Fine Art Asia 2010 Wraps In Hong Kong

Former Hong Kong International Art and Antiques Fair Held Successfully At HK Convention & Exhibition Centre Fine Art Asia 2010, held from October 3-7 at Hong Kong’s Convention and Exhibition Center, this year presented visitors with a unique cross-section of art and antiques, including a largely expanded arts section. The fair, for which Jing Daily was a 2010 media partner, came to a close yesterday following a successful week. Originally known as the Hong Kong International Art and Antiques Fair, Fine Art Asia 2010 sought to gain the status of Asia’s premier art fair, while displaying the best in Eastern and Western arts and antiques. Since its founding in 2006, the fair's timing has coincided with Hong Kong's autumn auction season, ensuring the city's primacy as Asia's main cultural hub during the first week of October. The timing was right, as this year's fair drew not only collectors but international dealers as well. The fair also benefited from the fact that Hong Kong is in the midst of the Golden Week festival, a yearly event that draws hundreds of thousands of mainland Chinese to the city. Highlights of Fine Art Asia 2010 included Himalayan bronzes, Chinese ceramics, furniture, textiles and jades in the Antiques section; while the Art section included Old Master paintings as well as Modern & Contemporary works of art by artists such as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. This week was the perfect timing for a fair that acts as a bridge between East and West. Not only did Contemporary Asian Art fare well at Sotheby's, but Western artists also proved popular. Marc Chagall’s “Bestiare et Musique” sold for US$4.2 million at the Hong Kong office of the Korean firm, Seoul Auction. Andy Hei, Founder and Director of HKIAAF (Hong Kong International Art and Antiques Fair), was optimistic about the current art season, saying: The robust sales of our October 2009 fair already reflected signs of recovery in the Asian art market. This year, we have witnessed a further upsurge in the art market, boosted especially by the enthusiastic participation and strong buying power of collectors from Mainland China. Hong Kong is now universally recognized as the centre of the art market in Asia and the third most important art auction centre in the world after New York and London. I am confident that Hong Kong will continue to grow as the hub of art business in Asia and play a vital role in the global art scene. Fine Art Asia also featured an academic program this year, with lectures aiming to educate attendees on the art market in Asia and how it's currently being shaped. Panelists included François Curiel, President of Christie’s Asia; Calvin Hui, art promoter and curator; Martin Fung, Chinese lacquer specialist; and Stella Tang Ying Chi, a Hong Kong artist. The lecture on "the Rise of the Asian Art Market," with speakers Curiel, Hui, and New York-based gallerist Sandaram Tagore, attracted the largest audience. The lecture raised questions about how “auction value” and “artistic value” have become increasingly interchangeable in Asia, and sought to educate buyers look at art not only based on short-term capital gain, but also to look at the core values that define the art itself. With events like Fine Art Asia continuing to feed the growth and educate new Chinese collectors, there is good reason for Andy Hei -- or anyone else, for that matter -- to be confident in Hong Kong’s lasting role in the global art scene. Tweet

Fine Art Asia 2010 Wraps In Hong Kong

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Published October 07, 2010

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Fine Art Asia 2010 Wraps In Hong Kong