The much-awaited Art Basel Hong Kong is back at the prestigious Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Scheduled from March 28th to 30th, the art extravaganza promises a grand affair for enthusiasts, scaling up to its pre-pandemic grandeur. This year’s edition will bring together 243 top galleries from 40 countries and regions across the globe,  including special collaborations with local art institutions to host lectures and film screenings. The art extravaganza will also feature its expanded exhibition sectors “Encounters” and “Kabinett”, to broaden the platform for cultural exchange.

Curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor, Executive Director of Artspace Sydney, the “Encounters” zone explores the theme “I am a part of all that I have met” and features 16 large-scale installations created by artists from various corners of the world. Notably, 11 impressive pieces were specially commissioned for this exhibition, marking a record high since its introduction in 2013. Hong Kong artist Mak2 delves into the concepts of replication, evolution, and simulation with her piece “Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy,” while Korean artist Haegue Yang and Australian artist Naminapu Maymuru-White draw inspiration from traditional folk art for their respective works “Contingent Spheres” and “Larrakitj Forest.” Featured under ‘Encounters’ is an off-site installation by Australian Aboriginal artist Daniel Boyd, which will be showcased at Hong Kong’s Pacific Place. The installation explores themes of identity, memory, perception, and history from a visual arts perspective.

This year’s fair boasts the largest number of projects in the history of the event with a total of 33 galleries participating in the “Kabinett” zone. This zone is dedicated to showcasing solo exhibition projects featuring works from the Asia-Pacific region. A Thousand Plateaus Art Space from Chengdu will exhibit installation works by Chinese artist Bi Rongrong, while Johyun Gallery from Busan, Korea, will present a recent body of works by the late South Korean painter Park Seo-Bo. Additionally, Herald St from London will exhibit acrylic and ink works by Hong Kong artist Cary Kwok, and Yavuz Gallery from Singapore and Sydney will exhibit the latest works from Thai artist Pinaree Sanpitak. Visitors can also expect displays from more international galleries including San Francisco’s Jessica Silverman Gallery and London’s Annely Juda Fine Art, which will respectively unveil works by Thai artist Pinaree Sanpitak and American painter Loie Hallowell.

The film screening program at Art Basel Hong Kong is set to feature an exhibition zone curated by the talented multimedia artist and filmmaker Li Zhenhua. Titled “Light Screening,” this zone is the result of a collaboration between Art Basel Hong Kong, the global video channel Nowness, and Hong Kong’s leading non-profit art organization, Videotage. The program offers ten free screenings to the public, with a diverse selection of films including, “A New Old Play” by Chinese filmmaker Qiu Jiongjiong, “Sex” by German artist Anne Imhof, a video animation titled “Sorry for the Late Reply” by Hong Kong artist Wong Ping, “Thread Routes – Chapter IV” by South Korean artist Kimsooja, shot on 16mm film, and “Useless Sacrifice” by Swedish artist Anna Uddenberg.