Spring returns once more to the southern seas. At this time of year, artists, curators, and gallerists—still emerging from the inertia of winter elsewhere—pack their bags in tacit unison, like migratory birds crossing the sky, landing on this complex island still widely regarded as the “heart of Asian art.”

Over the past week, we moved continuously through the dynamic landscape activated by Art Basel Hong Kong. From the grid-like booths of the Convention and Exhibition Centre to the extended social field across the island—and further into the cultural fabric of the Greater Bay Area—we followed the fair’s generative ecosystem while reflecting on a key question: amid geopolitical turbulence and shifting global narratives, how does art locate signals that connect to the future?

1 / Migratory Gatherings: Assembling Market and Narrative Through Multiple Lenses

As one of Art Basel’s longest-standing hubs in Asia, the 2026 edition brings together 240 galleries from 41 countries and territories. Since 2023, the fair has rapidly recovered from pandemic-era disruptions: from 177 galleries in 2023 to a near one-third increase in 2024, stabilizing at around 240 in both 2025 and 2026. Notably, this year introduces the new “Echoes” sector, spotlighting under-recognized mid-career artists and mid-sized galleries, particularly from Asia.

Since establishing itself in Hong Kong in 2013, Art Basel has remained both a barometer and pacemaker of the regional art ecosystem—simultaneously a “buoy in a sea of gold,” anchored by blue-chip galleries and high-value transactions.

SPECTRAL – Oscillation 1, Munich, Sougwen Chung 2024，image courtesy of the artist and Fellowship x Artxcode

Entering the main sector, galleries such as Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, and White Cube once again occupy central positions, reinforcing market stability. Hauser & Wirth, drawing on its formidable roster, secured major sales during VIP preview day, including Alexander Calder’s Horizontal, Pablo Picasso’s late-career four-panel painting (1965), and Louise Bourgeois’s sculpture Couple.

The gallery also presented Chinese artist Qiu Xiaofei, whose “Dream Garden” paintings merge childhood memory with historical ruin. Meanwhile, Korean artist Lee Bul’s installation Untitled (“Infinity” Wall)—currently on view at M+—continues to articulate a distinctly Asian narrative framed within a Western discursive lineage.

Across the aisle, David Zwirner adopted a similarly strategic approach, presenting works by Marlene Dumas, Luc Tuymans, Yoshitomo Nara, and Liu Ye. Pace Gallery balanced historical gravitas and contemporary innovation with Amedeo Modigliani’s Jeune femme brune alongside new works by Anicka Yi, as well as recent paintings by Zhang Xiaogang, Mao Yan, and Wang Guangle—a “classic + emerging + local” triadic structure that ensured steady performance.

Elsewhere, standout installations included Ryan Gander’s conceptual work Can you be lonely and happy presented by Tokyo’s Taro Nasu, and Philippe Parreno’s suspended green speech bubbles at Pilar Corrias—both widely circulated across media and social platforms. These spectacles also underscore a broader reality: capital continues to consolidate around top-tier players.

In the Insights and Discoveries sectors, galleries from Ho Chi Minh City to Kyoto, Taipei to Montreal, collectively mapped a decentralized artistic terrain. The newly launched Echoes sector, together with the Encounters program, further expanded this constellation—offering visibility to practices not yet fully absorbed by the market.

Highlights included Ako Goto’s ceramic skeletal installation at Vin Gallery, and Aya Shalkar’s “future archaeology” at Sapar Contemporary. Particularly compelling was Ciwas Tahos’s solo project Kindom at Taipei’s PTT Space. Drawing on Atayal mythology, the project integrates video (Perhaps, She Comes From/To_Alang, 2020), ceramic instruments, and oral histories to weave indigenous narratives with queer perspectives. Previously shown at the Sharjah Biennial, its presentation here marks a strong response to Asian geo-cultural discourse.

Walking with Light (detail), Wardha Shabbir, 2024, watercolor on acid-free paper; image courtesy of the artist and Sabrina Amrani Gallery

At SPURS Gallery, the focus turned to Iranian-American artist Roksana Pirouzmand’s solo project On My Mother’s Lap, exploring memory, migration, and diasporic identity through installation. Meanwhile, a joint presentation by Capsule Shanghai and Klemm’s in the Echoes sector brought together mid-career artists such as Chen Litong and Yan Xinyue, foregrounding introspective practices over market-driven immediacy.

2 / Mythic Terrains: Institutional Directions and Shifting Leadership

As night falls, the migratory crowd disperses into Central’s parties, Causeway Bay’s banquets, and South Island’s gatherings. Alongside auctions, collector dinners, and industry salons, one observes a notable shift: collectors are no longer chasing speculative highs, but making more measured, informed decisions.

In Central, spaces such as Pedder Building and H Queen’s continue to evolve alongside the market. From the once-popular Supper Club to the rise of Pavilions, Hong Kong’s off-site ecosystem remains intensely competitive—an extension of its identity as a city that never sleeps.

Anchored by institutions like M+, Tai Kwun, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), and Para Site, Hong Kong sustains a rare ecosystem where engagement extends beyond the fair’s temporal limits into a continuous cultural circuit.

This year, M+ presented Shahzia Sikander’s large-scale animation Territorial Drift (2026) on its façade, tracing histories of empire and maritime power. Tai Kwun’s Artists’ Night featured performances by Justin Shoulder(Carrion), Geumhyung Jeong (CPR Practice: Escape Cube), and Tibetan post-rock band Tiansheng, alongside installations such as Lydo’s Nervous System.

Carrion，Justin Talplacido Shoulder image source，Photo：Alex Davies

CHAT presented Chan Wai Lap’s early paintings and his immersive installation Mimimomo Pool (2026), a tiled, waterless pool inviting viewers into slowed perception. Meanwhile, Para Site, celebrating its 30th anniversary, launched its year-long program with Site-seeing, featuring artists including Tolia Astakhishvili, Anna Sew Hoy, and others.

3 / Intermission: Allowing Time for Getting Lost, Encounter, and Return

In an era marked by geopolitical tension and global fragmentation, the continued presence of Art Basel Hong Kong testifies to the resilience of art. It builds platforms for exchange that transcend conflict, sustaining cultural dialogue amid uncertainty.

Looking ahead, the question remains: what kind of art ecosystem should Hong Kong—and the Greater Bay Area—construct? Across mainland China, from Beijing’s 798 to Shanghai’s West Bund and Shenzhen’s Houhai district, development has often followed similar models. Hong Kong offers a different proposition: beyond infrastructure and scale, a true art city must cultivate space—for perspectives, emotions, and values—to allow what lies hidden in the folds of time to grow organically.

Liang Quan, Rain at Dusk, Archival UV print on aluminum pane, 140×120cm, 2025 © MANGROVEGALLERY