When the events that we used to have before the pandemic are shut down, we are always trying to find something new, mostly online and inside our house and that’s why we crave for art and culture that sometimes we don’t notice.
As of that, Art is really fitting to be the driving force to make the events happen and international travel to resume, that’s why Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) rolled out the “Arts in Hong Kong‘ campaign to support series of major events, in both physical and digital format.
This event is organized by fair organisers and cultural institutions around town, this means whether you are in Hong kong or abroad you can always reconnect with art and the vitality of Hong Kong.
Safely hosting major international events
Because of the absence of more than 2 years due to pandemic, most of the people are longing for this event however Art Basel is going to officially scheduled to take place again from 21 to 23 of May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).
More than 100 galleries from Asia, Europe, and the Americas have confirmed their participation in the said event.
In addition, Art Central will run concurrently at the HKCEC for the first time, and is free to attend with registration. The annual French May will continue to offer cultural entertainment, with over 100 events running from 1 May to 30 June.
To ensure that COVID 19 will be followed and let the participants be safe, everyone is required to wear a mask, and follow timed entry, they will also reduce capacity, and will have a regular cleaning.
Art events that defy borders and barriers
Every art has the power to make people close again and break down boundaries, and that is thanks to the depth of its imagination and creativity.
Hong Kong’s dyanmic arts community will be able to break down barriers as they will not just have physical event but virtual event too for people around the world.
Art Basel will launch a new digital initiative, “Art Basel Live: Hong Kong” in parallel with the physical show to amplify its international visibility.
HKTB gets in on the creative, interactive fun
Actively contributing to Hong Kong’s art revival, the HKTB created a dedicated campaign website, (www.discoverhongkong.com/Arts), which is a one-stop platform providing essential information about ‘Arts in Hong Kong’ and introducing online showcases, art itineraries, an event calendar, artsy offers, interviews with art insiders, and more.
In the online showcases, curated virtual experiences, provided by both international fairs and local events, are all at the fingertips of viewers, regardless of where they are located. It also features an interactive microfilm presented by two local celebrities – multidisciplinary artist Ivana Wong and director Kearen Pang – at some of the city’s coolest attractions, including Tai Kwun, The Mills and the West Kowloon Cultural District.
Top 10 unmissable art events in May
| Event | Details | |
| 1 | Art Basel* | Held from 21 to 23 May at the HKCEC, the world’s leading art fair is a hybrid of the physical and virtual, featuring 104 influential galleries from 23 countries and territories. New this year, ‘Art Basel Live: Hong Kong’ will broadcast the fair to a global audience. www.artbasel.com/hong-kong |
| 2 | Art Central* | For the first time, satellite fair Art Central (20–23 May) will take place alongside Art Basel at the HKCEC. Works can be bought in person or online, and a talk programme organised by the Asia Society Hong Kong Center will be broadcast online. http://artcentralhongkong.com/ |
| 3 | West Kowloon Cultural District* | Now nearing completion, the WKCD’s M+ museum has been offering documentary screenings on demand under a two-part programme, titled Cinema, Disrupted. Films and talks for Part Two: Interrupted Legacies will be available from 6 to 16 May.www.westkowloon.hk/en/mplus/whats-on-51/m-screenings-online-cinema-disrupted |
| 4 | French May & French GourMay | The annual French May (1 May–30 June) is a multicultural feast of more than 100 mostly in-person events, spanning art, design, opera, classical, pop concerts, dance, movies and more. www.frenchmay.com/en/home/ French GourMay (1–31 May) is an invitation to (re)discover French gastronomic heritage. www.frenchgourmay.com/ |
| 5 | Hong Kong Museum of Art | The HKMoA’s initiative ‘Art For Everyone’ (until 23 May) features 100 artwork images from the museum’s collection, displayed across Hong Kong, complemented by augmented reality experiences. www.artforeveryone.hk/ It will also run a major Surrealist exhibition, featuring 100 artworks from Paris’ Centre Pompidou, from 21 May until September. https://hk.art.museum/ |
| 6 | Tai Kwun | The former Central Police Station, now a heritage and art centre, will host live drama and dance performances by local artists during its performing arts season under the theme ‘SPOTLIGHT’ (until 16 May).www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/tai-kwun-performing-arts-season-spotlight/757 |
| 7 | Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival 2021* | This community arts festival is an opportunity to get a glimpse into this unique village with its Roman Catholic and Hakka background. The third edition (until 16 July) features 31 art pieces, including 14 new works, available on-site and online. www.yimtintsaiartsfestival.hk/index.php?lang=en |
| 8 | HKwalls | Hong Kong’s annual street art and mural festival (8–16 May) returns with the takeover of wall space in the seaside district of Sai Kung, while an exhibition themed ‘Tools of the Trade’ on the history of street art will run until 6 June at Soho House. https://hkwalls.org/ |
| 9 | Hong Kong Arts Festival* | The annual festival’s PLUS programme is embracing the digital format this year to connect with audiences both on and offstage. Available through June 2021 will be a hybrid line-up of online and in-venue programmes, in addition to an interactive online exhibition, and series of online documentaries and cinema screenings.https://www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/programmes/index-plus.html#All |
| 10 | ‘Arts in Hong Kong’ campaign website* | The HKTB brings art to an international audience with its dedicated ‘Arts in Hong Kong’ campaign website, a one-stop platform featuring online showcases, art itineraries, an event calendar, artsy offers, interviews with art insiders, and more. www.discoverhongkong.com/Arts |
*Virtual experiences available
