art. Smith should know whereof he speaks: He was the curator of the 2011 Singapore Biennale, and the PEM (which is showing Chinese porcelain from its permanent collection in its current exhibition) boasts a 200-plus-year relationship with Asian art and culture. Here, Smith offers highlights of Art Basel in Hong Kong. AT THE SHOW: "Contemporary players in Asia are as globally connected as anywhere else, and these locals should be an attendee's focus," Smith says. He suggests starting with the Insights sector, which is presenting work from 47 galleries in Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. Also of special interest will be the work in the Encounters sector, organized by celebrated Japanese curator Yuko Hasegawa and featuring large-scale sculpture and installations spread throughout the convention centre's two exhibition halls. AROUND TOWN: Smith jokes that you should "come for the art fair, stay for the city." At the top of every fairgoer's list will surely be visits to a few of the international galleries that have sprung up recently, such as Lehmann Maupin, White Cube, and the homegrown Pearl Lam Galleries. For more local art, check out Osage, the first Hong Kong gallery to participate in Art Basel. LOCAL INSTITUTIONS: Local must-see institutions include the new Asia Society Hong Kong Center, located in an enormous former British Army explosives compound, and the ambitious Para Site, a small, hip nonprofit organization dedicated to exhibiting international art. Also check out the largest contemporary art exhibition to date in Hong Kong at the West Kowloon Cultural District site, featuring inflatable sculptures by artists from South Korea, the USA, and China, presented by Hong Kong's future M+ museum. IMAGES COURTESY OF GAGOSIAN GALLERY, © 2013 DAN COLEN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT MCKEEVER (TO BE TITLED); DOMINIQUE LÉVY GALLERY, © 2013 THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC./ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK (DOLLAR SIGN); PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM/PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHY TARANTOLA (SMITH) Trevor Smith at the Peabody Essex Museum. BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 068-070_BC_SC_ArtFull_LATESPRING_13.indd 70 4/10/13 12:26 PM