Hong Kong, Central. November 2023…read more I happened upon this gallery in Tai Kwun. I'd been there over two days at 001 and The Chinese Library. The day I was scouting the places I had booked I saw the gallery open and wandered in. Sometimes you come upon interesting exhibitions when you pop in to places like this. They seem to specialize in exhibiting lesser known Western artists. Kwai Fung Hin also makes it a point to feature modern contemporary Chinese artists. The day I dropped by I found an exhibition of ink drawings and porcelain pieces by Bai Ming, who is a university faculty member fortunate enough to have his employer's facilities available to him. The porcelain works have a dynamic energy to them. Their unusual sizes and shapes make them stand out from traditional Chinese styled pieces. His ink and mixed media series of drawings of water and land attract your attention with their modern abstract style. I was very fortunate to find them. a pleasant discovery while I explored the Tai Kwun complex.

I kind of snuck in. I did. They were actually closed and open for appointments only, but I slid…read morein to check it out. The question of "are they open to the public or are they only open for appointments to potential buyers" is a slippery slope around Hong Kong. "Are you just looking or are you buying?" is another slippery slope. Without a solid contemporary art museum to anchor from, I seek out art any way I can...even slipping into Gagosian. Do as I say and not as I do: I suppose it would be best to call first and simply ask to say "can I come by and take a look, not to buy, but just to look" to be on the up and up with their blessing versus the sneek in approach. If you love contemporary art, this is your church. Their is a fine line between public museum and private gallery in Hong Kong and access to see what is out there in the contemporary world can really only be viewed in the private gallery. I cant lie though. Between several places like Gagosian and Pace, these places are the holy grail of contemporary art and absolutely go if you have an opportunity to be in this space because without doubt whatever is on their walls is spectacular.

I am always seeking out art in Hong Kong anywhere I can find it. Thus why I sought out the Hong…read moreKong Visual Arts Centre today. They are located at the top, past the Aviary, up the vertical climb of Hong Kong Park. It is easier to reach if you find it from Kennedy Road or rather you skip the vertical climb to get here. The Visual Arts Centre holds many roles and is an open, multi-directional art space that focuses on art learning and exchange. Workshops, talks, studios, exhibition hall, lecture theatre, movies, multi-purpose rooms. Their purpose is to nurture young art talents and to bring a wider vision for Hong Kong. Today, I went to see what was hanging on their walls and what was open to the public to view. They also have a movie they show most Saturdays around 1:30PM (check their website on this before you go). Their current exhibition was one artist, all pieces were for sale and the artist herself was present painting on sight. The exhibition space is intimiate, welcoming and much larger that I would have thought. In their little lobby as well, they have all sorts of brochures, leaflets, books about all things going on around the city pertaining to the art world. Some great info is in their racks...so don't skip taking a peak so you are in the know all going on in the art world around Hong Kong. This place is a bit out of the way if you are not in the area, but it an easy thing to parlay into a visit to Hong Kong Park and the Aviary.

I had no idea about the existence of this place. I got there by chance. It was Sunday, sun was…read moreshining and I decided to take my book to Hong Kong Park. I had been there many times but had never really explored the park in depth. This time the plan was to sit at a bench in the shadow, read for a few minutes and walk around. But it got more exciting than that...I discovered the Visual Arts Centre. Located at the West side of Hong Kong Park, it's not visible from the park. However, it's a big building classified as Grade I heritage and built around 1900 initially used as barracks for married British officers and then turned into a space devoted to local artists. On the day I visited there was a free photograph exhibition, by the entrance and along the corridor. Besides that part of the building, they have an exhibition hall, a lecture theatre and studios that can be hired by artists to perform their arts. They also organize lectures, workshops and seminars. Although they conduct really interesting programmes, they are mainly in Cantonese and directed to the local public only. It's a great place for a cultural break if you are around Hong Kong park, the exhibitions are usually interesting and it's worth visiting the building itself, as it's a piece of Hong Kong history. What I like the most about the place though is the fact that it was created to devote some space for art creation only, so that local artists could develop their creativity.

For variety of artists and galleries this gets 5 stars. For…read moreaccessibility the building gets 1 star. While there are elevators, the security guards make a big production out of calling them for you if you need them and would prefer that they let you off on floor 17 and you walk down one level at a time between 17 and 5, then you walk down another 5 flights. Sadly I injured my knee and ankle earlier in the day and couldn't/shouldn't walk down that many stairs but did make the single-floor descents despite my visible limp. The two different guards I asked responded with exasperation and only begrudgingly called the elevator for me. I have injured my foot/ankle/knee in a few different cities around the world and have encountered different levels of accessibility awareness. This was sadly one of the worst. In cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and London, I've had guards at museums and galleries offer me the elevator and/or offer to help me to the elevator when I was limping. For a modern brand new building, this is just not acceptable.

So the unfortunate part about contemporary art in Hong Kong is that this city has failed at…read moreproviding any museum to date to showcase it. There are several reason for this I understand, but as such, the gallerists in this town are tasked with advocating contemporary art by the artistis and exhibitions they show, all while footing the prohibitively expensive overhead in doing so. I applaud them all for the weight they carry on this front. This is where uber cool places like Above Second Gallery come in hand. As collector and really just modern art (art made between 1860's-1970's) and contemporary art (art made since WWII and usually artists who are still living and producing work) museum enthusiast, I want to see and be surrounded by "art of the now." Above Second Gallery did just this for me with the show of Nick Walker. Often galleries can be intimidating and I understand why people do not stop and drop in. Art can be a discussion that people are not comfortable having because most people in the art world make non-art world people feel stupid. We know I speak the truth. The gallerist at Above Second Gallery was great. Down to earth, not pushing anything, teaching me a few fun facts about the artist along the way, very approachable. Now although I know alot about art, I felt like her attitude was not elevated and was welcoming to simply explore the work. Nick Walker's work showed really well in this little space. So go visit Above Second Gallery (or heck, just walk by and peer into their floor to ceiling windows and check it out from the curb if you are too intimidated to walk inside!) and see for yourself the cool contemporary art they have slapped up on their walls, because it does not appear you are going to have the opportunity to few it from a public museum any time soon.

This was the fourth year that I attended the VIP Preview of Art Basel Hong Kong as a guest of my…read moredaughter, who's a VIP of the world-class exhibition since it was launched in 2013.  She was invited to the VIP Preview and could bring 1 guest with her.  We had also been to Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland, and twice to Art Basel Miami.  Art Basel HK is as good as all the Art Basel shows, if not better.  It had successfully propelled Hong Kong into an art capital of Asia. Art Basel HK 2026 featured 240 galleries from 41 countries and territories, with a particular focus on Asia-Pacific.  The exhibition took place on Level 1 and 3 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center and was truly huge.  If you like modern or contemporary art, this is the show for you.  It is also a perfect place for people-watching, as some attendees are very fashion-forward or very innovative with what they wear.  No matter what you wear, remember to wear comfortable shoes, as people usually spend 3 to 4 hours walking through the entire 2 levels of show. This year we were also invited to the Opening Reception celebrating the launch of the Ray-Ban Lounge in the foyer of the Collectors Lounge.  There was a live performance by artist Kwonny painting on the mural of her artwork. There were passed hors d'oeuvres and champagne.  The friendly hostesses who checked us in were amazed that we'd come all the way from the US! Food and drinks inside Art Basel are pricy as expected. We didn't buy anything this year as we attended the Ray-Ban opening reception, but we had made purchases each year in the past inside the exhibition hall or in the collectors lounge. Expect street food like egg tarts and egg waffles to be like 3 times the price outside, so was bubbles, wine and other drinks. If you would like to go to Art Basel Hong Kong, please plan ahead and purchase tickets well ahead of time.  If you book an Uber ride, make sure that you get dropped off or picked up at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center HKCEC Phase 1 Entrance. I enjoyed the exhibition and would like to return again.

Art Basel has become one of the biggest annual art exhibitions in town for quite some years now…read more Are people in Hong Kong passionate about Art Basel? Hell yeah. Are poeople in Hong Kong passionate about art? Oh well, it really depends on how do you define it. It is a Facebook/Instagram heaven for a lot of us. And bigger, shinier, fancier arts are the ones usually get more attention. It's like where you go to a fashion show and the models who dress least will get most pictures taken. Nothing wrong with that, really, whatever floats your boat I guess. Art Basel is a collective exhibition of a lot of art galleries, art dealers, individual artists and all. So it is not quite as organized as you go to an art museum. The good part is you never know what you'd expect, and never get bored walking around two / three floors of arts. If you really want to appreciate closely, you need a solid 4 hours time at least. I'll see a bit of Impressionism like Sisley or Monet, and then a bit of Cezanne, Picasso, and then mostly the modern arts with Warhol, Miro, Magritte, Dali, Calder, Nam June Paik, etc.. and a bunch of Chinese / Asian artists that I don't recognize. If you like taking pictures of arts and having a healthy annual dose of arts, then Art Basel is your perfect place. If you are an art lover, you may find it a bit repetitive after a few years, because the it is not only about exhibition, but also a platform for galleries / dealers trying to sell similar arts over and over.

As I type, I wish I was giving the Popsy Room more than a wet, soggy 4 stars (versus a peppy,…read moreup-beat, confident, cheerleader like, fog horn a blowin, 4 star!), but in being consistent in my Yelping, I am giving them a limp, neutral, just barely swung up and caught the 4 Yelp star. They are more of a 3.5 at best, but I have decided to be kind, because I appreciate art. It is the cost versus experience that makes me hesitant. The Popsy Room is part art gallery during the day and then galleristic dining experience from 6pm-11pm. Let me explain the meaning of "gallertistic dining experience" and what this niche is...in this small gallery, they have rotating installations. During our visit, Naomi Okubo from Japan was hanging. Installations probably rotate every other month. There are about a dozen pieces of art work up on the walls, all for sale. We enjoyed Naomi's work very much! It is nice to walk around in between courses and investigate the works. It is nice to guess which artwork the dish is suppose to mimic (you are provided a guide explaining this). Each piece of artwork is created in the form of food with a dish designed to be paired with a particular painting. So the niche of the chef culinarily coming up with unique items, I give them credit for creativity. You have an option of 6 courses or 8 courses. You can bring your own wine for a corkage fee of $200 and they sell wine too. If you have food restrictions, tell them in advance and they will gladly accommodate. The gallery can fit up to about 18 people at any one time, but on this night, my husband and I were the only ones there for the night. On that note, it was romantic and the single staff member who tended to us was kind, sweet, welcoming, but the room seemed stale because it was void of people. The music being piped in was part Vegas rat pack and part hip jazz, which we enjoyed and noticed. The food was good. I would say of the 8 dishes, 4 of them were more interesting than others. Mushroom truffle risotto, pan fried tiger prawns (the pasta spun up in the presentation was so tender!), scallop carpaccio were our favorites. All were interesting, beautifully prepared, fresh. The other items were simply OK to us. Nothing bad, but nothing ground breaking to our tongues. I wanted this experience to be more. I wanted it to have more of a WOW factor. I am an art lover so I wanted this to be a slam dunk being my "limp 4 Yelp star" I am giving it. I live in Sheung Wan and I want to have this spectacular experience in my hood. I think because the cost for the 8 course meal is $1388HKD plus a 10% service charge per person and in my head comparing this small, boutique, set menu experience to the really spectacular, solid 5 star Yelp experience we continue to have at Fa Zu Jie just up the way for less than $700HKD per person, my expectations were high going in to the Popsy Room. Something fell flat for us. I think it was the cost of the experience versus other restaurants that provide this similar experience for a lot less (minus the art in the other experiences though). We enjoyed our evening and glad we went, but will not be hustling to book a future reservation. Nothing about our experience warranted a $1400 price tag. For $1400 I have higher expectations. f you are going to have your own experience and determine your own opinion about the Popsy Room, make note that you need a reservation and they also require a deposit of the price of one person.

Yes, I love art but I don't know much about the art scene in Hong Kong. However, I went to an…read moreinteresting gallery recently and I am already planning to go back. Hidden in the midst of Upper Lascar Row (Cat Street), The Popsy Room is a Hong Kong's one-of-a-kind multi sensory gallery. While most people appreciate artwork through their eyes, maybe sometimes by feeling, you are encouraged to experience art in 5 senses at The Popsy Room, including see, hear, smell, taste and feel. So, how can we taste an artwork? Well, I guess you can only do that at The Popsy Room since they are now introducing a new exploratory and gastronomic dining experience to guests at night, while remains an art gallery during the day. For example, in June, they invited Chef Kaze Lo, who worked at acclaimed restaurants like Caprice and Cepage, to collaborate and give her interpretation of the art pieces at the exhibition "Meditation and Megrim" on a plate, brining guests to a deeper understanding of the art pieces. I love the idea of art food pairing menu as it allows people to interact and appreciate art in different ways. To immerse yourself into this extraordinary art experience, remember to make a reservation beforehand as they only accept private bookings.

The HK Museum of Art is one of the best museums to visit. It has a good size collection of classic…read moreand modern art. We especially loved the representation from local artist, amazing pieces capturing the history and richness of Hong Kong's past. The exhibits were well laid out and not overwhelming and offered a distinct and engaging experience. We also found out that the museums in HK are totally free thanks to an endowment. We would have paid for admissions tickets but it's really nice that they make art free for all. The next time you're in HK in the TST area, I highly recommend paying a stop at the Museum of Art.

Our second visit here. We decided to splurge on the Special Exhibit. Well worth it - and the view…read moreof Victoria Harbour/Kowloon Bay from the building is breathtaking. Recommended. PRO-TIP: Bring a shawl or jacket. The exhibition rooms are extremely cold.