HONG KONG – Art Central and its lead partner, UOB, began previews today for the milestone Tenth Edition of the Fair. A cornerstone event of Hong Kong Art Week and a significant force in fostering the arts ecosystem, Art Central will open to the public tomorrow, 26 March and continue through 30 March 2025 at its iconic Central Harbourfront location. An international platform for pushing boundaries in contemporary art and experimentation, and a recognised place of discovery for seasoned collectors and new buyers alike, the Fair provides a platform for museum quality artworks from more established names to be exhibited alongside cutting-edge works by emerging artists across mediums, and is a must-visit destination during Hong Kong’s annual celebration of the arts. Art Central 2025 is financially supported by the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

With a unique identity in the Hong Kong visual arts landscape, Art Central 2025 presents 108 galleries and over 500 artists from more than 40 countries and territories across the globe, showcasing an ambitious creative programming including commissioned installations, performances, video art, talks, tours, and more. Through this diverse programming, the Fair brings crucial conversations and dialogue on art discourses to the global stage while championing daring new perspectives to celebrate transnational narratives. This milestone edition sees an expanded curatorial team with Enoch Cheng returning as curator of the gallery presentations, Aaditya Sathish as curator of the Fair’s creative programming and Shirky Chan,who iscurator of the partner project with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, spotlighting three pioneering creatives from Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

Introduced for the landmark Tenth Editionisgallery feature Legend, a curator-led initiative that presents the work of artists born before 1970, each with a dedicated space within their respective gallery’s booth. Spotlighting the work of renowned figures while exploring connections in art-making from the past to the present, special exhibits on the work of six distinguished and influential artists from the Asia-Pacific region have been selected to participate, including: 

• Ay-O (b. 1931, Ibaraki Prefecture), a significant figure of the Fluxus movement (Whitestone Gallery, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and others);
• Eikoh Hosoe (b. 1933, Yonezawa; d. 2024, Tokyo), the pioneering Japanese photographer and filmmaker (see+ Gallery, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu);
• Emily Kame Kngwarray (b. c.1910, Northern Territory; d. 1996, Alice Springs), a renowned Australian artist from the Utopia community who began her prolific painting career in her late 70s (Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, London);
• Lee In Seob (b. 1952, Busan), a prominent contemporary artist who draws inspiration from the lush natural surroundings of his studio in Eoseongjeon, Gangwon-do (Suppoment Gallery, Seoul);
• Dean-E Mei (b. 1954, Taipei), a leading avant-garde artist known for mixed media installations (Astar Gallery, Taipei);
• May Fung (b. 1952, Hong Kong), a pioneering Hong Kong artist known for her influential video and media art, co-founding the new media artist-run collective Videotage (Karin Weber Gallery, Hong Kong).

Returning to Art Central for its second year, Neo creates an entry point for galleries to feature cutting-edge or undiscovered artists in their first and second years of participation. Fifteen galleries from Asia, Europe and the Americas are showcased this year, including Areté Space (established in Beijing, 2023); Astra Art (established in Shanghai, 2022); Cub_ism_Artspace (established in Shanghai, 2020); FIM (established in Seoul, 2024); Galerie Pici (established in Seoul, 2003); Gallery CNK (established in Daegu, 2019); Intersections Gallery (established in Singapore, 2012); Ivory Gate Gallery (established in Shanghai, 2022); Meno Parkas Gallery (established in Kaunas, 1997); MJK Gallery (established in Tokyo, 2022); Monolog Gallery (established in Belgrade, 2022); None Project C14 Gallery (established in Shanghai, 2012); SWANFALL GALLERY (established in London, 2022); The Locker Room (established in New York, 2020) and Yiwei Gallery (established in Los Angeles, 2019).

Other key gallery highlights of Art Central 2025 include:

• Avocado Art Lab (Taipei) debuts at Art Central, presenting the seminal works of four internationally acclaimed contemporary photographers, comprising Shen Chao Liang, Chou Ching Hui, Chung Mong Hong and Lo Shen Wen;
• Bonian Space (Beijing) returns to the Fair with emerging talent in painting, including Shun Li, Maoxiong Xu and Jaijun Ke, as well as experimental multimedia projects by Lisa Chang Lee and Yang Zheyi;
• Cospace (Shanghai) brings five Chinese artists working across diverse mediums, comprising Peng Li, Min Xiao, Xiaoyao Yao, Aige Xie and Xiaojian Yang;
• Gallery Claire Corcia (Paris) showcases contemporary European figuration from French, Italian, and Argentinian artists, such as Sergio Moscona, Hélène Duclos, Julien Calot and Wabé;
• Karin Weber Gallery (Hong Kong) celebrates Hong Kong, featuring works by Joey Leung and Kensa Hung, amongst others;
• Shunpudo Gallery (Tokyo) presents post-war to present-day Japanese art, featuring rare works by Junzo Watanabe, Tomoo Gokita and Kazumi Nakamura;
• The Gallery by SOIL (Hong Kong) introduces the works of seven contemporary lacquer artists from Japan and China, including Haruka Sotome, Bangliang Yao, Ichizoo Ino and Yuguang Shi.

The Fair will also see a special focus on photography this year, placing a spotlight on contemporary attitudes toward photography and extend the narrative around this expansive medium. Highlights include works by Chinese artist Fu Yu at None Project C14 Gallery (Shanghai); Netherlands-based artist Lo Shen Wen and the renowned director, screenwriter and cinematographer Chung Mong Hong at Avocado Art Lab (Taipei); and the late American photographer Jerry Uelsmann and award-winning Huang Xiaoliang, represented by see+ Gallery (Beijing, Shenzhen).

Unveiled today is a commissioned large-scale installation, A Brazen Rift (After Branzi) (2025), by artist Nadim Abbas (b. 1980, Hong Kong). The work is based on architectural drawings by Italian designer and architect Andrea Branzi, whose unrealised designs served as ideas for alternatives to modern urban living. Branzi’s two-dimensional visions are liberated, questioned and reworked into intricate set pieces by Abbas using modular shapes, giving their ambitious and cellular-like constructions new life. The large-scale installation invites viewers to enter a transitional space by drawing comparisons between the flow of people in crowded urban areas and the dynamic energy of crowds at an art show. Abbas’ newly commissioned work underscores the Fair’s commitment to Hong Kong art and celebrates the innovative spirit of an acclaimed mid-career artist.

The highly anticipated Yi Tai Sculpture and Installation Projects sector presents large-scale works created by Dai Ying (Yiwei Gallery,Los Angeles), Dean-E Mei (Astar Gallery, Taipei), Roxane Revon (The Locker Room, New York), Shinduk Kang (Galerie Pici, Seoul, New York) and Mark Lawson Bell (SWANFALL GALLERY, London).

The Fair’s Video Art programme is presented at Cinema Central, a dedicated video theatre showcasing works in this medium throughout the duration of the Fair. “On the Shores of…” will examine the role of today’s networks in simplifying connections with people and access to information, while also establishing a new realm where unexplored worlds can be discovered. By responding with a speculative eye toward the future, this platform enables artists and scholars to question existing narratives.

Highlights of this year’s Video Art programme include, Shu Lea Cheang (b. 1954, Tainan) presenting Virus Becoming (2022); Kary Kwok (b. 1964, Hong Kong) presenting You Don’t Know Me, But… (1998); Raqs Media Collective (est. 1992, New Delhi) presenting The Bicyclist Who Fell Into a Time-Cone (2023) and Riar Rizaldi (b. 1990, Bandung) presenting Mirage – Eigenstate (2024).

A curated selection of works from Akeroyd Collection, the moving image collection of Hong Kong-based philanthropist Shane Akeroyd, will be included in the Fair’s Video Art programme. Featuring works by Stephanie Comilang (b. 1980, Canada), Rei Hayama (b. 1987, Japan), Shuang Li (b. 1990, China) and Robert Sandler (b. 1991, USA), exclusive screenings are presented for one hour each day of the Fair at Cinema Central. Akeroyd Collection operates to make the film and video work in the collection available through a dedicated website, film screenings and loans to international arts institutions.

New to the Fair’s programming and shown daily at Central Theatre, Art Central 2025 unveils Lecture-Performance, an art form that focuses on research-based performances executed through a combination of text, imagery and movement – an intriguing new model for its Performance programme. “In Search of the Miraculous”, titled after Dutch artist Bas Jan Ader’s final unfinished work, assembles artists who approach history, materials and the body with playful experimentation, inviting audiences into open, generative spaces to explore thought-provoking subjects in history, materials and the body.

Highlights include Charmaine Poh (b. 1990, Singapore) presenting in the shadow of the cosmic (2023); Xiaoshi Qin (b. 1989, Guangzhou) presenting The Landscape Between Us II (2022); IV Chan (b. 1978, Hong Kong) presenting Our Birthdays (uncut) (2025); Hou Lam Tsui & Wong Pak Hang (b. 1997, Hong Kong / b. 1995, Hong Kong) presenting Reaching This Point is the Limit (2025) and Shavonne Wong (b. 1991, Singapore) presenting Talking to Machines: When AI Becomes More Than a Tool (2025).

Always a favourite at the Fair, the engaging Talks programme explores captivating subjects and significant trends in contemporary art with distinguished speakers from Hong Kong and around the world. City University of Hong Kong’s School of Creative Media presents an invigorating discussion on robotic art with artists and scholars Miu Ling Lam, Victor Leung, Tobias Klein and Peter Nelson. Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) brings together Chief Investment Officer and Founder of Triada Capital, Monica Hsiao and Chairman of the HKAC’s Board of Governors, Peter Lau to explore the power of creativity, collecting and cross-disciplinary connections moderated by Executive Director, Rebecca Ip. Hong Kong Art School presents Director Prof. Eva Kit Wah Man and Academic Head Jaffa Lam Laam, who will explore how creative approaches can revitalize traditional crafts, practices and knowledge. Further programming and talks hosted by the curators of Art Central can be found in full online.

Art Central introduces a new AI-powered digital guide at the 2025 Edition, designed to elevate the visitor experience. In collaboration with Brushstroke AI, the bespoke application offers personalised tours based on individual interests, provides answers to questions about the Fair’s presentation, and shares details on programmes and events. Through this guide, visitors can enquire about artworks or artists at the Fair. Guests can access AI Tours for free at the conveniently located introductory booth by the Fair’s entrance.

Complimentary small group tours led by industry professionals and trained docents are also on offer for the public and for youth (aged 5 and above). Tours are conducted multiple times daily, starting at designated meeting points as indicated on the Fair Map. English and Cantonese tours are conducted separately. Tours cannot be booked in advance and are on a first-come basis only.

As the Lead Partner of Art Central for nine years, UOB presents an exclusively interactive ink art installation commissioned by Hong Kong artist Tony Ng Kwun Lun, titled Clouds of Continuity. Part of Ng’s The Diary of Clouds series, the piece harmonises ancient and contemporary imagery to evoke hope and introspection. Featuring 60 handcrafted white cloud sculptures in an infinity symbol ‘∞’, the installation symbolises life’s cyclical nature, a theme that resonates with UOB Hong Kong’s 60th anniversary. Visitors are invited to contemplate the ethereal bond between humanity and nature through LED screen projections and an augmented reality interactive feature.

UOB nurtures talent from Hong Kong and beyond through initiatives such as the UOB Artist Alumni Network, a pioneering competition-based alumni network that elevates the profiles of UOB artists in Southeast Asia and China, including Hong Kong. At the Fair, visitors can explore the 2024 UOB Art in Ink Awards Winners’ Showcase and the UOB Painting of the Year’s Artists Showcase at two UOB Art Spaces, featuring winning artworks and collectable art pieces from across the region.

Accompanying the exhibitions, the Bank, in association with the UOB Art Academy, a registered charity organisation in Hong Kong, will present UOB Art in Ink Workshops, led by renowned Hong Kong ink artists including Dr. Chui Pui Chee, Rebecca Hon, Tony Ng Kwun Lun, Yau Wing Fung, Stephanie Yeung, and Simon Yung, covering abstract, traditional, modern and experimental ink genres. Workshop fees of HK$200 per person per session (half price for those aged 17 and below or 60 and above) will support the UOB Art Academy to promote art education for underprivileged communities in Hong Kong.

During the Fair, UOB will host a panel discussion titled Beyond Vision: The Role of Cross-disciplinary Collaboration in Art on 29 March 2025 (Saturday), 3:00pm – 4:30pm. Esteemed experts including Kurt Chan, Phoebe Hui and Ying Kwok will discuss the role of cross-disciplinary collaboration within contemporary art practices, analysing how this collaborative effort shapes the impact of art in society.

Deeply rooted and interwoven within the local art scene, Art Central solidifies its crucial role in nurturing Hong Kong’s cultural landscape. Curated by Shirky Chan and in partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Fair presents Studio Central,a creative projectspotlighting three artists from Hong Kong and Guangzhou including artist-architect Maggie Chu (b. 1975, Hong Kong), kinetic installation artist Tung Wing-Hong (b. 1989, Hong Kong) and transdisciplinary artist collective BOLOHO (est. 2019, Guangzhou).

Studio Central transforms parts of an immersive art booth into the artists’ personal studios at Art Central from 2630 March, capturing the familiar sights and spirit of Hong Kong’s lively neighbourhoods. The project offers a unique opportunity for visitors to witness the artists at work—to be immersed in their distinctive creative environments and engage in discussion with the creatives.

Discover Art in your Neighbourhood showcases the engagement of all three artists with the dynamic streetscapes and everyday stories of Hong Kong to create new works. These creations are showcased in three local neighbourhoods in Central and Sheung Wan, Yau Ma Tei and Sham Shui Po from now to 30 March, reflecting the authentic contexts that shape their practice.

Black Sheep presents the Black Sheep Gallery at Eat Central, featuring six world class culinary experiences: Vietnamese street food-inspired dishes from Chôm Chôm, a rich and exuberant Lebanese menu from Maison Libanaise, modern Japanese favourites from izakaya Fukuro, French classics with a twist from Jean-Pierre, and gelato scoops from Messina. This year, Black Sheep’s Botanical Garden will make its Art Central debut, providing refreshing beverages. The bar offers a range of high-end cocktails, spirits, and wines that pay homage to British gardens while providing a chic haven to relax and rejuvenate.

Soho House Hong Kong returns to the Fair with a pop-up bar and a mural centrepiece by artist Elsa Jeandedieu. An exceptional social backdrop for a spirited celebration of the arts, the space demonstrates Soho House’s dedication to supporting local artists in a unique and dynamic atmosphere.

illy presents exquisite Italian espresso and whole bean beverages designed to awaken the senses and enhance appreciation for the arts. illycaffè introduces the new illy Art Collection – GENESI in Hong Kong, featuring four prominent female artists including Simone Fattal, Shirin Neshat, Monica Bonvicini, and Binta Diaw. These artists have transformed illy cups into canvases that reflect their unique artistry whilst thoughtfully engaging with contemporary cultural, environmental and social issues.

Corey Andrew Barr, Fair Director of Art Central, said “With the support of our Lead Partner, UOB, and the HKSAR Government’s Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund, we are pleased to present our largest-ever programme to commemorate the Tenth Edition of Art Central. As Hong Kong further solidifies its position as a pivotal player in the global art scene, this unprecedented presentation creates invaluable opportunities for local and international audiences to engage with pioneering artistic practices of the 20th century alongside celebrated talents at the cutting edge of contemporary art today. Our landmark Tenth Edition underscores a decade of the Fair’s steadfast commitment to fostering innovation and growth within the contemporary art ecosystem in Asia, paving the way for new dialogues and creative exchanges that will undoubtedly shape the future of art in our region.”

Christine Ip, Head of Group Strategic Communications and Brand, and CEO – Greater China, UOB, said “As we open the doors to Art Central 2025, we celebrate the remarkable talents and creativity that define this year’s Fair. We are proud to support this dynamic platform, which not only showcases exceptional artistry but also strengthens Hong Kong’s position as a cultural beacon in Asia. We invite all visitors to immerse themselves in the inspiring programme we present, reflecting our commitment to fostering creativity and meaningful connections within the community through art. ”

Art Central runs from 25th to 30th March 2025 at Central Harbourfront Hong Kong, 9 Lung Wo Road. Tickets to Art Central are now available here