Hong Kong’s largest art fair returns this year with a strong line-up of local artists who explore hot topics—from boyband Mirror to the pandemic
Don’t miss the chance to get your hands on some of the most beautiful paintings and stunning installations at Art Basel, which takes place until May 29. We’ve rounded up nine local galleries and museums whose artists push the boundaries with their work, which includes projecting artworks onto moving trams and M+’s big screen.
1. Empty Gallery
Taiwanese American filmmaker and artist James T Hong is known for philosophical and speculative works that explore controversial race and class issues, instead of proposing an indictment of historical atrocities. For his video piece, Three Arguments about the Opium War, which is shown at Art Basel, Hong takes the meditative approach to understanding the devasting effects of opium addiction. The film juxtaposes images of the historical sites of the Opium Wars with contemporary footage of the South China sea and Hong Kong’s skyline, while the narration criticises both the British and Chinese sides of the conflict, leaving viewers in a state of moral ambiguity.