Ahead of the opening of Art Basel Hong Kong, its newly-appointed director shares her vision, thoughts on the region’s evolution post-COVID-19 – and top tips for first-timers!

Coline Milliard

Angelle Siyang-Le: ‘Hong Kong’s cultural landscape has expanded dramatically’

Coline Milliard: It’s a significant moment for Hong Kong: after three long years, all the COVID-19 travel restrictions have been lifted, and the mask mandate has just ended. The city is finally reopening after an incredibly challenging period. How has it changed?Angelle Siyang-Le: We’ve all learned a thing or two these past years and, while I don’t think the city is completely different – Hong Kong’s art community didn’t stop during COVID-19 – the ecosystem has certainly matured. I really believe that, now more than ever, people are going to see Hong Kong not just as the city of Art Basel Hong Kong or M+, but as the cultural hub of Asia. When we launched the fair in 2013, there were no world-class museums. Now, we not only have Hong Kong Museum of Art and Tai Kwun but also two new influential landmarks sitting alongside one another in West Kowloon: M+ for contemporary art and the Palace Museum for antiquities. Tai Kwun – which is currently staging ‘Myth Makers’, the biggest exhibition in Asia to address queer mythologies – has truly come alive since the pandemic. And each art district in Hong Kong has really built momentum. Take the Southside, for instance. On the first Saturday of every month, the areas of Wong Chuk Hang and Tin Wan host ‘Southside Saturday’ when galleries welcome guests and stage performances, talks, and screenings. Before the pandemic, it was mainly attended by art professionals, but now you see students and families there. And, despite being over in the New Territories, the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT) is filled with visitors every weekend. The whole city has really embraced art!The cultural landscape of Hong Kong has expanded dramatically beyond the island. Kowloon is no longer seen as ‘the dark side’ but as a harbor-front arts destination that stretches from West Kowloon Cultural District to K11 Art Foundation in Tsim Sha Tsui. Credit for this development must also go to Adrian Cheng, who has promoted contemporary art to the general public with impressive exhibitions at the Kunsthalle of K11 MUSEA. In the past, I was one of those typical lazy Hong Konger who rarely crossed the harbor, but now I find myself attending art events on the Kowloon side every Friday evening.When I first landed in Hong Kong in 2012, I told the taxi driver that I was moving to the city for an art-related job. He laughed: ‘Haven’t you heard? Hong Kong is a cultural desert!’ Fast-forward ten years and now even taxi drivers know about the art week in March.

What are you most looking forward to in this 2023 edition?The people! It’s the first year since the pandemic that everybody will be able to visit the show in person again. The VIPs will finally be able to reconnect with the artists and galleries they’ve been supporting from the other side of the world. I just came back from a press tour around Asia and enthusiasm for returning to the show is incredibly high throughout the region. If someone could attend Art Basel Hong Kong for only one afternoon, what would you advise them to do?I would encourage them to explore the Insights sector, where we highlight Asian artist presentations, ranging from historical works to site-specific projects. They should head, for instance, to the stand of Axel Vervoordt gallery, which is bringing the work of artist Yuko Nasaka, one of the very few female artists from the Gutai Art Association. Another must-see this year is Galerie Vazieux, a Parisian gallery whose program is dedicated to historical Asian art.&nbsp;In between the aisles, they should stop by the large-scale installations in our Encounters sector, curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor. I’m particularly looking forward to Mr. Cuddles Under the Eave (2021) by Trevor Yeung, which will finally have its debut at Art Basel Hong Kong this March after its scheduled premiere at the Pinchuk Art Centre in Kyiv had to be canceled.Although this is your first year as Director of Art Basel Hong Kong, you have been with the fair from the outset and have collaborated with our galleries for more than a decade. Before that, you worked in Dubai, with collectors, nonprofits, and artists. How has this background prepared you for your new role?In many ways, it’s a continuation. I’m still servicing the same art community – and, in particular, the Asian art community – as I have been doing for the last 15 years. I started my career in Dubai at the very beginning of its contemporary art scene, which allowed me to experience what it means to bring a community together. I also learned that you can’t achieve anything by yourself: no matter how financially strong you are, a healthy ecosystem cannot be developed without the support of the community. When I arrived in Hong Kong, the art scene was also kicking off and I immediately understood how Art Basel saw its potential. It has been a real privilege to grow with it. This sense of community is what pulled us through COVID-19: we knew we could count on each other.

How would you describe Hong Kong’s community of collectors? Hong Kong is a true melting pot of cultures, which creates a very welcoming, open-minded, and adaptable ethos. Likewise, the collectors’ community here is open to new ideas. So, when Art Basel – a Swiss-owned art fair – first came to town, it was immediately welcomed. People appreciate new creative initiatives in the city.Is there a specific type of art that is appreciated in Hong Kong, or a particular collecting style? I would say that the style of collecting in Hong Kong is quite worldly. Collectors here are keen to experience more. They don’t only buy from the galleries they know, for instance. They support Art Basel Hong Kong by supporting our galleries. How do you see the fair developing?We are not eager to grow beyond our pre-pandemic size, which was about 240 participating galleries. However, we will continue to expand our influence locally, regionally, and beyond, through both our March fair and our other Asian initiatives. The two enrich each other. For example, we have more Japanese galleries at the fair this year thanks to the relationships we’ve developed during the two editions of Art Week Tokyo that we have supported since 2021 through our new business team led by Art Basel Asia Director Adeline Ooi. We’ve always been the bridge between East and West, and the bridge goes both ways: we are not simply welcoming the West to the East, but also helping the West to understand and learn from the East. Thanks to our geographic location at the cultural heart of Asia, we’re perfectly positioned to play this pivotal role.

Are there specific regions, other than Hong Kong, that you feel have particularly strong potential when it comes to art and culture?Asia is very diverse, so it really depends on what you are looking for. As we are situated in Greater China, currently the second biggest art market worldwide, I ask myself: How do we rebuild the connection with mainland China, especially after three years of closed borders? We are definitely thinking about how to engage with our neighboring cities in the young, vibrant, and powerful market of the Greater Bay Area. Shenzhen is the Silicon Valley of China and Macau is the entertainment hub of Asia, but all the cities in the Greater Bay Area have significant roles to play. What is your top tip for a first-time visitor to Hong Kong&nbsp;–&nbsp;and&nbsp;Art Basel Hong Kong?Look up! Hong Kong is a vertical city, so lots of gems are hidden in commercial buildings with unprepossessing facades. Also, allow yourself to get lost in the fair and see where the artworks take you. An art fair can feel like a maze for people who are unfamiliar with the floor plan, but that’s also the fun of it!Lastly, where can we find you on a Sunday?Every Sunday morning, I go surfing! My husband and I take the children to Big Wave Bay Beach around eight o’clock: I go surfing and the kids play rugby with their dad.Coline Milliard is Art Basel’s Executive Editor.

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Ahead of the opening of Art Basel Hong Kong, its newly-appointed director shares her vision, thoughts on the region’s evolution post-COVID-19 – and top tips for first-timers!