Cover Art Central is a major highlight in Hong Kong’s arts calendar (Photo: courtesy of Art Central)
Art Central is a major highlight in Hong Kong’s arts calendar (Photo: courtesy of Art Central)
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The ninth edition of Art Central runs from March 28 to 31 at Central Harbourfront. Here’s what you need to know before you head to the fair
Running from March 28 to 31, with a preview day on March 27, the ninth edition of Art Central takes place at Central Harbourfront. Curated by multimedia artist, writer and director Enoch Cheng, this year, the fair features live performances, screenings, large-scale installations, talks and art tours.
In collaboration with Chat (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Yokohama-born dancer and performance artist Norico Sunayama will bring her iconic piece, A Sultry World (1995-), to Hong Kong for the first time. Visitors won’t miss her in her gigantic red dress, infused with the scent of lavender. The artist invites visitors to enter the space beneath her dress, which she sees as an exploration of trust between the performer and participants who enter the intimate space.
In another area, Hong Kong-born dancer and choreographer Scarlet Yu stages Planting Tastes (2024). In this piece, she hosts a “cooking show”; instead of instructions, the narration is made up of stories about cultural influences on the culinary scene of different communities.
Meanwhile, curator Cheng has created Art-is-Here-Picnic (2024), where visitors join arts and cultural practitioners to talk about all things art-related over picnic food.
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‘A Sultry World’ by Norico Sunayama (Photo: courtesy of Centre Pompidou and Jacqueline Trichard)
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Art Central also offers its fair share of visual arts with a line-up of 95 galleries. It also displays five large-scale art pieces at the fair’s Yi Tai Sculpture and Installation Projects zone, a prominent space where selected galleries present site-specific installations and sculptures every year. This year’s materials and techniques range from glass and rope to steel and 3D-printing. In another zone, Hong Kong artist Ho Sin Tung will reveal her newly commissioned piece Shadow Boxing (2024), inspired by her passion for martial arts.
Video art is another highlight. Participating artists come from Africa, Australia, Europe and East Asia, including South African artists Francois Knoetze, Russel Hlongwane and Amy Louise Wilson.
Talks and docent tours for all ages will be available during the fair.
Above Ho Sin Tung (right) will reveal her newly commissioned piece ‘Shadow Boxing’ at Art Central (Photo: courtesy of Eric Kong)
Ho Sin Tung (right) will reveal her newly commissioned piece ‘Shadow Boxing’ at Art Central (Photo: courtesy of Eric Kong)
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“Art Central is well-known for showcasing young and fresh ideas in art, providing a diverse experience for artists, galleries, arts professionals and its vibrant audiences,” says Cheng in a press release. “In 2024, we [explore how we] can create an even more engaging and relevant occasion for local, regional and international visitors to appreciate, think and exchange with, take part in and create art together.”
Art aside, there is a wide range of food and drinks options at the fair. Hospitality group Black Sheep will be curating Eat Central, a pop-up dining terrace featuring eateries such as Maison Libanaise, Chôm Chôm, Butter Cookies, Messina and its latest addition Jean-Pierre, which will have its official launch in Hong Kong later this year. SoHo House will host a pop-up bar at Art Central, designed by Taxa, a Hong Kong-based Japanese artist who specialises in murals.
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
