Shanghai-based Art021 launches Hong Kong art fair with focus on Global South

Inaugural Art021 Hong Kong brings together nearly 90 galleries from 13 countries and regions

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Art021 co-founder David Chau poses with an artwork named “Sofa man” by Shang Liang in Victoria Park. Photo: Eugene Lee

Published: 8:03pm, 28 Aug 2024Updated: 8:46pm, 28 Aug 2024

An art fair with more than 1 billion yuan (US$140.3 million) in sales annually in mainland China has debuted in Hong Kong, with organisers saying it sets itself apart from existing shows by connecting galleries and artists from the Global South to the international market.

Bringing together nearly 90 galleries from 13 countries and regions, Shanghai-based Art021 launched Art021 Hong Kong on Wednesday and organisers said it also aimed to promote Chinese contemporary art to the world, with expectations it would bring millions of dollars to the city’s economy.

“As the most mature and largest art market in Asia, we think Hong Kong should have more than just an art week in the first half of the year,” said David Chau, co-founder of the Art021 group.

“We all know March is an important month with Art Basel, Art Central and other events, [but] if you look at London and New York, there are happenings all year round. We hope to do something here in the latter half of the year.”

Founded in 2013, the Art021 fair – deemed by some as the mainland’s answer to Art Basel – was inaugurated in Shanghai and exponentially grew to achieve more than 1 billion yuan in sales revenue in the last three years, the organisers said.

It has also held the fairs Jingart in Beijing since 2018 and DnA Shenzhen since 2021.