Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 Highlights Announced

Art Basel Hong Kong returns in 2026 with an expanded and ambitious program that reinforces its role as the leading platform for artistic exchange in Asia and beyond. Bringing together new sector developments, bold curatorial visions, and wide ranging collaborations across the city, the fair continues to position Hong Kong as a vital global art hub.

Taking place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 27 to 29, 2026, with Preview Days on March 25 and 26, the fair will feature 240 galleries from 41 countries and territories. More than half of participating galleries operate spaces across the Asia Pacific region. With UBS as its Global Lead Partner, Art Basel Hong Kong continues to connect artistic practices from Asia with international audiences through a dynamic program unfolding both inside the exhibition halls and throughout the city.

Encounters Enters a New Chapter

Encounters, the sector dedicated to large scale sculpture, installation, and performance, begins a new chapter in 2026 under an international curatorial team led by Mami Kataoka, alongside Isabella Tam, Alia Swastika, and Hirokazu Tokuyama. The sector will present 12 ambitious projects guided by a curatorial framework inspired by the Five Elements, a cosmological system deeply rooted in Asian thought. Each element, space or ether, water, fire, wind, and earth, will be mapped across designated areas of the convention halls.

Highlights include:

• A multimedia textile installation landscape by Suki Seokyeong Kang representing space or ether, presented by Kukje Gallery
• A yarn based installation by Parag Tandel exploring ancestral ties to the sea and representing water, presented by Tarq
• Glazed ceramic forms by Masaomi Yasunaga representing fire, presented by Lisson Gallery
• Monumental eco printed fabric columns resembling trees by Geraldine Javier representing earth, presented by Silverlens

Encounters extends beyond the exhibition halls with an offsite presentation at Pacific Place. Christine Sun Kim will present A String of Echo Traps 2022 to 2026, a site specific digital animation installation reflecting on echo and translation and accompanied by sound composition. Presented by White Space and supported by Swire Properties, the project expands the reach of Encounters into the urban fabric of Hong Kong.

Kabinett: Focused Thematic Presentations

The Kabinett sector will feature 35 focused presentations staged within participating galleries’ booths, with 23 dedicated to historical and contemporary artists from the Asia Pacific.

Highlights include:

• Luminous hand painted glass lightboxes by Judy Chicago presented by Jessica Silverman
• Dinh Q. Lê’s 1998 installation Damaged Gene, addressing the enduring impact of war, presented by P.P.O.W.
• A meditative architectural installation by Ma Qiusha presented by Beijing Commune
• Early works by Christo presented by Annely Juda Fine Art
• Abstract paintings by Tang Chang presented by gdm
• A joint sculptural presentation by Jeewi Lee and Francisco Tropa presented by Meyer Riegger Wolff

Zero 10 Makes Its Asia Debut

Zero 10, Art Basel’s global initiative dedicated to art of the digital era, makes its Asia debut in Hong Kong following its introduction at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2025. The title references 0,10, Kazimir Malevich’s seminal 1915 exhibition in Petrograd, signaling a transformative moment in avant garde history.

Curated by Eli Scheinman and presented by GoTone Privilege Club, Zero 10 will feature 14 exhibitors exploring digital practice within today’s art economy.

Highlights include:

• Digital animations by DeeKay presented by Art of This Millenium
• A cross disciplinary presentation featuring Seneca, Qu Leilei, and Tim Yip presented by Asprey Studio
• A silver sculptural project by Jack Butcher presented by Silk Art House
• A participatory blockchain based work by Robert Alice presented by Onkaos

Film Program: In Between Magic and Reality

The Film Program will be curated for the first time by Ellen Pau, co founder of Videotage. Titled In Between Magic and Reality, the program explores imagination as a strategy for resistance, memory, and survival.

Featured works include:

• Al Mather Plot 1991 2025 by Ayoung Kim
• Dances with Trash 2024 by ikkibawiKrrr
• The Fortress 2024 by Sin Wai Kin
• Delicate Spells of Mind 2022 by Lucy McRae
• The Deer of Nine Colors 2025 by Andrew Thomas Huang

Conversations and Exchange Circle

Conversations returns in an expanded four day format, featuring leading cultural voices. Highlights include a keynote dialogue between Doryun Chong and Shahzia Sikander, as well as a collector dialogue between Uli Sigg and Saeb Eigner. The program also marks the tenth anniversary of the Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report.

Exchange Circle returns as an open platform for experimental presentations and discussions, bringing together cultural partners across Hong Kong.

Citywide Collaborations and Cultural Partnerships

For the third consecutive year, Art Basel will partner with Tai Kwun to present Artists’ Night on March 27, featuring performances by Justin Talplacido Shoulder, Geumhyung Jeong, Tation, DAVID BORING, and Lydo.

Onsite, Art Basel Hong Kong will collaborate with Hong Kong Ballet for State of Wonder, a multi site series of dance excerpts activating the fair’s environment. Artistic Director Septime Webre will also lead a public talk exploring ballet’s evolving social role.

For the fifth consecutive year, Art Basel and M+ will co commission a facade project presented by UBS. From March 23 through June 21, 2026, Shahzia Sikander’s 3 to 12 Nautical Miles 2026 will illuminate Victoria Harbour with an animated cinematic tableau reimagining miniature painting to reflect on power and trade across centuries.

Institutional Support and New Initiatives

Art Basel continues to support Hong Kong’s nonprofit institutions, including Asia Art Archive, Asia Society Hong Kong Center, Para Site, and others, while extending support to university art programs across the city.

In 2026, Art Basel will launch Friends of Art Basel Hong Kong, a new initiative developed with regional museums including He Art Museum and Rockbund Art Museum, strengthening institutional relationships across Asia.

Through its expanded sectors, cross disciplinary collaborations, and citywide programming, Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 returns to the heart of Asia with renewed energy and a sharpened curatorial vision. Bridging tradition and innovation, physical and digital, local and global, the fair continues to define the evolving landscape of contemporary art in the region and beyond.