Art Basel Hong Kong 2019
For the first time as an art collector, I attended an art fair held overseas — Art Basel Hong Kong.
When it comes to name recognition, the caliber of participating galleries, and the roster of celebrated artists on view, ask anyone and Art Basel will be named the world’s foremost art fair. If my first overseas trip was going to be anywhere, it had to be Basel — that was my mind made up from the start.
Art Basel is held three times a year. Starting with Basel in Switzerland (June), followed by Miami (December) and Hong Kong (March).
If I was going to attend for the first time, it would be Hong Kong — easily accessible from Japan — so I made up my mind to visit, planning a three-day, two-night trip.
Here I’ve summarized a few impressions I gathered from this single visit.
The above are my own reports; in this article, I would like to share my impressions as a participating art collector, alongside comments from other collectors.
Three collectors look back on Basel Hong Kong
This article is a project in which three art collectors, including myself, look back on our visit to Art Basel Hong Kong — a first-time experience for all of us. *These are personal impressions, so please take them as one point of reference.
Art Basel Hong Kong 2019 participants
The collectors who kindly cooperated with this article, including myself, are the three listed below.
All of us had already visited Art Fair Tokyo multiple times, and this trip to Art Basel Hong Kong was our first overseas art fair experience.
- Mr. H — a contemporary art collector in his 40s who is actively building his collection
- Mr. M — a contemporary art collector in his 30s who focuses on two-dimensional works
- art on editor
Dates attended
Art Basel Hong Kong runs for five days. The first half is VIP-only, and the second half opens to the general public.
Mr. H: March 26–28, three days / two nights. March 26: Art Central Hong Kong; March 27: Art Basel Hong Kong.
Mr. M: Stayed in Hong Kong for 2.5 days, visited Basel twice (public entry), Central twice, Asia Contemporary Art Show at the Conrad Hotel once, and toured the surrounding galleries. Cut into sleep to sightsee mornings and evenings as well.
art on editor: A three-day, two-night trip. On public days: Basel once, Central twice, Asia Contemporary Art Show once, plus a tour of the surrounding galleries.
Purpose of attending
I would like to start by introducing each collector’s purpose for attending.
Mr. H: This time, I received an invitation from a gallery I have a relationship with, and I also wanted to actually experience Art Basel, one of the world’s premier art events, in person. It was my first overseas art fair.
Mr. M: Contemporary art centers on Europe and the United States. I had wanted to see galleries and fairs on a global scale for some time. And whenever I heard people talk about Basel, they all urged me to go, saying it was absolutely worth it.
Up until last year, I had only seen photos of the venue on SNS and the like; this year, I could no longer suppress my desire to feel that heat in person.
art on editor: I had no experience of overseas art fairs, so I wanted to check where my own collection stood in a global context. Also, to watch the latest trends.
On top of that, since I had blown my budget at the Art Fair Tokyo held just before, my budget was effectively “0” — I went in purely with viewing in mind. My aim this time was strictly to study.
Outcomes
Mr. H: Acquired two three-dimensional works at Basel and one two-dimensional work at Central.
Mr. M: No purchases. About three important works by an artist collected by a gallery I have a close relationship with were on display, but they had all sold out on First Choice day (VIP-only preview).
art on editor: On a certain gallery’s negotiation table, two acrylic objets by Julian Opie (promotional items made at the time of his solo show) were being sold for 500 Hong Kong dollars each. I expressed interest in purchasing them, but they only accepted cash, so I had to give up.
What was good about attending
We received multiple answers on the good points of attending Basel Hong Kong.
・After the opening, I was honored to be invited by galleries and artists to join the after-party, which was very memorable. (Mr. H)
・The exhibition at the gallery that gave me a VIP pass was a huge success, and I was very happy and honored that I was able to acquire a piece from that very well-received show. (Mr. H)
・When I saw the giant KAWS at Victoria Harbour, I was thrilled and excited. (Mr. H)
・I could feel the heat of contemporary art on a global scale, and witnessing the aura of the overseas celebrities on site was truly inspiring. (Mr. M)
Having gone to Basel, I felt that domestic gallerists could sense I am seriously engaged with art. (Mr. M)
・The venue overflowing with art was the ultimate space. Just plain fun! (art on editor)
・I was able to feel the latest art trends firsthand. I also learned about galleries’ strategies of changing the works they present depending on the region where a fair is held. (art on editor)
Points to reflect on
Being a first-time visit, it was a stream of first-time experiences. Below is a summary of points to reflect on. I hope this may help those planning to visit in the future.
・My attire was too casual, so I felt I was not taken seriously as a collector. Consider TPO and at least wear a jacket. That said, for footwear, comfortable sneakers are recommended. (Mr. M)
・If you are seriously aiming to purchase, you really should attend First Choice. (Mr. M)
・I was truly exhausted. (It took about a week to recover physically after returning home.) One more day would have made things much easier. (Mr. M)
・Since numerous art-related side events are held around the same time, I should have gathered information in advance. (art on editor)
・I hadn’t gathered local information, so my local food and free-time sightseeing were half-hearted. (art on editor)
Differences from Art Fair Tokyo
The fellow collectors had already experienced Japan’s biggest fair, Art Fair Tokyo. They shared their thoughts on the differences between the two.
・I went to Hong Kong thinking Art Basel would be the main event, but the moment I saw Art Central Hong Kong I was already overwhelmed. (Mr. H)
・Compared with Japanese art fairs, the individual works were larger, and the booths themselves were larger too. (Mr. H)
・I could see visitors from all sorts of nationalities. There were many people with an over-the-top celebrity vibe. It really did feel like a global event. (Mr. H)
・I attended the openings of both Central and Basel, and compared with openings of Japanese art fairs, the ratio of younger visitors felt higher. (Mr. H)
・The scale of the venue, the size of the booths, the size of the works — everything was big. (Mr. M)
・Tickets sold out and it seemed clear that visitor numbers far exceeded those in Tokyo. (Mr. M)
・From the public days, many local young people came without any intent to purchase, which was arguably a negative element, but this is a result of the branding whereby simply attending Basel is seen as cool. (Mr. M)
・Compared to Art Fair Tokyo, the scale is on a completely different level. To even compare them feels almost apologetic. (art on editor)
・There were many high-priced works, which felt out of reach for the average art collector. (art on editor)
・Not a single “bijinga” (portrait of beauties) work — popular in Japan — could be found. I realized it is completely a local movement. (art on editor)
Conclusion
Finally, I would like to close by presenting each participant’s wrap-up.
Mr. H: Above all, I was overwhelmed by a scale utterly different from Japanese art fairs.
On reflection, even having traveled to Hong Kong, my viewing and purchasing ended up centered on Japanese galleries; I wish I had done more research beforehand to engage with overseas artists and galleries.
Be that as it may, it was my first Art Basel Hong Kong. While there are points to reflect on, I feel the gains were substantial, and I hope to attend again next year.
Mr. M: Regardless of personal taste, everything shown at international galleries and Basel-exhibiting galleries was of high caliber and quality. But everything was expensive (overwhelmingly so, for me). Even so, Japanese galleries and works held their own on the world stage. If anything, I thought some were superior, and in certain areas even leading. Moreover, they gave me the impression of being reasonably priced compared to the above.
Having attended Basel for the first time, I felt I would still want to buy works by Japanese artists at Japanese galleries going forward. That said, I have not seen other markets — Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, etc. — so I also felt I still have much to learn.
art on editor: My first overseas art fair — and Basel, no less! I was in high spirits inside the venue and enjoyed myself immensely. I walked back and forth across the floor and expended more energy than expected, but since I visited on a public day, that was probably unavoidable. What left the strongest impression was the visitors, mostly young women, taking pictures with smartphones. I was overwhelmed by an atmosphere so different from Japan’s art scene, but that behavior differs from people who visit to purchase — so for those with purchasing in mind, I recommend going in the first half of the fair’s run.
*My thanks to the collectors who cooperated with the survey. We are also welcoming other opinions → contact us here.
Overview
Art Basel Hong Kong 2019
Venue: Hong Kong Convention And Exhibition Centre
Dates: March 27 (Wed) – March 31 (Sun), 2019
Private View (by invitation only)
March 27 (Wed) 2019, 14:00–20:00
March 28 (Thu) 2019, 13:00–17:00
Vernissage
March 28 (Thu) 2019, 17:00–19:00
Public Days
March 29 (Fri) and 30 (Sat) 2019, 13:00–20:00
*Each day 12:00–13:00 is VIP-only.
March 31 (Sun) 2019, 11:00–18:00
Admission
Single Day Ticket
March 29 (Fri) 2019: Advance HK$300 / Same-day HK$375
March 30 (Sat) 2019: Advance HK$400 / Same-day HK$475
March 31 (Sun) 2019: Advance HK$400 / Same-day HK$475
