Art Basel Hong Kong first look: small is beautiful, kitsch is out at international art fair
- The works seem more subdued than in previous years, and the prices lower, at Hong Kong’s biggest art event of the year
- Historical themes are a feature of several exhibitions, and even experimental works strive for a resemblance to classical forms, such as tapestry
Kitsch is out, small is good. That’s our first impression of this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong, Asia’s biggest contemporary art fair, which opened its doors to VIPs on Wednesday.
Compared to previous editions, the art seems quieter. Even the large pieces in the “Encounters” section are relatively subdued, apart from Lee Bul’s Willing to Be Vulnerable – Metalized Balloon (2019), which is a giant silver zeppelin, and Mit Jai Inn’s brightly coloured Planes (Electric) (2019).
With just one gratuitous lifelike female nude, this year’s fair features quite a few presentations that have thoughtful and substantial content, including a number of historical exhibitions.
Ben Brown is celebrating his Hong Kong gallery’s 10th anniversary by presenting paintings by his mother, Rosamond, at his booth with an archive of exhibitions she took part in during the 1970s, when she was a key member of Hong Kong’s burgeoning Western art scene.
There is a quite a lot of experimentation using unusual materials and digital manipulation, but those works tend to strive for a resemblance to classical forms. Others use traditional genres to represent contemporary issues, such as Perry Grayson’s Battle of Britain (2017), a 3-metre by 7-metre tapestry, on sale at Victoria Miro’s booth, and Natee Utarit’s oil paintings at Richard Koh Gallery.
