Contemporary urban art may not be everybody's cup of tea. Most of the time, it goes right over my…read morehead but every now and then, I would get an inkling of the artist's message. What I find interesting about Oi! is that it is not your conventional art gallery. Oi! is not big. It sits on the corner of Oil Street and Electric Road in Fortress Hill on the island. A century ago, the waterfront was right outside this property. It was logical for the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to set up base here and operate until the government took over thirty years later in the 1930s. The historic brick buildings are specimens of the post-Victorian Arts and Crafts Architectural Movement. On the day of my visit, the theme was to stimulate our audio, visual, and tactile senses. The artists encouraged people to actually touch their creations. I like when art can be approached from more than one dimension. There was one exhibition room that was stark empty except for a porthole in the floor; and another one in which I had to duck my head because a block TV set was hanging from the ceiling. I also got to interact with other eclectic and obscure art pieces. Unexpectedly, the co-op kitchen was offering visitors complimentary miso soup on site. I guess if wine and hors d'oeuvres are served at the traditional art openings, why not offer hot soup at Oi! The idea was "they cook, you clean" so people had to do the little chore of washing the bowls they had used. I thought that was pretty neat. Everything was cool. Before heading out, I decided to use the restroom. I really wish I hadn't. They were either understaffed or negligent to have left the facility in a ghastly state. It might have been the visitors. What a shame to end my visit this way. For me, Oi! was an experience. I enjoyed the history aspect. I didn't have a full grasp of the pieces I saw but art is subjective. New exhibits rotate in periodically. Maybe next time I'll make a connection with one of them. 3.5

As we were simply walking by, I knew that this was clearly an old set of buildings that had been…read morerestored, but I was not sure what this space was exactly. With the kind staff at the customer service booth that went the extra mile to show me key parts of the facility and pointed out the specifics of the art installation spaces and the Social Gastronomy experiment space, I think I am a bit of a fan of this place. Once an old boat yard and covered mostly by water, this is a perfect example of Hong Kong recycling, reusing and re-purposing public building space. Part museum (with two installations currently: North Point Dream Properties Limited and 7-Paperholic), part social experiment on food with XCHANGE (turning leftovers and seasonal ingredients from participants and neighborhood markets into mouthwatering dishes), part community service/social hub (with talks, lectures, workshops, etc), part historical venue (Oi! is a Grade 2 Historic Building and they provide daily tours at 2:30pm, 4:45pm and 6:30pm daily). Art is really the driving factor for me with Oi!, but clearly their aim is really to connect with the community on a socially conscious level much greater than just art. But if you are not driven by social matters, note that admission to Oi! is free. The space is not large, but there is intellectually a lot going on to absorb at Oi! Although I did not have time to really understand all pieces of this space, I took a Oi! newspaper to go and have visited their website to sign up for news and events going on here. I will absolutely return to discover a bit more.

I am a fan of art. Contemporary art is my wheelhouse of understanding. So if I can go to a mall…read moreand also be exposed to contemporary art, then I am one to subscribe to the notion that this is a good thing. Too many people, art is not a worthy endeavor for daily consideration, so they would think differently. K11 Art Space is a break in the routine in the sea of shopping malls that blanket Hong Kong...yes it is a mall, but the niche is that it has a designated space to pause in this large urban landscape and contemplate contemporary art. Membership is free by simply signing up or a $20HKD admittance charge if you are not, you will be exposed too a small art space with an installation that seems rotate every few months. We visited while Urban Sense (March 3, 2016 thru May 15, 2016) was up. This exhibition looks at the features of contemporary urban life which shape our experiences - architecture, people, space, work, leisure, technology, sound, vision...elements that work together or compete against each other for our attention. When I am back in the K11 Art Mall (really a shopping mall with some art about), I will always pay a visit to the K11 Art Space. It is a quick stop versus a giant museum (which I would visit if Hong Kong had that...bring on M+!), it changes the narrative of a regular visit to the mall and it exposes me to different perspectives...all while buying an overpriced macaroon at a kiosk and buying a new pair of ballet flats on sale.

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.

Hong Kong magazine has written great articles as of late about the small, off the beaten path, cool…read moreneighborhoods around Hong Kong. It was from one of these recent articles that I read about Odd One Out. My husband and I took the Ding Ding from Sheung Wan on a Sunday morning seeking out a cup of coffee to discover an uber cool art gallery that has a tiny cafe attached. It was the perfect way to start our day exploring this great little neighborhood, off the beaten path of Queen's Road in Wan Chai. Odd One Out is an active art gallery featuring lesser known artists producing small batches of lithographs, risprints, etchings, prints, etc. Artists were from Japan, US, Austrailia, China, etc. They also have some handmade greeting cards and small figurines as well. You could walk out with a small lithograph for $300HKD or an etching from the featured artist for $2500HKD. Prices are not out of sync or high for what you would expect to find for a numbered print by a quality artist. During our visit, the work of Kyoko Imazu was installed in their tiny space. The cool thing about this installation is that Kyoko does etchings, which is a craft that goes unappreciated by people outside the art world. It is a painstaking process of etching (scratching with a tool like a needle) a picture on a copper plate. At Odd One Out, Kyoko has a small vintage etching press that is right there in the studio where you can actually see and understand the process of how an artist makes an etching. This small press is unique and super cool. The gallerist (Kylie was her name and she could not have been sweeter or more interested in sharing her knoweldge in an unintimidating way) was saying that Kyoko has hosted some university students showing the the process of etching at Odd One Out. I believe this exhibition is up until November 17, 2015. We had a coffee in the tiny cafe called SFS that is attached. Coffee was a good bean and exactly the neighborhood local variety we were seeking. There is a small house pomerainean named Dim Sum who is there on sight too if you are a dog lover. Everyone we saw in store seemed to know this gentle little dog. He was kind of an added feature accentuating the vibe of Odd One Out. Odd One Out is a great neighborhood gem!

Lovely art gallery at the front and a cafe at the back, combining my love for art and delicious…read morecoffee in one place, es muy excelente! A bit of a trek from the Admiralty Star Street exit, so be sure to allocate 10 mins additional travel time if you are meeting friends there. I ordered a flat white while my friend ordered an Ecuadorian hot chocolate specialty drink. Pleasant environment and outdoor patio to just chill, and even play music (they have a classical guitar on display)! :)

So since living in Hong Kong the last two years, I have had two occassions to go to Artis Tree…read more First, to see the M+ contemporary art exhibition and most recently to see the World of Tim Burton exhibition (up until January 23, 2017). So both reasons were art related and for that, I am a fan of ArtisTree. ArtisTree is really only open if there is a show up. It is not someplace you can just visit. You have to be visiting when their is an art show up, so check their website. The shows they have up are usually pretty well advertised around Hong Kong, so you will know. Access to great public contemporary art in Hong Kong I find to often be a conundrum. Being a leading art market vs. becoming an art conscious city? Gallerists advocating conceptual art vs. prohibitively expensive overhead? The gallery world in Hong Kong carries the weight of really showcasing contemporary art. Between the overhaul of the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the emerging M+ Museum, access to the public contemporary art scene is changing. But I am sure glad to see places like ArtisTree shoulder the weight with occassional really great installations that peak my senses as an art lover, but also my civic mindedness of the importance art plays in a community (regardless if the community understands this importance or not). There is usually an entrance fee, but in the very local spot of Quarry Bay, there are really great art installations popping up from time to time that are worthy of any trip across the harbor to the art museum and/or M+. Quarry Bay should feel lucky to have this art viewing option in their backyard. The is ample size for a good size show. Both shows I have seen were impressive, engaging, intriguing and quite frankly a bit cool (contemporary art can be like that!). There is a bit of weaving and escalators and walking to get to the back of Taikoo place to ArtisTree, but can easily be found with a good pair of feet and an MTR train ticket. If you do not live in the area, there are all sorts of restaurant and drink options along Tong Chong Street, so you can parlay a visit to ArtisTree for an art installation and a meal and/or adult beverages (I'm just saying...it is there if you need it). Great space! Great art installations! I will keep my eyes peeled for upcoming shows and absolutley return. You can check their website for details on any upcoming shows.

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.

This place becomes a staple during arts festival time and I find myself coming here a lot. They…read morehave a few different sized theatres all with very good views and sound quality, it does get a bit chilly in the air conditioning so I would recommend having an extra cardigan or jacket to put on if you feel on the cold side. It's a little bit of a walk from either wan chai or admiralty stations but isn't too hard to find. I most recently saw Jane Eyre and The Scent of Ink here. Jane Eyre was a fantastically adapted play with a great stage set and beautiful song choice (I was pleasantly surprised by this). The Scent of Ink was performed by a dance company from Korea, showcasing Korean traditional dancing. The music and moves were very hypnotic, with the set design and costumes being very simplistic and aesthetically pleasing. They had a meet and greet with the dancers afterwards but it was late for me and I didn't stay for that part of it.

I came here for the very first time for an amazing play that was on during the summer, called "I…read moreLove Football". It was a spectacular performance - if they ever do a re run for it, i highly recommend it. The stage drama was about a young football player who aspires to be a professional football player here in Hong Kong. As we all know, being a professional football player is already a difficult career, and being in HK, it's even harder as there are only a few professional teams. Throughout the process, he loses himself, ruins relationships and even injures himself. He neglects people around him and he only focuses himself on winning. Overall, this story was about how the main character defeats all of his obstacles, going for what he is truly passionate about, what he's willing to give, or give up to accomplish his dreams. The reason why this theatre contributed to the overall play was because, first of all, the seats were comfy, the sitting area was spacious, there was very good room outside of the theatre where people could chill during intermission and while waiting to get into the theatre, finally, the sound projection was excellent. The other reason this theatre made this stage drama stand out, is because, the play is about football. How often do you see a stage drama about a sport like that? how can you play an actual game of football on a regular stage? The producers of the stage drama did it, and they did it well at the HKAPA lyric theatre. bravo!