It was no surprise that Sotheby’s organised one of its largest Asian luxury conferences alongside the fair two years ago, and it is no surprise that luxury brands like La Prairie, BMW, Louis Vuitton and Audemars Piguet are active at the 2021 fair.

Ahead of Art Basel, Louis Vuitton showcased its latest edition of the Objets Nomades Collection in Hong Kong. True to Louis Vuitton’s core values, the collection includes travel-inspired furniture and objects crafted in collaboration with internationally renowned designers, with this year’s collection inspired by old Hong Kong mansions. The show also featured Hong Kong photographer Wing Shya with a series of movement-driven photographs, connecting with the brand idea of Louis Vuitton to explore horizons.

The BMW Art Journey reaches back to 2015, and aims to support emerging and mid-career artists. This year, BMW features Leelee Chan in its Wan Chai showroom. Her project Tokens from Time embodies material culture from the past, present and future.

The artist interprets tokens across different historical and cultural contexts and in their role of expressing feelings. During Chan’s journey, BMW invited her to visit its research centres in Munich as the first Art Journey awardee. There, she exchanged ideas with experts from the fields of textiles, glass, recycling and design allowing her to gain a deeper understanding of how engineered materials can play a part in a sustainable future. It is a beautiful example how the brand’s engineering expertise and art create inspiration.

Audemars Piguet, the Swiss luxury watchmaker, founded its contemporary art programme, named Audemars Piguet Contemporary, in 2012. This programme supports international artists by commissioning new artworks.

According to curator Audrey Teichmann: “These collaborations contribute to exploring diverse contemporary artists’ positions. In a world that is ever-changing, engaging in a dialogue with artists is key, because they offer unique, critical, philosophical approaches to the intricacies of the world we live in.”

The goal is to build long-term relationships. As Teichman explained: “One of our goals is to offer different audiences the opportunity to experience these artworks. We have presented the commissioned artworks worldwide, in major venues. We are pleased to be supporting the art scene and always look forward to discovering interesting artists from the region.”

At this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong, the brand is unveiling the exhibition The Moon is Leaving Us by artist Phoebe Hui. It is Audemars Piguet’s fifth commission, and can be viewed virtually and also in person by special invitation at Tai Kwun, Hong Kong, until May 23.

Each commission selects an artist who is not internationally recognised. Under the guidance of a guest curator the goal is to create a large-scale work amplifying their practice on a scale that is a “first” for them.

La Prairie, the iconic Swiss luxury skin care brand known for its Caviar line, is celebrating the Pure Gold collection, its first in the brand’s sustainable journey offering refillable packaging at Art Basel Hong Kong through an interpretation by Hong Kong artist Carla Chan.

At the fair, art enthusiasts can visit a special preview in a video installation, Space Between the Light Glows, which is inspired by the “golden hour”. While La Prairie is no stranger to Art Basel, its showcase of a video installation is a first – a hint of the increasing number of millennials and Gen Z visiting the fair.

Greg Prodromides, chief marketing officer, La Prairie, said: “Art is deeply rooted in our brand heritage which led us to partner with Art Basel in 2017. Since then, we have established strong connections with the art world: artists – emerging or established – and art institutions – to perpetuate beauty beyond the ages.

“Artists are our storytellers. With every collaboration, we look for artists to nourish and elevate our brand with a new perspective and creative paradigm.”

The residency for the artist was also a first, offering her a total immersion in Switzerland, the brand’s birthplace.

Luxury brands have collaborated for decades with artists and looked to the arts for inspiration. One of the first globally recognised collaborations was Louis Vuitton’s collection, which is designed by the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.

What makes all these luxury and art collaborations so fascinating is the fusion of Eastern and Western artistic elements, thus creating unique pieces of art that fuse elements of both worlds.

As per Jing Daily, more than 50 per cent of luxury consumption will be from Chinese consumers by 2030. Add to this the avid luxury consumption in Japan, Korea and India, it is clear that the role of Art Basel and other art exhibitions in China and the Asian region will continue to grow in importance.

Gen Z will further shift the trend to (in part) virtual exhibitions and the connection with sustainable initiatives, with Art Basel 2021 being a first.

With this, brands like Louis Vuitton, BMW, Audemars Piguet and La Prairie are writing history and creating lasting connections with young, affluent and culturally immersed Gen Z and millennial audiences.