Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 has wrapped up its latest edition, leaving a trail of significant sales and a vibrant local art scene. This marks a triumphant return to full scale for the show, making it the largest edition since 2019.
The 11th iteration of Art Basel Hong Kong showcased a dazzling array of artistic talent, with 242 leading galleries from across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East participating. Over 75,000 visitors flocked to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from March 28 to 30, 2024, experiencing the dynamic cultural exchange fostered by the event.
Representatives from more than 100 world-class museums and foundations, alongside leading art patrons and private collectors from 72 countries, were in attendance. The show’s extensive public program, in collaboration with Hong Kong’s premier cultural institutions, further enriched visitors’ experience.
Noteworthy collaborations and initiatives included Artists’ Night at Tai Kwun, the inaugural International Cultural Summit, and the MGM Discoveries Art Prize announcement. These developments underscore Art Basel Hong Kong’s commitment to supporting emerging artists and fostering cultural exchange.
Galleries reported significant sales across various segments, affirming the robustness of the art market. From established names to emerging voices, artists from diverse backgrounds captivated audiences with their works.
What Sold Highlights:
Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 concluded with remarkable sales across various galleries, indicating a robust return to the art market’s vigour. Here’s a rundown of some of the notable transactions:
Hauser & Wirth: The gallery reported strong sales of paintings, notably Mark Bradford’s “May the Lord be the first one in the car…” and Ed Clark’s “Homage to the Sands of Springtime,” which fetches $3.5 million and $1.1 million, respectively. These were followed by sales of a $9 million Willem de Kooning painting and an $8.5 million Philip Guston piece, highlighting a significant increase compared to previous years.
Xavier Hufkens: Despite a slower start elsewhere, the gallery offered a painting by Milton Avery priced at $1.6 million, which remained unsold as of press time.
Lévy Gorvy Dayan: Founder Brett Gorvy mentioned selling five works under $500,000 each, with a large-scale red dot painting by Yayoi Kusama priced at $4.8 million, still awaiting a buyer.
Pace Gallery: The gallery reported 15 works sold, with Adam Pendleton’s “Black Dada (D)” fetching the highest price at $275,000.
David Kordansky Gallery: A total of 17 works were sold on the first day, including pieces by Joel Mesler and Shara Hughes, with prices ranging north of $100,000.
Thaddaeus Ropac: Noteworthy sales included Martha Jungwirth’s untitled painting from 2023, sold for €450,000 ($487,000), and Tony Cragg’s “Incident Solo” for €725,000 ($785,000).
Lehmann Maupin: The gallery sold several works to Asian buyers, including pieces by Kim Yun Shin and Do Ho Suh, reflecting a strong demand for Asian artists.
Victoria Miro Gallery: Sold three works by Yayoi Kusama for a total of $11 million, including her famous “Infinity Mirror Rooms.”
Linseed Gallery: A fair newcomer sold Kara Chin’s miniature depicting a post-apocalyptic cinema to a Chinese institution for $20,000.
White Cube: Notable sales included Lynne Drexler’s “Plumed Bloom” for $1.2 million and Christine Ay Tjoe’s “3->2 #05” for $750,000.
Perrotin: Sold a canvas by Mr. for $300,000, depicting a pink-haired schoolgirl surrounded by colourful decorations.
Massimo De Carlo: Reported close to half of its booth sold, with prices ranging from $20,000 to $200,000.
David Kordansky Gallery: Sold works by Shara Hughes, Joel Mesler, Hilary Pecis, and Martha Diamond, with prices ranging from $140,000 to $390,000.
The diverse range of sales across galleries underscores the continued strength and vitality of the art market, particularly in Asia.
Co-commissioned projects, such as the architectural film by Chinese artist Yang Fudong, added another layer of engagement to the event. Meanwhile, the Encounters sector showcased large-scale installations, extending the art experience beyond the show halls.
Art Basel Hong Kong’s Conversations and Film programs offered audiences thought-provoking discussions and immersive cinematic experiences, further enriching the cultural dialogue.
As the show concludes, it leaves behind a legacy of artistic vibrancy and international collaboration, cementing its status as a cornerstone event in the global art calendar.
Leading art patrons and private collectors from 72 countries were in attendance, in addition to representatives of more than 100 world-class museums and foundations from across the globe, including: Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong; K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong; M+, Hong Kong; Para Site, Hong Kong; Tai Kwun, Hong Kong; Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou; He Art Museum, Foshan; Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai; Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), Beijing; Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul; Museum MACAN, Jakarta; Singapore Art Museum, Singapore; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Musée National Picasso-Paris, Paris; Tate, London; Serpentine Galleries, London; Brooklyn Museum, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; New Museum, New York; Swiss Institute (SI), New York; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles; Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), San Francisco; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco; and Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver. Showcasing the cultural dynamism of its host city, Art Basel Hong Kong featured an expanded, free public program radiating across Hong Kong, realized in collaboration with the city’s world-class institutions, including M+ and Tai Kwun, as well as non-profit art spaces such as Para Site and Asia Art Archive.
On Thursday, March 28, Tai Kwun presented Artists’ Night – Hong Kong’s annual signature event dedicated to experimental artists from the region – in association with Art Basel Hong Kong for the first time. Open to local visitors and Art Basel guests, the event activated the heritage and arts compound in Hong Kong, including live musical and dance performances, unique installations, and late-night exhibition viewings in Herzog & de Meuron-designed buildings.
In anticipation of next year’s edition, Art Basel Hong Kong announced that from 2025 onwards, MGM will present a new prize for Discoveries, the show’s sector for solo presentations by emerging artists. The MGM Discoveries Art Prize supports emerging artists and fosters new talent. Further details will be announced later this year.
Helming the show for the second year, Angelle Siyang-Le, Director of Art Basel Hong Kong, said of the Renaissance edition: ‘Art Basel Hong Kong returned to its full scale and spirit this edition, with the city opening its doors to visitors from all around the world once again. I am deeply grateful to all the galleries, artists, patrons, institutional representatives, and cultural partners whose collaboration delivered a show of world-class range and quality in our home in Hong Kong. This edition reflected the city to the world: utterly alive and teeming with energy, a meeting place of tradition and the avant-garde, a port of cultures and an essential bridge in the evolving art landscape across regions. Art Basel Hong Kong remains a vital anchor in Asia’s ever-growing local art scenes and a key moment in the global art trade calendar.’
Throughout the fair, galleries reported significant sales of works by artists across all market segments, geographies, and media, including prominent artists from Asia–Pacific and diaspora, such as Christine Ay Tjoe, Daniel Boyd, Lee Bul, Hsiao Chin, Fong Chung-Ray, Zhang Enli, Yayoi Kusama, Kibong Rhee, Chen Ting-Shih, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Haegue Yang, and Anicka Yi; international blue-chip artists including George Condo, Charles Gaines, Philip Guston, Sheila Hicks, Roni Horn, Rashid Johnson, Martha Jungwirth, Alex Katz, Willem de Kooning, Alicja Kwade, Paul McCarthy, Marilyn Minter, and Cindy Sherman; and emerging voices such as Kara Chin, Michael Ho, Antonia Kuo, Nawin Nuthong, Fuyuhiko Takata, Qualeasha Wood, and Huidi Xiang. Participating exhibitors remarked on their experiences.
Co-commissioned by Art Basel and M+ and presented by UBS, Chinese artist and filmmaker Yang Fudong activated the museum’s iconic facade with a new site-specific architectural film as part of a long-term collaboration between the cultural partners. The work is on view to the public until April 9. Hong Kong’s first-ever International Cultural Summit took place on the eve of Art Basel Hong Kong in the city’s flourishing West Kowloon Cultural District, bringing together global leaders of arts and cultural institutions to foster international cultural exchange and cultivate long-term partnerships.
Curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor, Encounters, Art Basel Hong Kong’s hallmark sector for large-scale projects, extended beyond the show halls, presenting a new installation by First Nations Australian artist Daniel Boyd at Hong Kong’s Pacific Place, supported by Swire Properties, Official Partner of Offsite Encounters, on view until April 7.
Art Basel Hong Kong’s Conversations and Film programs – curated by writer and editor Stephanie Bailey and multi-media artist and film producer Li Zhenhua, respectively – both took place at the HKCEC, offering audiences a unique opportunity to participate in thought-provoking discussions and experience vanguard artist films.
Conversations included audiences with artists Haegue Yang, Shinro Ohtake, and Takashi Murakami, among 43 practitioners and industry thought leaders, with works in Film by Qiu Jiongjiong, Anne Imhof, Kimsooja, and more. An open platform for short and experimental presentations in front of a focused audience, Exchange Circle once again collaborated with Art Basel Hong Kong’s media and cultural partners, encompassing artist talks, discussions, lectures, book presentations, signings, and workshops. The newly expanded Art Tagshttps://www.artbasel.com/and freely accessible public program in the HKCEC welcomed an estimated attendance of over 5,000.
We will add what the dealers had to say about the fair and other sales as soon as our team on the ground at ABHK releases this information. Please return to this page.
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