Art Basel concludes its 2022 edition in Hong Kong following a dynamic week of strong sales and hybrid programming

• Art Basel Hong Kong 2022 closed today, amid reports of strong attendance and vigorous sales throughout the fair week 
• The second edition in a hybrid format hosted 130 galleries including 75 galleries participating with a satellite booth, as well as a series of digital programming that reached a broad global audience 
• Art Basel and M+ presented the first co-commissioned project, ‘The Shape of Light’, a site-specific moving image work by Ellen Pau, on the M+ Façade
• The show, whose Lead Partner is UBS, took place from May 27 to 29, 2022, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)

The 2022 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong closed on Sunday, May 29, 2022, amid reports of consistently strong sales across all sectors and market segments, both to collectors present in the halls and those connecting with galleries digitally.

This year’s show also offered an energetic public program that highlighted local artists and created meaningful connections in the city and across the globe. Hong Kong-based moving image pioneer Ellen Pau’s new site-specific work ‘The Shape of Light,’ co-commissioned by Art Basel and M+ and supported by UBS, was presented as first major co-commission project on the LED façade of M+.

Commissioned by Art Basel and co-presented with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Artist Tram Project invited local artists Cherie Cheuk Ka-wai, Stephen Wong Chun-hei, and Shum Kwan-yi to project their works on the exteriors of the iconic Hong Kong trams.

The fair’s digital initiative ‘Art Basel Live: Hong Kong’ returned to the fair, offering a diverse range of digital programming from the Online Viewing Rooms and social media broadcasts to livestreamed conversations.

The fair’s many virtual walkthroughs were attended by private collectors from over 30 countries and territories, notably Mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, the United States, and Switzerland, as well as representatives from leading international museums and institutions, including Kochi Biennale Foundation, Kerala; Museum MACAN, Jakarta; MMCA National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; OCAT Shenzhen, Shenzhen; Singapore Art Museum, Singapore; and the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing. Patrons from all major Hong Kong institutions participated in the onsite program, including 1a Space, Asia Art Archive, Asian Cultural Council, Asia Society, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong Museum of Art, M+, and Para Site.

‘This week has been truly meaningful with so many great cultural collaborations, encounters virtual as well as physical reinforcing Art Basel Hong Kong’s role as the leading international art platform in Asia,’ says Adeline Ooi, Director Asia, Art Basel.

‘Despite the difficulties of the last months the city has rallied in support of the fair. We are deeply grateful to our 130 participating galleries for their commitment to our show here in Hong Kong, and the city’s institutions and nonprofits, especially M+ with whom we presented Ellen Pau’s brand new site-specific moving image work, the first major public co-commission project to light up the museum’s LED façade.’

Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world’s premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art Basel’s engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through new digital platforms and new initiatives such as The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report, Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast, and The BMW Art Journey.