Art Basel reveals highlights for 2025 event in Hong Kong

David Ho looks at what's on at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025

Taking place from March 26 to 30 (including previews on 26 and 27) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Art Basel has shared the highlights for its 2025 edition in Hong Kong. The freshly unveiled highlights include details on special sectors, as well as an extensive week-long onsite and offsite public program. 

With 240 exhibitors from 42 countries and territories, including 23 newcomers, this looks to be just as exciting as the events of previous years. More than half of the participating galleries are from Asia-Pacific, so you can expect quite a flux of works from around the region. 

Encounters, Art Basel Hong Kong’s curated sector dedicated to large-scale projects, will feature 18 exceptional installations foregrounding the realms of digital art, design and architecture, textiles, nature, and human interactions. More than half of the works are being created specifically for the fair.

For the third year in a row, there will be a site-specific installation. Monster Chetwynd’s Lanternfly Ballet will grace Pacific Place. 

Meanwhile, the Kabinett sector that features thematic presentations within participating galleries’ booths will comprise 36 projects this year, marking the highest number in the fair’s history. We are promised a strong focus on historical and contemporary solo presentations from Asia, with works by 21 Asia-Pacific artists and 15 from the rest of the world.

The MGM Discoveries Art Prize, an award established for the show and supporting emerging artists, has unveiled its jury of international experts. They are Aaron Cezar, founding director of Delfina Foundation, Antonia Carver, director of Art Jameel, Christopher K. Ho, executive director of Asia Art Archive, Park Seungho, Chairman of Parkseobo Foundation, and X Zhu-Nowell, artistic director of Rockbund Art Museum.

The shortlisted artists for the inaugural MGM Discoveries Prize are Shin Min, represented by P21; Kayode Ojo, represented by Sweetwater; and Saju Kunhan, represented by Tarq. The winner will be announced during the show at the MGM lounge and will receive a cash prize of USD 50,000 to be shared between the artist and their gallery, along with the opportunity for the artist to exhibit their work in Macau. So keep an eye out here for the next big thing in the art world. 

For its film program, Hong Kong’s independent art institution Para Site will be curating for the first time. The program will feature seven screenings and the works of 30 artists. Art Basel will continue its collaboration with cultural video channel, Nowness Asia; and Videotage, a non-profit organization dedicated to video art in the region.

Besides the film program, Art Basel Hong Kong is going to draw from the cultural dynamism of its host city by featuring an extensive Public Program, both onsite and offsite, including the Conversations Programs, as well as the Exchange Circle, accessible to the public for free at the HKCEC. Furthermore, Art Basel will collaborate with leading cultural institutions M+ and Tai Kwun for joint offsite programming.

If art is a lifestyle for you, the Art Basel Shop will be present in Hong Kong for the first time with a selection of lifestyle products that promise to "celebrate and enhance the Art Basel experience."

For more details, head to the Art Basel site.

Also see: #review: A look at Zhang Yimou's Macau 2049 residency at MGM Cotai