Cover Tatler hosts a VIP dinner at The Upper House on May 24 to kick-off art week (Photo: Anna Koustas)
On May 24, 40 of Hong Kong’s most ardent art connoisseurs gathered at The Upper House for an evening of revelry to celebrate the return of art week and Art Basel’s opening the following day
'gallery right' 'gallery right'
'gallery right' 'gallery right'
Photo 1 of 23 Victoria Tang-Owen
Photo 2 of 23 Jonathan Cheung
Photo 3 of 23 Alan Chan
Photo 4 of 23 Arthur de Villepin, Tobias Berger, Patrick Sun and Emmanuel Hsieh
Photo 5 of 23 William and Lavina Lim
Photo 6 of 23 Jehan Chu
Photo 7 of 23 Vicky Lam
Photo 8 of 23 Tucker Highfield and Jehan Chu
Photo 9 of 23 Edouard Malingue
Photo 10 of 23 Ying Yue Li and Douglas So
Photo 11 of 23 Billy Tang
Photo 12 of 23 Vinay Melwani
Photo 13 of 23
Photo 14 of 23 Michael Lau and Marisa Yiu
Photo 15 of 23 Jacqueline Chow and Alan Lo
Photo 16 of 23 Chef Cary Docherty and Kristina Snaith-Lense
Photo 17 of 23 André Fu, Jonathan Cheung, Florance Yip and Jacqueline Chow
Photo 18 of 23 Nick Buckley Wood and Sean Fitzpatrick
Photo 19 of 23 Federico Tan and Gus Lee
Photo 20 of 23 Angelle Siyang-Le
Photo 21 of 23
Photo 22 of 23
Photo 23 of 23

Who? Patrick Sun, Marisa Yiu, Alan LoAndré Fu, Tobias Berger, Joyce Tam

Where? The Upper House

Here’s what you missed: For many, it was the first occasion since the start of the year that required dressing up—and the guests did not disappoint. Greeted with flutes of champagne in The Green Room on the 49th floor, the Tatler community made their entrance in true style. Victoria Tang-Owen, founder of multidisciplinary design studio Thirty30, looked like a piece of art herself in a yellow Miu Miu dress and with a turquoise bag; and Tobias Berger, head of arts at Tai Kwun Contemporary, turned heads in a monochrome Issey Miyake cape.

“[This is a] wonderful occasion to meet some very special people and a great chance to catch up with everyone after moving here,” said Billy Tang, Para Site’s new executive director, who moved to Hong Kong from a senior curatorship at the Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai.

Apéritifs and greetings complete, guests shimmied over to the Sky Lounge for dinner, an indulgent meal prepared by Salisterra’s executive chef Cary Docherty, which included Italian buffalo cheese, crab salad, braised lamb and seafood linguini.

A photographer to document the scene and DJ Carol Tam on the decks added to the evening’s excitement. Overheard chatter from the tables included gallerist Arthur de Villepin convincing collector Lavina Lim to watch the Kanye West documentary Jeen-Yuhs on Netflix; Art Bureau co-founder Jonathan Cheung’s upcoming travel plans for the year; and insights into what’s next for Web3 with Kenetic’s co-founder Jehan Chu and architect Gus Lee.

The evening ended with the refreshing zing of lemon tarts, sorbet and one final night cap. The unfamiliar feeling of being out past 10pm on a school night meant one thing: Hong Kong is back, baby.