Hong Kong: Art fair in a changed city
First street battles shook the city, then a rigorous zero-Covid policy cut Hong Kong off from the outside world for years. Great hopes are therefore pinned on Art Basel: the Asian offshoot of the art fair is intended to bring Hong Kong back into the global consciousness.
One could almost say that everything is the same as always. Dense clouds obscure the mountain peaks above Hong Kong, the upper floors of the skyscrapers blur in the fog, while below, on the Bay of Kowloon, the rich and famous flock to the Convention and Exhibition Center where the Asian offshoot of Art Basel takes place on these late March days. Champagne glasses are foaming in the VIP rooms, gallery owners from all over the world have put on their most optimistic smiles, and art lovers are crowded together in the exhibition halls on the first day.
