Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, a catalyst for innovation, is drawing the attention of the world to Asia by integrating 240 exhibitors from 42 countries and territories, along with 23 others who are participating for the first time. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) will be hosting Art Basel from March 28, 2025, to March 30, 2025, which is set to be an engaging display of artistic practices from around the globe. This edition not only highlights Hong Kong’s proven cultural pedigree as a meeting point for East and West art but also highlights Art Basel’s continued promotion of the dialogue between modern and contemporary art in this region. As a promising highlight, the event will feature numerous exhibitions, film screenings, panel discussions, and public programs marking the Hong Kong event in 2025 as a significant milestone for collectors, artists, and art enthusiasts globally.
Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 – Encounters: Boundary-Defying Approaches to Large-Scale Installations
Under the curatorial imagination of Alexie Glass-Kantor, the Encounters section, one of the main parts of Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, has improved the boundaries of what can be considered an immersive art experience. This year, the theme is ‘As the World Turns’ and features 18 installations that fall under four overarching themes: Passage, Alteration, Charge, and The Return. Each platform examines cultural survival and the relationship between the digital and physical realms.
The last sentence of the paragraph summarizes the key points of the section in ”Alterations: A Multi-Media Exhibition of Upcycled Sculpture” that examines conceptual non-materiality. “Alterations” is a set of brass sculptures created by Christopher K. Ho, on display at Silverlens Gallery. Presented by Property Holdings Developed Group, Ho’s pieces encapsulate modernism’s allure: brief and engaging, yet wrapped in an obscured context. His entertaining but unfathomable works prompt the observer to reinterpret what is known. Christopher K. Ho’s works do not only change the object of the piece; the entire historical understanding surrounding the piece shifts.
Frank Wang Yefeng’s installation, which depicts a metafictional garden of the Gobi desert, is equally arresting. Cultivating society breaks through the traditional boundaries of nature in a nomadic era. As we can observe from the presentation of Vanguard Gallery, Lo desert. The work wonders and speaks of impermanence and change.
The Return examines mythology and the repeating patterns of human existence, including Vajiko Chachkhiani’s poignant investigation on the subjects of migration and displacement. The installation is on view at SCAI The Bathhouse and uses broken pieces of history in the form of architecture to gesture the enduring conflict of “us” versus “them” in world history. Outside the fairgrounds, Zurich-based artist Monster Chetwynd premiered Lanternfly Ballet at Pacific Place Park Court, a new site-specific merger of sculpture and performance made possible by Swire Properties. With more than half of the Encounters works produced specifically for Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, it leaves marks toward the fair’s commitment to advancing and contextually oriented art.
Kabinett: The Ever Evolving Artistry of Asia Pacific
In 2025, the Kabinett section skyrocketed in scope, reaching new levels as it includes an astonishing 36 thematic presentations focusing on both historical and contemporary narration from the Asia-Pacific region. This year’s edition focuses on solo projects and diasporic narratives, adding complexity to the artistic development of the region.
This edition features a unique showcase of Martin Wong’s early ceramics and paintings from the 1960s–70s, featured by P.P.O.W. Wong, whose body of work from his San Francisco years demonstrates his interest in the urban environment and activism. Liu Dan, Li Jin, and Yang Jiechang’s group exhibition of post-Mao ink paintings at the Ink Studio features reinterpreted Chinese ink traditions in contemporary styles.
Kondo Takahiro, the distinguished Japanese ceramicist, will showcase his Silver Mist technique, which imitates water flow to create delicate pieces of art. The Tokyo Gallery + BTAP presentation highlights Kondo’s ability to transform materials and also features Pei Yanqing’s surrealistic indigo paintings. Exhibited by the Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Pei’s works feature a combination of Chinese ink painting techniques and abstract expressionism, forming calm and surreal landscapes that blend the real with the imaginary.
An installation of cardboard sculptures and drawings treating clothing as a metaphor for protective armor is dedicated to Vietnam’s pioneer contemporary artist Vũ Dân Tân. These works presented by 10 Chancery Lane Gallery reveal Tân’s ingenuity and socio-political critique. These multiple Kabinett projects testify to the importance of the gallery as a guardian of cultural legacies while redefining contemporary narratives.
MGM Discoveries Art Prize: Emerging Talents Undiscovered
One of the most intriguing features of Art Basel Hong Kong in 2025 was the awarding of the inaugural MGM Discoveries Art Prize. The prize is set to award USD 50,000 to promising artists. The shortlisted candidates—Shin Min (South Korea), Kayode Ojo (Nigeria/USA), and Saju Kunhan (India)—were picked from a global competitive pool for their ingenious approaches to materiality, identity, and technology.
Shin Min’s mixed media installations, represented by P21, investigate how work in this digital economy puts a price on everything. At Sweetwater, Kayode Ojo’s sculptural work critiques consumer culture by combining dull objects with expensive, fancy materials. Saju Kunhan’s multimedia narratives, showcased by Tarq, examine the colonial history of Kerala through surreal imagery. The award winner will be selected by the jury that includes Aaron Cezar (Delfina Foundation) and Antonia Carver (Art Jameel) and will receive funding to exhibit in Hong Kong and Macau. This is a big step toward connecting the art scene in Hong Kong with the Greater Bay Area and strengthening Art Basel’s promise to nurture emerging global artists.
Film Program: The Threads of Resilience and Hybridity
There is a specific reason why Para Site in Hong Kong decided to include the works of 30 artists and set this program as ‘In Space, It’s Always Night.’. And that reason is setting up a dialogue regarding ecological disasters, technological advancements, and the boundaries on society. This was inspired by Isadora Neves Marques’ Vampires in Space, where queer identity is explored through the fantastical voyage of a vampire family in space. The program revolves around seven screenings by 30 artists who try to grapple with crises and regions, along with societies that have been hit by an ecological crisis.
Cao Shu’s Phantom Sugar (2023) poses perplexing challenges regarding sustainability by depicting a dystopian AI vertical farming future where human existence survival is under the control of artificial intelligence. It’s worth noting that Cao Shu’s Phantom Sugar was the inspiration for Carlos Motta’s Corpo Fechado—The Devil’s Work (2018), which traces the life of José Francisco Pereira, an enslaved individual during the mid-1700s. José Francisco Pereira was able to single-handedly merge African religions with colonial resistance.
Free and open to the public comes The Pixelated You, an event that showcases works by Hong Kong artists like Jess Lau and Jolene Mok and seeks to amplify local voices. The event constructs and deconstructs identities by utilizing self-portraiture and digital manipulation. The event, The Pixelated You, set forth by Videotage, aims to highlight the intricate socio-political turmoil and provide a step to bridge art and cinema. The film program allows for critical contemplation.
Conversation: Where Art Meets Technology and Society
At Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, the most renowned artists, curators, and key members are called to dissect the nature of contemporary art. Panels such as ‘What are Artists Learning from Tech and AI Today?’ put disco dancer Shu Lea Cheang, a foremost authority in digital art, into discussion with her algorithm and machine learning. Strangers know her now. Architect Kulapat Yantrasast joins ‘Hybrid Architectures: When Art Meets Design’ to probe into ventures that cross over the delineations of the discipline.
A prominent feature presents a unique performance and conversation headed by a Tiwi Islands cultural leader, Pedro Wonaeamirri, and Mayunkiki, an Ainu musician. Their meeting and the discussion with the curator Alexie Glass-Kantor yield collaborative works that emphasize the contribution of Native people to the contemporary art world. A sponsor provided a forum in Shenzhen, with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, dealing with urban planning and the stereotypes of the Greater Bay Area, noting the importance of the area to global art and design.
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