When we asked various gallerists how this year’s Art Central compared to past years, their replies seemed to have a few elements in common: elation, reflection, and relief. It marked the return of an event that Hong Kong’s art community had been waiting for a long time.
Here’s what gallerists in Hong Kong think about Art Central 2023
Their sentiments were more or less the same: it felt good to be back in the city and reconnect with old friends and collectors; the energy was more lively, and the influx of international visitors meant it was possible to once more meet a string of interesting people from all over the world in one place. One gallerist remarked that the booths seemed closer together — either an indicator of less floor space or more booths than in previous years. One thing can be said for sure: the city’s collectors, creatives and characters turned up in full force to support the art fair.
Art Central is often pegged as the younger cousin of Art Basel. Compared to the latter, it’s a more intimate affair where the passion for supporting local artists and rising stars becomes the focal point. Visitors first enter the fair through a dark room, where an immersive installation of the Hong Kong skyline glimmered; the work was a fantastical rendering of the city with building landmarks, colonial shophouses, and post-modern Hong Kong apartment buildings collaged upon one another over a set of rolling mountains.
Related Stories
The installation opens to a bright and busy Art Central in full swing. There is no shortage of large-scale installations and sculptural works, from a dangling charcoal maze to a much-larger-than-life gummy bear sculpture by WhIsBe and a giant purple hooded figure by Edgar Plans, while works from contemporary greats such as Yayoi Kusama, KAWS, and José Cornella could be found throughout. Double Q Gallery’s booth chose to focus on a single artist this year, József Csató, a Hungarian painter whose surreal works feature playful, psychedelic figures. The booth walls were rendered a whimsical maroon while a furry aqua carpet worthy of a Dr Seuss movie set lay under our feet. Square Street Gallery’s sizeable booth featured the works of multiple artists, from giant photographic prints by Kary Kwok which spanned the height of the walls and a to-scale reproduction of manga zines by Annabel Lee, to a studio recreation by Clara Wong.
Check out our gallery below for a look at this year’s Art Central and make sure to drop by before the fair closes tomorrow 25 March.
(Photographer: Alison Kwan)
This story first appeared here.
Related: Hong Kong’s First-Ever Exhibition Dedicated To Grafitti & Street Art
