1of20A visitor wearing face mask takes a close look at an artwork “Untitled, 2019” created by American visual artist Helen Pashgian at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less2of20A visitor wearing a face mask takes a close look at an artwork “Two Less One coloured” created by Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less3of204of20A visitor stands next to “Skin, 2013” created by Brazilian artist Jac Leirner at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less5of20Two visitors look at an artwork “Home Sweet Home: Pandemic Love 1” created by Hong Kong artist Mak Ying Tung at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less6of207of20A visitor walks past an artwork titled “Two Full Moons: One in Circle, One in Square” created by Hong Kong artist Pak Sheung Chuen at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less8of20A visitor takes a close look at an artwork titled “Passage” created by Hong Kong artist Firenze Lai at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less9of2010of20A visitor wearing a face mask takes a close look at an artwork “Untitled, 2018” created by Korean artist Kim Chong-Hak at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less11of20A visitor wearing a face mask looks at an artwork “Ladybug” created by British artist Mr Doodle at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less12of2013of20A visitor stands next to at an artwork titled “Marat assassins, after David, 2017” created by Chinese artist Yan Pei-Ming at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less14of20A visitor walks past at an artwork “To be honest, 2021” created by Spanish artist Javier Calleja at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less15of2016of20Visitors pass an artwork titled “Martyr, 2019” created by British artist Damien Hirst at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less17of20Visitors stands in front of an artwork titled “Blank Paper, 2014” created by Chinese artist Liu Jianhua at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less18of2019of20A visitor takes a close look at an artwork titled “Spanish Gold to Pagan Gold” created by British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious modern and contemporary art exhibitions, is returning to Hong Kong in its ninth edition. The prestige art fair is hosting 104 galleries from 23 countries and territories.Vincent Yu/APShow MoreShow Less20of20
HONG KONG (AP) — Art Basel Hong Kong, one of Asia’s premier art fairs, is back in slimmer form after a hiatus prompted by COVID-19.
About 100 galleries from 23 countries are participating, half the pre-pandemic level, with others joining via online viewing rooms. The show runs through Sunday.
Adeline Ooi, the Asia director of Art Basel, described the event as the organization’s first hybrid fair. A steady flow of visitors, all wearing masks, perused the works in a cavernous convention center while buyer representatives used smartphones on selfie sticks to zoom in on specific pieces for buyers overseas.
Last year’s Art Basel was called off as the pandemic was taking hold. The virus situation has stabilized in Hong Kong, and vaccines are gradually reaching more of the population.
