From March 22—25, the eighth edition of Art Central Hong Kong will return to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, with a special VIP preview day on March 21 and a virtual viewing room available through the run via Artsy. Made possible by Lead Partner UOB, the fair’s 2023 iteration welcomes 72 galleries from across the world, marking the reopening of the Chinese borders after extended Covid-19 restrictions. On view will be work from more than 300 artists throughout the Central Galleries sector, Curated Booths, and Solo Presentations, along with a selection of special large-scale installations, curated discussions, and more.
“Following the long-awaited reopening of the border to mainland China and the rest of the world, we are delighted to be able to once again reunite international exhibitors and visitors with our local audience, galleries, and artists,” said Fair Director Corey Andrew Barr. “As a cornerstone event of the Hong Kong Art Week, Art Central is honored to be working with its trusted partners to bring a strong program of innovative art from around the world to the heart of Asia’s market for contemporary art. This outstanding edition of Art Central will bring an abundance of cultural experiences for collectors, curators, and visitors alike—to be moved, enlightened, and inspired by the boundless potential of the art of our time.”
Bev Butkow, “reflective connections (iteration 1),” 2023, site-specific installation, University of Johannesburg, South Africa; courtesy of the artist and Guns & Rain.
Fairgoers should look out for highlight presentations like the figurative ink paintings of Wilson Shieh with JPS Gallery, Guns & Rain sharing a solo show of Tuli Mekondjo, Artemis Art introducing a collaboration between Dedy Sufriadi and Taufik Ermas, multidisciplinary works by Anne Samat, Antonio Santín, and Ulf Puder presented by MARC STRAUS, Wilfredo Lam and Julio Larraz representing masters of Latin American art with Art of the World, Square Street Gallery with a group show centering artists local to Hong Kong, and more. Meanwhile, other galleries both new and returning will include names like Oi Ling Gallery, Mu Gallery, House of Fine Art, Atelier Aki, Artspace K, Double Q Gallery, Odds and Ends, LEE & BAE, Opera Gallery, W.H.Y. Gallery, Streams Gallery, Soluna Fine Art, Whitestone Gallery, Zemack Contemporary Art, and Cospace.
Outside of the three main exhibition sectors, attendees will find the Yi Tai Sculpture and Installation Projects featuring four large-scale projects selected by Curatorial Advisor Chris Wan, which intend to suggest a subverted reality that lies outside of preconceived structures of history, materiality, and emotions. Among these are Clara Wong’s Prelude in A minor Trauma (taking the form of a living space with a leaky pipe and a computer), presented by Square Street Gallery, Huo Yun’s When Memories Metamorphose into What You Imagined, a suite of history-informed sculptures shared by a|n Gallery, Bev Butkow’s use of dance to reflect on macroeconomic concepts, titled reflective connections (presented by Guns & Rain), and 021gallery sharing a suspended installation by Seon-ghi Bahk, called An Aggregation-Space 2023.
Chung Soo Young, “Brainwashed,” 2022, acrylic on linen, 120 x 120 cm; courtesy of the artist and Atelier Aki.
Also happening during the 2023 edition of Art Central is a robust program of talks and panel discussions spanning topics like art collecting, the trajectory of contemporary artists, and more, with the likes of artists and art world experts including Lindy Lee, Ticko Liu, Bonnie Lau, Teresa Kwong, and Sally Yeung; and an exhibition of projects presented by Asia Society Hong Kong Center entitled “Citrus Worlds,” which features ten works by artists like Winsome Wong, Florence Lee, Masahiro Nakamura, Herman Chan, and Choi Sai Ho.
Fang Lijun, “2023,” 2023, oil on canvas, 130 x 160 cm; courtesy of the artist and K Gallery.
Dedy Sufriadi, “Burning series 21.2,” 2021, acrylic charcoal collage and spray paint on canvas, 150 x 150 cm; courtesy of the artist and Artemis Art.
Yang Yongliang, “The Immemorial The Flock,” 2016, mixed media, 29 x 34 x 18.6 cm; courtesy of the artist and Whitestone Gallery.
