Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/292443
ABOVE AND RIGHT: Magnus Renfrew, show director of ABHK; Handmade Book Series by Peng Wei, 2005–2013. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GALERIE ORA-ORA, HONG KONG AND BEIJING (WEI); COURTESY OF ART BASEL (RENFREW) I n just a few years, Hong Kong has evolved from a city that many considered a cultural desert to the fourth-largest global market for contemporary art. More than $130 million of fine art was sold in the region in 2013, according to art market information source Artprice, partially due to record-setting auctions and the rise of billionaire art collectors in China. As recently as 2008 Hong Kong had no major art fairs, but the visionaries behind the inf lu- ential Art Basel shows in Switzerland and Miami Beach helped push the cultural renaissance forward last year when they debuted Art Basel in Hong Kong. Asia's second annual Art Basel fair—which opens May 15 and features 245 of the world's most inf luential galleries from 39 countries—will help add even more international exposure to the Asian art market. "Every fair has its own mission and vision," says show director Magnus Renfrew, "and Art Basel in Hong Kong aspires to provide a fair for Asia of global stature and the highest quality while retaining its unique regional f la- vor. Hong Kong has long been regarded as the portal connecting the East and the West. It's a major financial hub, and as such is [positioned] to allow for efficient transactions [between galleries and collectors]." This year's show will be marked by the strong program- ming that is a hallmark of the two other Art Basel shows. The Discoveries sector, dedicated to solo and two-person exhibitions by emerging artists, is building particular buzz, and a $25,000 prize will be awarded to one of the nearly 30 participants of this sector at the end of the fair. Also creating excitement is the Encounters sec- tor, featuring large-scale sculptural and installation pieces curated by Japan's highly regarded Yuko Hasegawa of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. "Last year Yuko's selection spurred a compelling discourse around contrasting generational and cultural approaches to artistic practices," says Renfrew. "I have every confidence that her program this year will again Rising in the East THE EYES OF BOSTON'S ART WORLD TURN TO ASIA AS ART BASEL HONG KONG LAUNCHES INTO ITS SECOND YEAR. BY SUE HOSTETLER Embroidery Series (Clothing) by Peng Wei, 2003–2012. continued on page 66 64 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM ART FULL 064-066_BC_SC_Artfull_LteSpr14.indd 64 4/4/14 2:43 PM