Art Central will run from March 22 to 25 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Tatler speaks to the event’s fair director Corey Andrew Barr about his journey to becoming the head of Hong Kong’s leading fair for emerging artists
After specialising in contemporary art at the auction house Phillips’ New York branch for more than ten years, Corey Andrew Barr thought that his move to Hong Kong in 2013 would be a short stint abroad. Nearly a decade later, his feet are firmly planted in the city; he leads the charge for emerging Asian artists as the director of Art Central, which will run from March 22 to 25 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“During my time at Phillips, I had the opportunity to work with artists such as Ai Wei Wei, Annie Leibovitz and Zaha Hadid for shows in London and New York. It gave me an appetite for working with artists, designers and the community that support artists and curators,” says Barr, who, prior to working at Art Central, was a director at the contemporary Asian art gallery Rossi & Rossi.
Since its inception in 2015, Art Central has been an important platform for artists and younger galleries in Asia, as a gateway to meeting new clients and expanding their network. Though newer than more established fairs like Art Basel, which takes place in the same week, Art Central has cemented a place for itself in the Asian art market. “Art Central has a unique position when it comes to commercial art events in Hong Kong. It’s an entry point for galleries in Asia’s largest market for contemporary art. There isn’t competition with other fairs; each holds a special audience, history and place in the market,” Barr says.
This year marks the eighth edition of Art Central, and visitors have a lot to look forward to. Sixty-five local and international galleries will showcase works by more than 300 artists through a curated programme of performances, panel discussions and installations, giving visitors a chance to discover emerging and experimental artists from the region. Digital art will also play a larger role in the fair to satiate the palate of dedicated digital art collectors. “I am especially excited that international collectors will get a chance to see what artists and galleries have been up to in Hong Kong while the border was closed,” says Barr.
He is grateful to be able to watch the local art industry flourish, and urges others to do what they can to support the next generation of artists in Asia. “I relish watching their careers develop with greater institutional, academic and commercial support. For me, acquiring art is not about having a trophy—something decorative or trendy—but rather taking a stake in someone you believe in and giving them the confidence and fuel to continue to inspire others. This is why I find Art Central a fair of great importance for the art of our time,” he says.
This year’s fair will see the return of Hong Kong galleries, including Contemporary by Angela Li and Square Street Gallery, alongside international galleries such as Guns & Rain (Johannesburg) and Marc Straus (New York). As for the best way to enjoy the fair this spring, Barr recommends visitors attend with an open mind. To do so, he says, is “the most refreshing and rewarding way to experience art”.