Donut Painting Series (2023), by Jae Yong Kim, presented by Hakgojae Gallery. Photographed by Feicien Feng of OF STUDIO
For director Angelle Siyang-Le, Art Basel Hong Kong provides an invaluable opportunity to spotlight Asian creatives and emerging artists while maintaining its status as a flagship event in the global arts calendar.
In a quiet corner of a Makati café, Art Basel Hong Kong’s director Angelle Siyang-Le is dressed casually in a denim jacket and printed separates. She arrived in Manila just the night before, in the middle of a tour around Asia as she spotlights the upcoming show while meeting with galleries and collectors. She’s set to attend Art Fair Philippines in the afternoon, and tells Vogue Philippines that although it’s her first time in the country, she likes the energy here. “It’s so vibrant, but at the same time, relaxing,” she says.
Having been appointed to her position in 2022, the director is in charge of the strategic direction of the Swiss brand’s flagship show in Asia. Now in its second decade in Hong Kong, it has long outgrown being merely a commercial endeavor, evolving into a catalyst for artistic expression and meaningful dialogue. “Now, our platform is an intersection for creative opportunities in the art and cultural world,” shares Siyang-Le. “I am very excited to have one art event connecting 42 countries and territories. I think especially in the current time, it’s very important to be connected, to reconnect.”
Slated for March 28-30, 2025 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center (HKCEC), the fair will feature 240 galleries, as well as a curated film program and talks by notable industry figures. Their “Encounters” sector for large-scale installations will be the biggest this year, with 18 massive pieces, 14 of which are brand new and made just for the show. Meanwhile, with the fair being held during the annual Hong Kong Art Week, expect a city bustling with excitement and filled to the brim with shows and activities for art enthusiasts.
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the contemporary art fair also has annual shows in Paris and Miami, each drawing a diverse crowd of collectors, artists, curators, and more. The Hong Kong edition, in particular, takes on a role as a cultural touchstone for the region. “I think it is our mission to foster the art community, to bring Asia’s contemporary art onto a global platform and to increase the prominence of our art internationally,” she says.
Underscoring this commitment, more than half of this year’s galleries will be from the Asia-Pacific, with key ones highlighted on the show floor. Angelle says that they would like to put top Asian galleries at strategic locations to attract attention from a global audience. The show likewise has a special section called “Insights” which is dedicated to art from the continent, and collaborates with Asian artists and local institutions on special projects.
One such collaboration features the work of Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen, which will grace the M+ facade. Visible from across Victoria Harbor, “Night Charades” is an AI-generated animation that blends past and future, while paying homage to the golden age of Hong Kong cinema. Then there is Artists’ Night with Tai Kwun, which will transform the historic police station into a vibrant stage for various kinds of performance art.
Through these and their other public art activations, Siyang-Le reveals that their goal is for people to have a more immersive and personal encounter with art. “We want you to feel that you’re not just going to an art fair, but you’re experiencing an art journey as soon as you land in Hong Kong,” she states.
This year, Philippine art will likewise have its moment courtesy of several unique presentations. First off, is a large-scale installation by Pacita Abad and Pio Abad presented by Silverlens with Tina Kim Gallery. Conceived by artist and Pacita Abad Art Estate curator Pio Abad with “Encounters” curator Alexie Glass-Kantor, the work highlights Pacita’s signature trapunto technique that combines stitching, padding and embellishments on painted canvas.
Father and son duo, Soler and Luis Antonio Santos, will likewise be presenting their work through The Drawing Room. The Manila-based gallery will be showcasing Soler’s abstractionist assemblages, as well as his son Luis Antonio’s photorealistic paintings.
And while there will indeed be a lot going on in this year’s fair, Siyang-Le is likewise keen on seeing the work of light and media artist James Clar. “That is something I would like to see on site, how this particular Kabinett project transforms Silverlens’ booth,” she shares. She explains that the fair’s “Kabinett” sections are like “booths within booths”, allowing galleries to highlight a particular artist. For the Filipino-American, it will be his piece called “Cloud Seed (Autumn)”, which immerses the viewers in a simulation of rain and fog, and new work from his “Parol” series that will be shown.
Bolstered by a global art market valued at USD 65 billion in 2023, the fair’s business activity is notable, which commences during the two VIP vernissage days preceding the public opening. It’s the kind of fair where you might expect to see works by Warhol, Picasso, and Calder alongside pieces by emerging artists and buzzy names like Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami.
Significantly, the fair somehow mirrors Hong Kong’s historic role as a bridge between East and West. “It’s like this huge reunion in not only the art world, but in the world, bringing together different communities and art lovers,” Angelle says. She’s keen to capitalize on this, and even expound upon it to highlight the nuances of the region’s creative set. “It’s great for the international audience to really understand the diversity of Asia.”
Art is of course a potent medium for conveying messages and exploring complex themes. In the case of contemporary art, especially those being created in the present moment, we can expect it to be a reflection of society’s vital issues, be it within the region or globally. “That’s also what we’re trying to do, to create a platform to accommodate multiple perspectives,” shares Siyang-Le.
Thus, given art’s far-reaching cultural impact in society, its role is something the director thinks about a lot.“I feel like if you ask me on different days, I may give you a different answer,” she says. “I feel like the role of art is always evolving. At the moment, I would like the role of art, at least what we are trying to present on our platform, is to act as artists’ hope…for ourselves, for our next generation.”
