Art Basel Hong Kong returns to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 27 to 29, bringing together 240 galleries from 41 countries and territories. From emerging practices to large-scale installations and digital experimentation, the fair unfolds across curated sectors and public programs. Here are the highlights to look out for this year
Echoes: A new sector to watch
One of the most notable additions this year is Echoes, a newly introduced sector dedicated to artworks created within the past five years. Featuring ten curated presentations, each showcasing up to three artists, the section focuses on emerging voices and recent developments shaping contemporary art today.
Several presentations already hint at the diversity visitors can expect. Madrid’s Max Estrella brings together Tiffany Chung’s embroidered maps tracing historic spice routes with Miler Lagos’s sculptural works carved from stacked books, while Double Q Gallery presents an immersive installation by Polish artist Natalia Załuska. Compared with the larger booths across the fair, Echoes offers a more intimate setting in which to encounter artists experimenting with new ideas and materials.
Galleries and Kabinett
At the centre of the fair remains the Galleries sector, where international galleries present works spanning painting, sculpture, installation and multimedia. Bringing together exhibitors from across Asia, Europe and the Americas, the sector offers a broad snapshot of contemporary artistic production.
Within this section, selected galleries also participate in Kabinett, a format that allows exhibitors to stage more focused presentations inside their booths. Highlights range from Judy Chicago’s luminous hand-painted glass lightboxes, presented by Jessica Silverman, to Dinh Q. Lê’s 1998 installation Damaged Gene at P.P.O.W., which uses children’s clothing and pacifiers to reflect on the lasting impact of war. Elsewhere, Beijing Commune presents a contemplative architectural installation by Ma Qiusha, while Annely Juda Fine Art revisits early works by Christo.
Encounters
For visitors seeking more immersive works, the Encounters sector showcases large-scale installations that transform sections of the exhibition hall into spatial environments. The 2026 edition is led by curator Mami Kataoka, working alongside Isabella Tam, Alia Swastika and Hirokazu Tokuyama.
This year’s program draws on the five elements – space, water, fire, wind, and earth, a cosmological framework widely found across Asia. Works include Suki Seokyeong Kang’s multimedia textile landscape representing space, Parag Tandel’s yarn-based installation exploring ancestral ties to the sea, Masaomi Yasunaga’s glazed ceramic forms evoking fire and Geraldine Javier’s monumental eco-printed fabric columns resembling trees, representing earth.
Film, Conversations and Zero 10
Beyond the exhibition floor, Art Basel Hong Kong also presents its Film and Conversations programs. The Film program will be curated for the first time by Hong Kong media artist Ellen Pau, co-founder of the media art platform Videotage. Titled “In Between Magic and Reality,” the program explores imagination as a strategy for resistance, memory and survival. Meanwhile, the Conversations program hosts talks featuring artists, curators and cultural thinkers discussing the ideas shaping contemporary art today.
Another highlight is the Asia debut of Zero 10, Art Basel’s global initiative dedicated to the art of the digital era. First introduced at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2025, the project references Kazimir Malevich’s landmark 1915 exhibition “0,10” and explores how digital art can be exhibited and collected within today’s evolving art ecosystem.
Programs across the fair and the city
Art Basel Hong Kong also extends beyond the fair halls through citywide exhibitions and cultural programs. The Exchange Circle will host open discussions with figures from across the art world, while Artists’ Night at Tai Kwun features performances by Justin Shoulder, Geumhyung Jeong, Tation, David Boring and Lydo. The Hong Kong Ballet will also present a special performance titled State of Wonder within the fair.
Across the city, institutions including M+, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Asia Art Archive, Asia Society Hong Kong Center, Para Site, CHAT, Tai Kwun, WMA and 1a space will host exhibitions during the same week. At M+, visitors can also see Shahzia Sikander’s 3 to 12 Nautical Miles (2026) on the museum’s iconic façade. Together, these programs transform Hong Kong into a citywide art destination during the 2026 Art Basel week.
