Art Basel Hong Kong 2025: A Practical Guide For Art Collectors
Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 transforms the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre into the epicenter of the Asian art market this weekend, showcasing an extraordinary array of modern and contemporary masterpieces from across the globe. As collectors, curators, and enthusiasts converge on this cultural nexus, they encounter a carefully curated selection of works that reflect both established artistic traditions and emerging global conversations.
This year's edition arrives at a particularly significant moment for the Asian art market. Following recent adjustments in collector behaviour and pricing across various sectors, Art Basel Hong Kong offers a crucial barometer of market resilience and evolving collecting patterns. The strong presence of both Western and Asian galleries underscores Hong Kong's enduring importance as the preeminent bridge between Eastern and Western art markets despite broader economic uncertainties.
Must-See Galleries and Booths
The exhibitor list represents the pinnacle of international gallery excellence. These prestigious participants showcase carefully curated presentations that balance established masters with emerging talents:
White Cube (Stand 1C23): Artists on display include Etel Adnan, Enrico David, Lynne Drexler, Tracey Emin, Cerith Wyn Evans, Shao Fan, Theaster Gates, Mona Hatoum, Richard Hunt, Lee Ufan, Liu Wei, Minoru Nomata, Park Seo-Bo, Howardena Pindell, Marina Rheingantz, Danh Vo, Jeff Wall, and Zhou Li. See works here: https://www.whitecube.com/art-fairs/art-basel-hong-kong-2025
Pace Gallery (Booth A7): Featured artists include Matta, Loie Hollowell, Alicja Kwade, Lee Ufan, Li Hei Di, Arlene Shechet, Kiki Smith, Hong Hao, Li Songsong, Song Dong, Yin Xiuzhen, and Zhang Xiaogang.https://www.pacegallery.com/artfairs/art-basel-hong-kong-2025/
Gagosian: Presenting works by Carol Bove, John Currin, Edmund de Waal, Jadé Fadojutimi, Urs Fischer, Cy Gavin, Nan Goldin, Katharina Grosse, Lauren Halsey, Hao Liang, Damien Hirst, Tetsuya Ishida, Yayoi Kusama, Rick Lowe, Brice Marden, Tyler Mitchell, Sabine Moritz, Takashi Murakami, Albert Oehlen, Nam June Paik, Gerhard Richter, Ed Ruscha, Pierre Soulages, Spencer Sweeney, Sarah Sze, Mary Weatherford, Tom Wesselmann, Anna Weyant, Stanley Whitney, Jordan Wolfson, and Zeng Fanzhi. See here: https://gagosian.com/fairs-and-collecting/fairs/art-basel-hong-kong-2025/
Lisson Gallery: Showcasing Tony Cragg, Shirazeh Houshiary, Leiko Ikemura, Oliver Lee Jackson, Anish Kapoor, Christopher Le Brun, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Elaine Cameron-Weir, Ryan Gander, Julian Opie, Sean Scully, Yu Hong, and Tishan Hsu. To discover more about the highlights on their stand see here: https://www.lissongallery.com/news/lisson-gallery-at-art-basel-hong-kong-2025
Hauser & Wirth: Exhibiting works by Louise Bourgeois, Philip Guston, Jack Whitten, Maria Lassnig, Mark Bradford, Barbara Chase-Riboud, Nicole Eisenman, Rashid Johnson, Allison Katz, William Kentridge, Angel Otero, Avery Singer, Zeng Fanzhi, Zhang Enli, Nairy Baghramian, Lee Bul, Jeffrey Gibson, and Michaela Yearwood-Dan. https://www.hauserwirth.com/art-fairs/art-basel-hong-kong-2025/
Thaddaeus Ropac (Booth 1C14): Presenting Miquel Barceló, Roy Lichtenstein, Jules de Balincourt, Lee Kang-So, Alvaro Barrington, Robert Longo, Georg Baselitz, Liza Lou, Oliver Beer, Robert Rauschenberg, Antony Gormley, Daniel Richter, Hans Josephsohn, Megan Rooney, Donald Judd, Tom Sachs, Martha Jungwirth, Joan Snyder, Alex Katz, Yan Pei-Ming, and Imi Knoebel. https://ropac.net/art-fairs/65-art-basel-hong-kong-2025/
David Zwirner: Featuring Luc Tuymans, Michaël Borremans, Lisa Yuskavage, Elizabeth Peyton, Steven Shearer, Marlene Dumas, Neo Rauch, Gerhard Richter, Mamma Andersson, Josef Albers, Katherine Bernhardt, Carol Bove, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Scott Kahn, Yayoi Kusama, Robert Ryman, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rose Wylie, and Portia Zvavahera. https://www.davidzwirner.com/fairs/2025/art-basel-hong-kong
Stephen Friedman Gallery (Booth 3D16): Showcasing Juan Araujo, Leilah Babirye, Jonathan Baldock, Sarah Ball, Kenturah Davis, Andreas Eriksson, Denzil Forrester, Pam Glick, Channing Hansen, Holly Hendry, Izumi Kato, Ilona Keserü, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, David Shrigley, Jiro Takamatsu, Kehinde Wiley, Clare Woods, and Yooyun Yang. As part of Kabinett, the gallery presents recent works by Anne Rothenstein.https://www.stephenfriedman.com/art-fairs/86-art-basel-hong-kong-group-exhibition-kabinett-solo-presentation-by-anne/
Navigating Art Basel: A Strategic Approach
The sheer scale of Art Basel Hong Kong can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. Without a structured approach, it's easy to experience the dreaded "fair fatigue" – that peculiar overwhelming sensation when confronted with such a concentrated abundance of artworks. Here's how to transform what might be an exhausting experience into an enriching one:
Before You Arrive:
Develop a Strategic Plan: Identify the galleries and artists that align with your collecting interests. Review the exhibitor list and floor plan to plot an efficient route through the fair.
Clarify Your Acquisition Objectives: Determine whether you're looking for specific artists, periods, or media. Are you collecting for aesthetic pleasure, investment potential, or to fill specific gaps in your collection?
Schedule Key Appointments: For serious collectors, arranging meetings with your preferred galleries in advance can ensure dedicated attention from gallery directors and first access to coveted works.
During the Fair:
Start Fresh: Visit your highest-priority booths early in the day when your judgment and energy are at their peak.
Take Breaks: Schedule strategic pauses for refreshments away from the main exhibition halls to reset your visual palate.
Document Effectively: Rather than relying on memory, take photos (where permitted) and notes about works that interest you, including artist, title, dimensions, medium, price, and gallery contact.
Allow for Discovery: While having a plan is essential, leave some time to wander and discover unexpected works and emerging artists that might not be on your radar.
Engage Meaningfully: Ask questions of gallery representatives about artists' backgrounds, techniques, and artistic development – these conversations often provide valuable context that enhances appreciation.
Always do your due diligence before making an acquisition: For collectors that need guidance on this always feel free to reach out to us for a free and independent consultation through our website. We offer this free consultation because we want to help you make a good purchasing decision. Happy collectors buy more art and this is great for everyone!
Want to know what is hot at the fair? Well here are some notable early sales
The fair's opening hours have already witnessed significant transactions, underscoring the continued vitality of the art market:
Yayoi Kusama's INFINITY-NETS [ORUPX] (2013): Sold by David Zwirner for USD 3.5 million, continuing strong demand for her iconic net paintings.
Christina Quarles's Push'm Lil' Daisies, Make'm Come Up (2020): Acquired from Hauser & Wirth for USD 1.35 million, reflecting growing institutional interest in her distinctive figurative style.
Michaël Borremans's Bob (2025): A new large-scale painting sold by David Zwirner for USD 1.6 million to the Corridor Foundation in Shenzhen.
Louise Bourgeois's Bronze Sculpture: Sold by Hauser & Wirth for USD 2 million to an Asian collection, demonstrating continued strong interest in blue-chip female artists.
Anicka Yi's Thorn (2023–24): A hanging sculpture sold by Gladstone Gallery for USD 225,000, from her acclaimed 'Radiolaria' series that explores the intersection of biology and technology.
For those of you who have a lot more time at the fair, why not get into the special sections in the fair, outside of the gallery booths there are a host of really engaging sections and special presentations.
Special sections and presentations
Encounters Sector
Curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor, this section showcases monumental sculptures and installations that transform the fair experience. Don't miss Christopher K. Ho's "Return to Order," comprising 30 brass sculptures arranged to offer varying perspectives depending on the viewer's position – a meditation on perception and perspective.
Insights Sector
Dedicated exclusively to artists from Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, this sector provides context for understanding regional artistic developments. A highlight is the presentation of Nobuo Yamanaka's experimental pinhole photography, showcasing his brief but influential career in Japan's post-war avant-garde movement.
Film Program
In collaboration with Para Site, the fair presents a curated program of films by Asian filmmakers. A spectacular highlight is Ho Tzu Nyen's "Night Charades," projected on the massive façade of the M+ museum, paying homage to Hong Kong's rich cinematic heritage.
Beyond the Fair: Major Gallery Exhibitions
During Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, several noteworthy exhibitions are taking place at prominent galleries throughout the city:
Sarah Sze at Gagosian Sarah Sze presents her first solo exhibition in Asia, featuring new large-scale mixed-media paintings and a series of hanging sculptures. Her work delves into the construction and perception of images in contemporary life, blurring the lines between two- and three-dimensional forms. The exhibition runs from March 25 to May 3, 2025.
Lynne Drexler: The Seventies at White Cube White Cube hosts the first exhibition in Asia of American artist Lynne Drexler, showcasing paintings from the 1970s. Drexler's work from this period reflects her unique position within the second-generation Abstract Expressionist movement, characterized by vibrant colors and intricate patterns. The exhibition is on view from March 26 to May 17, 2025.
Louise Bourgeois: Soft Landscape at Hauser & Wirth Hauser & Wirth presents "Louise Bourgeois. Soft Landscape," the artist's second solo exhibition with the gallery in Hong Kong. The show features works from the 1960s to 2008, including rarely exhibited sculptures and works on paper, exploring themes such as the relationship between landscape and the human body. Notably, the exhibition includes the bronze fountain "Mamelles" (1991) and the iconic steel-and-marble sculpture "Spider" (2000), both shown in Asia for the first time. The exhibition runs from March 25 to June 21, 2025.
Robert Indiana at Pace Gallery An exhibition of work by American artist Robert Indiana—who emerged as a key figure in the Pop art movement in the 1960s—will be on view at Pace's Hong Kong gallery during the run of the fair.
These exhibitions offer a diverse and enriching experience, showcasing significant works by both emerging and established artists during Hong Kong's vibrant art month. With so many high-caliber presentations both within and beyond the fair's walls, visitors should plan their itineraries carefully to make the most of this concentrated period of exceptional artistic offerings.
The Broader Market Context
Complementing the fair, Christie's Hong Kong sales commence this week, building on last year's successful model at their Henderson building. Their innovative approach of showcasing premier Western modern and contemporary works alongside outstanding Asian art from the same periods has proven exceptionally effective. This curatorial strategy not only highlights exceptional Asian artists but also positions Hong Kong as a destination for collecting across cultural boundaries.
These auctions hold particular significance as market indicators. While recent reports suggest market corrections, particularly at the highest end, such analyses warrant caution. The most significant transactions often occur privately through established dealers and brokers, rendering auction data just one piece of a more complex puzzle. The forthcoming Christie's sales will provide valuable insights into current appetites for blue-chip works.
Despite shifts in collecting patterns and emerging artist valuations, blue-chip art remains the cornerstone of legacy collecting. However, understanding evolving tastes and interests among younger collectors provides crucial context for those building collections with long-term significance.
Exclusive Opportunities with Vitruvian Art Collectors Club
For discerning collectors seeking privileged access to off-market artworks and bespoke acquisition opportunities, the Vitruvian Art Collectors Club offers an unparalleled platform. To receive our detailed reports about current market trends, blue-chip investment opportunities, and insider perspectives on emerging artists with institutional potential, you need to join Vitruvian's Art Collectors Club. Our exclusive membership platform puts collectors front and centre, providing privileged access to exceptional opportunities across the market that remain invisible to the general public. The club's personalized approach ensures that each member's specific collecting interests are addressed with tailored recommendations and market intelligence.
Look out for our detailed reports on the Christie's sales and further Art Basel insights in the coming days.
Public Viewing Times
Friday, March 28, 2pm to 8pm
Saturday, March 29, 2pm to 8pm
Sunday, March 30, 12 noon to 6pm
Photo credit: Ansel Lee
