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When it comes to art, Hong Kong’s 2024 event calendar is designed to enhance its reputation as one of the emerging stars of the global arts and culture scene. From local street artists to the world’s greatest painters; from intimate gallery displays to grand outdoor festivals, there is something to suit every taste in our round-up of the best art shows and events on Hong Kong’s art scene this year:
This large scale outdoor art project is a collection of open-air art installations and digital art facades, all designed to match Hong Kong’s unique energy and creativity. The event first took place in 2022, and it is returning for 2024 with a fresh programme that features partners and international artists’ art experiences in a fusion of art, science and technology. Festival highlights include:
Voyage with Van Gogh – a fresh opportunity to connect with works of art that have enthralled art lovers for more than a century, this immersive public art installation combines multi-sensory LED technology with music and commentary. If you want to see Van Gogh’s works brought to life in a spectacular and original new format, head to the waterfront setting of Kowloon’s Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza.
Voyage with Van Gogh, Art@Harbour 2024, Hong Kong
Science in Art – catch a ferry across Victoria Harbour to the serene green space of Hong Kong Island’s Tamar Park, where you will find a pair of art installations that are the must-see creations from a collaboration between local art group LAAB Architects and Hong Kong-born artist/designer, Dylan Kwok.
Science in Art, Art@Harbour 2024, Hong Kong
teamLab: Continuous – teamLab is an international art collective that is renowned for its immersive and interactive digital artworks. They are planning to light up Tamar Park and Victoria Harbour with two interactive, ever-changing installations. Hundreds of colourful luminous installations will continuously change colours and sounds as visitors interact with them. Similarly, the adorned trees in the park will also respond with shifting coloured lights and sounds.
teamLab: Continous, Art@Harbour 2024, Hong Kong
Chromaflux – the Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre is better known as a venue for shopping, dining, accommodation and entertainment. However, during Art@Harbour, the vast expanse of its Sino LuminArt Façade provides the ideal blank canvas for a digital showcase of artworks from five exciting Hong Kong- and Europe-based artists.
Art Basel Hong Kong 2024
Part of a series of annual international art fairs that also take place in Basel, Switzerland, and Miami Beach, Florida, Art Basel Hong Kong is well known in the art world as a spectacular chance to browse an incredible selection of contemporary and modern artworks from galleries around the world.
Even if you’re not a buyer, the fair is an amazing opportunity to brush up on what’s happening in the global contemporary and modern art scene, from new talents to emerging artistic trends. Beyond the artworks themselves, there are artist talks, curator-led tours and panel discussions, as well as collaborations with local art galleries – all designed to provide a unique experience for art collectors and art enthusiasts alike.
The event is held at the impressive waterfront Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, so you have all of Hong Kong’s rich cultural heritage, culinary delights, shopping and sightseeing right at your fingertips.
Art Central 2024 Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong
If you’re interested in exploring a diverse range of artworks from both established and emerging artists around the world, this major contemporary art fair is an absolute must-see. The event, which was created in 2015 and runs alongside Art Basel Hong Kong, provides a fantastic space in which galleries and artists can connect with collectors, curators and art enthusiasts.
As well as showcasing paintings, sculptures, photography, installations and multimedia artworks, the event includes a variety of panel discussions and performances. Small group tours with trained docents are also available free of charge for ticket holders, although spaces are limited and you do need to book in advance.
Hong Kong’s famous Central district is right on the event’s doorstep – treat yourself to the amazing dining and shopping experiences, then ride the historic peak tram to the summit of Victoria Peak for incredible views over the city and harbour.
This special exhibition is a showcase of Western Art across four centuries which brings 52 National Gallery masterpieces from London to Hong Kong for a limited duration. From the Renaissance to the post-Impressionist period, from Botticelli to Monet, the exhibition is designed to immerse you in the history and beauty of incredible pieces like Monet’s Water Lilies and Raphael’s Triumph of Galatea.
Hong Kong Palace Museum has only been open since 2022, and it is already an important landmark on Hong Kong’s cultural map. As well as the Masterpieces exhibition, you’ll find an extensive display of nine hundred treasures from China’s esteemed Palace Museum, and there are regular cultural performances of traditional Chinese music, dance, opera and theatre.
The museum is located within the vibrant West Kowloon Cultural District, which is the heart of Hong Kong’s cultural scene and home to other world-class facilities such as the Xiqu Centre (dedicated to Chinese opera) and the M+ Museum (focused on visual art). These venues host exhibitions, performances, and educational programs that are designed to appeal to locals and tourists alike.
Atelier Sisu – Ephemeral, WestK FunFest, Hong Kong
This family-friendly art festival is part of a wider performing arts festival that is set to take place in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations around West Kowloon. The three-week programme is designed as a celebration of diversity and creativity, offering both free and ticketed events that cover everything from street performances and tea theatre shows to Cantonese opera make-up workshops and circus acts.
One of the biggest highlights of the festival is sure to be Ephemeral: a large-scale interactive and immersive art installation on the Waterfront Promenade of West Kowloon Art Park. The brainchild of Sydney-based design studio, Atelier Sisu, this collection of immense, rainbow-coloured bubbles has already captivated audiences around the world and is sure to be a huge hit in Hong Kong when it lights up this exciting exhibit space.
While you’re in Kowloon, allow a little extra time to take more of the local sights: walk the Promenade of Stars, browse the nightly open-air street markets at Temple Night Markets and marvel at the iconic Symphony of Lights display every night at 8pm.
M+ opened in late 2021 and aims to become one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary visual culture in the world, rivalling the Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern and MoMA. It encompasses a wide range of artistic disciplines including art, design, architecture, and moving images.
The exhibition entitled Another Story showcases a variety of works from the M+ Sigg Collection. Another Story takes a visual approach to examine the styles and practices of contemporary Chinese art from the 1990s to the present.
The museum’s permanent collection also includes works from local artists and from China, Asia and beyond, with a focus on the 20th and 21st centuries. The building itself is also a work of art: an immense, inverted T-shape that provides wonderful views across the harbour from its top-floor CVIEW restaurant. It’s a great starting point if you want to explore West Kowloon Cultural District, where you can watch a performance of traditional Chinese opera, music and dance at the Xiqu Centre or take a stroll among the sculptures and public exhibitions of the waterfront Art Park.
Hong Kong is fast becoming one of the world’s great art destinations, offering an exciting and inspiring calendar of events ranging from striking street art and outdoor sculpture parks to world-class group and solo exhibitions. If you agree with Pablo Picasso, that “art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life,” maybe it’s time you talk to your personal travel manager about planning your very own Hong Kong art escape.
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