The Hong Kong Tourism Board has signed a three-year partnership with Art Basel, marking the first such organization to sign an exhibitor deal aimed at showcasing Hong Kong culture on the global stage.
The board announced on Wednesday that the global partnership agreement will expand its collaboration with Art Basel beyond Hong Kong to all its shows around the world.
The annual art fair, which began in Basel, Switzerland in 1970, expanded to Miami Beach in 2002, Hong Kong in 2013 as its only Asian venue, and Paris in 2022.
“Collaborating with Art Basel [the board’s] “Our continuing efforts to promote Hong Kong on the global stage,” Secretary-General Daen Cheng Tin-Yat said.
“By sharing the city’s unique character through an immersive experience at the world’s most prestigious art platform, we hope to inspire travelers to visit our city and discover its vibrant creative community and rich cultural experiences.”
Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz also welcomed the agreement, saying, “By putting global spotlight on Hong Kong’s vibrant art scene, this partnership will enhance the experience for fair-goers, create new opportunities and foster deeper connections between Hong Kong and the global art community.”
As a partner of the show, the committee will be present in all four annual fairs over the next three years, the first of which will be Art Basel Paris, which is scheduled to take place at the Grand Palais in the French capital in October.
Hong Kong Tourism Board executive director Daing Cheng and Art Basel chief executive Noah Horowitz announced the new partnership between the two organisations on Wednesday. Photo: Hong Kong Tourism Board
A spokesman for the commission said the Paris exhibit will feature an “immersive Hong Kong themed zone”, but details were still being discussed and had not been finalised.
For Hong Kong Art Basel in March, the committee worked with the organizers to curate an immersive exhibition, “Cha Chaan Teng,” a show themed around Hong Kong’s specialty food and drink.
Visitors could enjoy local specialities such as pineapple buns, local French toast, milk tea and lemon tea, surrounded by traditional Hong Kong cafe décor and neon signs.
A spokesperson said the collaboration on the special exhibition was the catalyst for a new partnership.
“Cha chaan tengs are an icon of Hong Kong and their presence at Art Basel is special,” she said.
Art Basel said the exhibition, which took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, attracted more than 75,000 visitors from around the world over the three days allocated for VIPs and the general public.
The event received a grant from the city’s Major Arts and Cultural Events Fund for the second year in a row and was the centrepiece of the government’s ‘Arts March’ initiative.
