Art Basel fair splashes down in Hong Kong
Print Edition
A mass table tennis match on a giant doughnut-shaped table and the chance to become a citizen of an imaginary country were among the more offbeat interactive works on display as Hong Kong’s Art Basel fair opened on Wednesday.
The “Ping Pong Go-round” was a hit with dozens of guests attending a VIP preview.
The artist, Lee Wen from Singapore, challenged all-comers at his unorthodox table.
“It’s like a conference table with no borders,” Lee said. “Looking at the world now with globalism and as well as between men and women, the game is quite fair.”
A work by Chinese artist Sun Xun offered buyers the opportunity to spend up to US$13,000 on “citizenship” of his imaginary country, the Republic of Jing Bang — entitling them to one of an unknown number of aluminum suitcases complete with a passport, ID card and a national flag.
“It’s an ideology. He’s just creating a utopian country, so in this country you can tell lies, nobody knows what is truth and what is false,” said Edmund Chan of the Singapore Tyler Print Institute gallery.
With its knack for attracting a global mix of wealthy buyers, artists, gallery owners, VIPs and celebrities, the five-day show is the catalyst for a champagne-soaked itinerary of art fairs, exhibitions and happenings around the city as its gallery scene goes into overdrive.
The fair involves more than 240 galleries from 39 countries and territories showcasing paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs and videos.
Internationally renowned artists including Japan’s Takashi Murakami and Britain’s Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin had a strong showing at the fair.
“Nowhere else on Earth will you find such a rich mix of high-quality work from the leading galleries and artists from both East and West,” Art Basel director Marc Spiegler said.
The show also curates selections from the Asia-Pacific region and works by emerging international stars.
German artist Carsten Nicolai was commissioned by Art Basel to turn the 118-story International Commerce Center on the Kowloon peninsula into a glowing installation called “(alpha) Pulse,” one of many events.
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