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ASIAN INFLUENCES Top guns in Boston's art world weigh in on the impact of Art Basel Hong Kong. "Asian artists have more opportunities than ever before to get critical recognition and to exhibit in their home country. Art Basel's main contributions to the art boom in Asia are increasing consumer awareness of the pleasure of viewing more high-quality artworks, which in turn leads to increased sales and artwork acquisitions."—Meg Maggio, director of Pékin Fine Art "The exciting thing about ABHK is that it underscores the conviction that our contemporary reality is now truly global. Rather than traditional distinctions between East and West, we now encounter a reality that good ideas and transcendent art can come from anywhere."—Trevor Smith, curator of contemporary art at the Peabody Essex Museum "It's fascinating to see the expression of a long-oppressed [Chinese] talent pool. Under political domination, most of these artists were oblivious to the art movements in the rest of the world, yet they emerged with an outpouring of unique ideas generated from their own existence rather than trying to copy the West." —Elizabeth Erdreich White, founder of Erdreich White Fine Art FROM LEFT: The Churchgoing Satanist (Earplugs) by Hernan Bas, 2012; visitors at last year's Art Basel Hong Kong fair. present ambitious works that act as conversation points." And one of Art Basel Miami Beach's most beloved events—the Film sector—will debut in Hong Kong this year, developed by Chinese multimedia artist and curator Li Zhenhua and hosted in partnership with the Hong Kong Arts Centre. These collaborations with local institutions help Art Basel support and pro- mote the burgeoning contemporary art scene in Hong Kong. Not only is the government pouring billions of dollars into developing a cultural district in West Kowloon, but the new M+, an ambitious Herzog & de Meuron – designed world-class museum slated for completion in 2017, further illustrates Hong Kong's commitment to the visual arts. Perhaps the most significant indicator is the number of respected Western galleries—including Gagosian, White Cube, and Lehmann Maupin—that have opened Hong Kong outposts over the last few years. These dealers, along with influential homegrown stalwarts such as 10 Chancery Lane, Galerie Ora-Ora, and Pearl Lam, are instrumental in developing both artists and collections in the region. According to Renfrew, these relationships with the local galleries and insti- tutions (including Asia Art Archive, Para/Site, the Asia Society, and Spring Workshop) are essential to ABHK as they create a show "grounded in the city." He explains, "The growth of Hong Kong's museum sector and contemporary arts education will truly impact the larger discourse in the city, and that is something that we aim—through long-term partnerships—to cultivate." The fair's impact is sure to be felt far beyond Asia. One need look no further than the talks planned as part of the Conversations and Salon programs. A discussion titled the "Global Art World/ Making Biennials" will feature lumi- naries Juliana Engberg, artistic director of the 2014 Biennale of Sydney and artistic director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art; Eungie Joo, curator of the 2015 Sharjah Biennial; and Jessica Morgan, artistic director of the 10th Gwangju Biennale and curator of international art at Tate Modern in London—moderated by Hou Hanru, artistic director at Maxxi Museum in Rome. "This is a conversation that has international relevance, reflecting the transitional reality of today's art world," notes Renfrew. Programming such as continued from page 64 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND LEHMANN MAUPIN, NEW YORK AND HONG KONG (BAS); COURTESY OF ART BASEL (LAST YEAR'S FAIR) this, coupled with a rapidly maturing Asian art market and the rise of Chinese art exhibitions across the US, will undoubtedly help draw record numbers of savvy collectors to the fair. Considering that Asia's potential as a major center for collectors and curators is only starting to be tapped, it's no surprise that Art Basel in Hong Kong is generating serious excitement on both sides of the Pacific, and par- ticularly for Renfrew. "The highlight for me is exposing new audiences to the depth of work from the broader region of Asia. It's about being part of that experience of discovery when collectors discover new artists—or when curators have an opportunity to join in dialogue with artists whose work they have long followed." artbasel.com/en/hong-kong BC 66 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM ARTFULL 064-066_BC_SC_Artfull_LteSpr14.indd 66 4/4/14 2:44 PM