Art Basel Hong Kong 2025: record number of projects and focus on queer identity and large-scale installations

From March 26-30,Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 presented at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre exhibition spaces promises to be an unprecedented edition. The Asian mainland’s most influential art fair brings a rich and varied program to the stage, featuring a record number of presentations in the Kabinett sector, an in-depth film look at queer identity and a series of monumental installations as part of the Encounters project.

The Kabinett sector, dedicated to thematic projects within the stands of participating galleries, reaches a new record with 36 presentations, the highest number in the fair’s history. The main focus will be on solo exhibitions, both historical and contemporary, with a strong representation of artists from the Asia-Pacific region. Highlights include a group exhibition of ink paintings bringing together works by Liu Dan, Li Jin and Yang Jiechang, representatives of the post-Mao art scene, presented by Ink Studio. In contrast, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery presents a selection of cardboard sculptures and drawings by Vietnamese artist Vũ Dân Tân, a key figure in his country’s contemporary art, who explores the concept of dress as armor. From the field of ceramics, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP features works by Takahiro Kondo, made with his innovative “Silver Mist” technique, reflecting on the transformation of water.

The Film Program and reflection on queer identity.

The film section of the fair will be curated by Pa ra Site, one of Hong Kong’s leading independent spaces. This year’s theme, In Space, It’s Always Night, takes its cue from the film Vampires in Space (2022) by Isadora Neves Marques, which will be screened in a special session. The feature film tells the story of a vampire family traveling to an Earth-like exoplanet, reflecting on issues of queer identity and family structure.

The program features seven screenings with works by 30 artists. Prominent among the selected films is Good Society (2024) by London-based duo Hannah Quinlan & Rosie Hastings and presented by Arcadia Massa, which examines queer life in Weimar Republic Berlin, with references to Hastings’ family memory.

Encounters: large-scale artistic explorations.

Encounters, the section devoted to monumental installations, will feature 18 large-scale works, more than half of them made especially for the fair. Curated under the title As the World Turns, the edition is divided into four thematic platforms: Passage, which focuses on cultural resonance and narrative; Alteration, which explores the subversion of abstraction and materiality; Charge, dedicated to the intersection of digital and physical; and The Return, which addresses themes related to mythology, spirituality and the cycle of life.

Among the artists in the exhibition, Pacita Abad is featured in the Passage section with three monumental paintings reworking iconographies of the Global South, presented by Silverlens and Tina Kim Gallery. For Alteration, Christopher K. Ho exhibits 30 brass sculptures inspired by the language of Modernism presented by Property Holdings Development Group, while in the Charge section Lu Yang transforms art into a commercial experience with a pop-up store where a digital avatar, DOKU, will sell artworks.

Another event will be Monster Chetwynd ’s offsite installation at Pacific Place Park Court. The Zurich-based artist, known for her performative approach, will present a project combining sculpture and performance, inspired by film choreography and metamorphosis. The installation is presented by Galerie Gregor Staiger, Massimodecarlo and Sadie Coles HQ, supported by Swire Properties, official partner of Encounters offsite.

Side events and news from the fair

The public program includes screenings, conversations and cultural initiatives open to the public, including theExchange Circle. In partnership with M+ and Tai Kwun, Art Basel Hong Kong expands its offerings with offsite events that strengthen ties with the city’s cultural institutions. Among the most anticipated moments, Night Charades by artist Ho Tzu Nyen will illuminate the facade of M+ with an installation inspired by Hong Kong’s golden age of cinema, presented by UBS. In addition, the MGM Discoveries Art Prize, dedicated to emerging artists, will announce the finalists selected by a jury of international experts.

For the first time, the fair will host the Art Basel Shop, a space dedicated to design products that enrich the fair experience. New collaborations include Design Trust, HASS Lab and Tomorrow Maybe, demonstrating Art Basel’s openness to an increasingly multidisciplinary art scene.

Angelle Siyang-Le’s role and the future of Art Basel Hong Kong.

Under the leadership of Angelle Siyang-Le, who was appointed to head the fair in 2022, Art Basel Hong Kong has solidified its position as a key event for the art market in Asia. With decades of experience within the organization, Siyang-Le has been able to develop innovative strategies, expanding the fair’s reach and strengthening its dialogue with the global cultural scene. Prior to joining Art Basel, Siyang-Le represented the Farook private collection in Dubai. He also directed the nonprofit art space Traffic and the artist studio Satellite and helped found The Mobile Art Gallery, an initiative to make emerging contemporary art accessible to a wider audience.

Art Basel Hong Kong 2025: record number of projects and focus on queer identity and large-scale installations

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