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.

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.

What's better than finding a museum to visit on a rainy day? Finding a FREE museum to visit!…read more The Hong Kong Museum of Art was the perfect place to escape the rain, with multiple floors of both permanent and rotating art exhibits. The museum contains a wide variety of styles, from modern art installations to 17th century Cantonese porcelain. Our favorite exhibit was the calligraphy display. Every room and floor had multiple staff members for security and to answer any questions. Once we had had our fill of the incredible pieces, we enjoyed the harbor views at the back of the building. Definitely worth your time when you're in HK!

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.

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.

I went to see 'Photography is No Longer Credible' at the Contemporary Gallery in March, on the last…read moreweekend it was on. The exhibition consisted of a few big scale photographs of changing landscapes in China, by artist He Xingyou. It showed how China's natural areas are being turned into urban developments, some of them now abandoned, and its purpose was to make people reflect on the future of China, through revealing what's going on in some remote areas. The gallery was very quiet when I got there, which gave the atmosphere of the exhibition an even deeper feeling of reflection. The pictures were displayed in both floors and they were big enough to appreciate all details in the photograph - some of them were certainly devastating. Even though there were around 10 pieces, it took me some time to go through them, just taking my time to understand the meaning of them all. The gallery is a rather small place, split across two levels of quite plain walls. The space can be spot from a distance, as it's covered by glass. They've been opened since 2008 promoting Chinese artists and showcasing all kinds of arts: sculpture, paint and photography, among others. In spite of the 'crude reality' that it showed, I did enjoy this exhibition and needed to share some thoughts with someone...as they are conveniently located in Hollywood Road, I called a friend for a catch up in Soho. Fifteen minutes later there we were enjoying a coffee in the heart of Central...

This is now the second time that I have been to the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. I subscribe to…read moretheir e-mail info and they send out all the great news about upcoming exhibitions, installations, events, workshops, cultural movies, etc. that they have going on at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. Located across the road from the Conrad hotel and around the bend from the British Consulate (or at least I think that is what that is), this is a great place to check out. The front desk staff has been super welcoming and friendly on my two visits and I was impressed with the art exhibitions we were able to see both times (Yoshitomo Nara and Bat Cave). The exhibition space is not large, so don't have the expectation that it is large like a multi-level museum. It is more like a one wing, one floor of a museum in size. Both exhibitions were also reasonably priced. The Bat Cave I saw today was $30HKD. This place not only showcases art, but has events, has a restaurant, has a history being a fortress of amunition back in the day, is an architecturally cool building to wander around, has feature films from time-to-time and also has a little gift shop. This is kind of a happening place!

Asia Society Center is definitely one of the rare successful cases in building conservation in Hong…read moreKong, a secluded sanctuary. Formerly being Victoria Barracks and Explosives Magazine that dates back to 1843, it is a Grade 1 Heritage site (highest) and was revitalized by the renowned Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Architects from New York. Exterior of the old military structures are mostly recovered, with minor alternations to improve weather tightness and allow air-conditioning. They are given a new use inside, housing exhibition spaces, lecture /theatre hall, etc. All new additions are less than three floors (you don't need to climb stairs that exhaust you), keeping the original horizontality of the place. You can see rail tracks in brown brass colour inscribed into the outdoor ground, which are the remains from the old magazine, for ease of transportation of the ammunitions by carts over rails. The green and grey tones of the stone used for the new building exudes a calming, almost meditative quality to the space. Connectivity between the scattered barracks and storage huts is enhanced by covered walkways echoing the 'heritage rail tracks', and especially by the newly added double-deck walkway, tying in the whole complex, the low and high block, the new and the old. Strolling through the building is like meandering through a series of routes with both permanent and temporarily installed artworks strategically placed along the way, reminding me of the experience of passing through a Suzhou Garden. I wonder if it is part of the inspiration for the designer? I particularly love the treatment of the upper deck of the walkway, where there is a lowered strip of bench seating along the edge. This allows you to stop anywhere along the way, and have a seat to savor in the view down at admiralty and even out to the sea over some of the rooftops. For the Center you can enter mostly for free except for some periodic special exhibitions (though I mostly go there for walks to enjoy the building itself instead), and if you feel like a drink, there is Ammo, a small yet refined bistro in the new block. (A stunner in interior design! For which I would have a separate review.) ( A little side note: Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Architects is the firm who designed the American Folk Art Museum in New York City right next to MOMA which, sadly, is to be demolished and make way for an extension of the MOMA, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) who's the designer behind the vibrant Highline Park in NYC. The decision is such a pity, even though I have much respect for DS+R as well... )

I love this place. Always find the time to browse around when I'm in the city. Lots of interesting…read morekeepsakes and local artists roaming. Top two to three levels are studios, so you can skip those.

This used to be a police married quarter, and they modified it into a place for the local artist to…read moresell their product. It has 5 floors and the top floor is an exhibition floor. Items in here could be in a pricier side as it was made by local artists and a lot of them were handmade. Clothings, paintings, gifts, jewelries, watches, food etc. it could take up to a few hours in here. Bathrooms here are clean.

M+ located in West Kowloon is a contemporary modern art museum where you can easily spend half a…read moreday there admiring all the works. I am no expert in contemporary art but the space, exhibitions, and museum building provides a unique and neat experience to check out if you want to explore and see a different side of Hong Kong. Moreover, you get great views of Hong Kong Island from M+ as well. You are able to purchase tickets at the museum and the exhibitions are clearly labeled with both Chinese and English explanations. Some of the works are pretty neat and thought provoking, challenging society's norms. The entire M+ building architecturally beautiful to look at and be in as well. It makes for a great unique experience. The museum also has temporary exhibitions as well that change time to time - so interesting to see. Overall, a must visit if you love art and architecture. A great way to spend an afternoon!

M+ Pavilion / West Kowloon (Hong Kong) -- It's not every day that you can visit a world-class…read moremuseum that's also a political lightning rod. Open just three years ago, the space is as modern and expansive as you would expect it to be with 33 galleries spread over 700,000 square feet. Jamie W and I decided to come here after seeing several young vloggers praise its architecture and collection. The art on display is specifically from the 20th and 21st centuries. Don't expect ancient artifacts here. We had the foresight to buy the Special Exhibition Dual Passes for HK$240 each well in advance. This allowed us entry to the popular museum on a pre-selected day within a certain timeframe. It included access to two special exhibitions, an overview of the work of revered architect I.M. Pei called 'Life Is Architecture', and the stylized work of trendsetting fashion designer Guo Pei called 'Fashioning Imagination'. They're not related. However, both figures reflect vast imaginations translated into stunning designs. Coincidentally, I had seen Guo Pei's meticulously ornate gowns at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco two years ago, but this was a nicely condensed version of that collection. I.M. Pei's work turned out to be a vast display of buildings and structures well beyond the glass pyramid at the Louvre. Especially interesting was archival video where the architect shared his approach and philosophy. The other galleries showcase contemporary Chinese art with some pieces quite revolutionary in their messaging. Even before it opened, the museum has been under scrutiny from Beijing with the pending threat of censorship from the Communist Party. Due to its unique administrative status, Hong Kong has managed thus far to maneuver the treacherous political waters to create a museum comparable to the Tate Modern and MoMA. Who knows how long it will last? RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg