Hong Kong Arts Center, Wan Chai | Hong Kong Arts Centre Presents ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ in ‘Art March’ Becoming the Only Major Art Fair Solely Featuring Local Artists

Description

‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ (formerly known as ‘Collectible Art Fair’), solely organised by the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC), will take place from 22 March to 4 April 2025 at the Pao Galleries, Jockey Club Atrium and Showcase Centre at the HKAC. With free admission, the art fair welcomes the public to appreciate the stunning works of local artists, offering an opportunity to support the local art scene by acquiring these art pieces. ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ is fully supported by the Hong Kong Art School (HKAS), the newly appointed HKAS Alumni Network, as well as various invited art schools, institutions, and galleries, showcasing artworks from emerging to established artists and highlighting a brand-new artistic force.

Around 350 Artworks Showcased from Emerging and Renowned Local Artists

The quality of the entries for ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ is exceptionally high and showcased innovation and top-notch artistic performance. However, due to space constraints and the desire to showcase all works in the most impressive way, the jury panel had to carefully choose artworks to allow more local artists to shine at the art fair. The jury has finally chosen around 350 artworks to be showcased in this creditable art fair, highlighting the diverse and vibrant Hong Kong art scene. ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ features artwork from 301 local artists, with nearly 100 more artists shortlisted compared to ‘The Collectible Art Fair’, art pieces from various mediums such as paintings, ceramics, photography, sculpture, installation art, and mixed media.

Christina Brandt Jensen, the curator of ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ shared, “Our open call instigated an outpouring of creativity from so many artists, seeing it all has been a moving experience. We received works in different mediums, and it thrills me to programme a room specially for moving image, as well as showcase examples of new media, installation, and interactive experiments alongside the more classic approaches. It is bold to accept work by art students alongside professionals, but it gives us unique insight into the consciousness of young artists. As a collective entity, I see visible traces of place and environment, making it ‘of Hong Kong’ and a wonderful symbol of our thriving art scene. I encourage everyone to come support and start building their own collection of local home-grown art.”

Professor Raymond Fung, the ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ advisor from the Hong Kong Arts Centre remarked that, the art fair brings together multiple classic works, including the ‘Collect Iconic Series,’ which features specially selected artworks by renowned artists such as Lau Siu Hong Freeman, Mok Yat San and Man Fung Yi, Wong Lai Ching Fiona, So Hing Keung, Kan Tai Keung, Ho Siu Kee, Yeung Kwok Fan Margaret, William Lim, and Yau Wing Fung. All artworks are available for purchase. Professor Raymond Fung particularly recommends the works of the artist couple Mok Yat San and Man Fung Yi, “The works of Mok and Man synthesise traditional Chinese aesthetics with contemporary elements, and by using a ‘double dimension’ design to display their reinterpretation of Cosmology, the sky and the earth/ the mountains and the seas. The ‘Mokman’s Cosmology: Breaking The Framework’ illustrates a perfect artistic presentation of the principle ‘emptiness and solidity’ in Chinese ink aesthetics. This collaboration not only demonstrates their unconventional artistic harmony but also pioneers new realms in the ink art, allowing audiences to experience the artists’ beliefs they experienced.”

Professor Kurt Chan, the ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ advisor from Hong Kong Art School shared that Ho Siu Kee’s artwork ‘Making Mountain Prequel’ has left him with a lasting impression, “Ho employs coarse clay to craft a figure seated on an antique shelf, their posture is similar to the ‘relaxed seated pose’ of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, symbolising that reaching enlightenment is not bounded by formalities, and can be naturally attained with a relaxed attitude. Moreover, the featureless nature of the figure allows viewers to effortlessly project themselves into the artwork.”

Key Art Event Highlights at ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’: Opportunity to Interact With  Star Artists

In addition to the art fair, ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ will also host various free-of- charge talks and workshops to enhance the public’s awareness of local art development through diverse channels. Due to limited availability, please visit the official website of HKAC for event registration: https://hkac.org.hk/en/collecthk/

Panel Discussion: Artist’s Path To Flourish

Five well-known artists, curators and gallery owners, will share their insights to thrive in an artistic career and discuss how to develop a strategic plan to become a successful artist.

Date：24 March 2025 (Saturday)

Time：19:30-21:00

Venue：Louis Koo Cinema, HKAC

Speaker(s)：

Ink artist, Kan Tai Keung

Multimedia artist, Hung Keung

Boon Lee Award, Hong Kong Art School, Lee Boon Ying

Curator, WMA Chloe Chow

Founder, Rooftop Institute, Yim Sui Fong

Moderator：Hong Kong Artist, art critic and writer,Chan Sai Lok

*The programme will be conducted in Cantonese.

Artist Blind Dating

Inspired by the ‘blind box’ culture, the HKAC will reveal the identities of the artists after the activity begins. The lineup includes emerging and renowned artists like Kan Tai Keung, Kurt Chan, Tin Lau, Prudence Mak (Chocolate Rain), where participants could meet and interact with them and engage in an artistic exchange filled with ‘unknown’ and ‘discovery’.

Date：22 March 2025 (Saturday) 23, 29, 30 March 2025 (Saturdays, Sundays)

Time：17:30-18:45 (22 March 2025) 18:30-19:45 (23, 29, 30 March 2025)

Venue：Pao Galleries, HKAC

*The programme will be conducted in Cantonese.

Create Corner

The event features a creative corner where several emerging artists from ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ including Tansy Kan, Kayla Ang, Carmen Poon, and Silver Qian will lead participants in crafting handmade art pieces

Date：23, 29, 30 March 2025 (Saturdays, Sundays)

Time：12:00-16:00

Venue：Pao Galleries, HKAC

Remarks:No pre-registration is required

Create Corner Daily Schedule

Weaving Art and Photography — Tansy Kan

Fusing photography and weaving art, and to discover the beauty of everyday life together with artist Tansy Kan! Whether it is the wonderful moments in life or encountering strangers, everything could be an inspiration for your creation.
Let’s learn the techniques of overlapping weaving with your photos and create your unique story here.

Date：23 March 2025 (Sunday)

Time：12:00-16:00

Me in the Mirror — Kayla Ang

Inspired by self-portrait artist, Kayla’s artwork, participants will use various materials to create portraits by observation: observing themselves or others. Participants will know more about themselves through the process and meet some new friends!

Date：29 March 2025 (Saturday)

Time：12:00-16:00

Geometric Landscape — Carmen Poon

Landscape artist Carmen Poon is good at simplifying complex compositions into geometric shapes in her paintings. In this process, she attaches importance to the beauty of the composition. Participants will have the opportunity to explore simple yet varied geometric shapes with the artists and their own paintings.

Date：29 March 2025 (Saturday)

Time：12:00-16:00

Rhythm with Flowing Ink —Silver Qian

Creativity stems from observation. This activity hopes to let participants let go of the preconceived notions of traditional Chinese paintings, and to re-examine the unique forms of ink wash painting. Join artist Silver Qian and transform the observations into short lines, then using these lines to construct a scene dynamic with a flowing image.

Date：30 March 2025 (Sunday)

Time：14:00-16:00

Docent Tours

Public docent tours will be led by a senior docent, offering an in-depth introduction of the features and highlights of ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’

Date：23, 29, 30 March 2025 (Saturdays, Sundays)

Time：14:00-15:00、15:30-16:30

Venue：Pao Galleries and Jockey Club Atrium, HKAC

The HKAC’s ‘Junior Docents’ will make their comeback at the ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ opening ceremony (21 March)! The ‘Junior Docents’ from third to fifth grade have undergone professional training and behind-the-scenes rehearsals to lead the VIPs to appreciate artworks from a fresh perspective. This is the second year that the HKAC has launched the ‘Junior Docents Programme,’ aiming to foster cross- generational integration to nurture future leaders. Children’s interpretations of art are often refreshingly different as they transform artworks into fascinating stories filled with vigour through their vivid imagination, bringing a vibrant perspective to the art appreciation process.

The HKAC will also host the Photobook Fair from 21 to 23 March 2025 at the G/F as well as 2/F to 4/F at the HKAC, featuring around 15 publishers and bookstores from Italy, Germany, Japan and Hong Kong.

Beyond the art fair, ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’ offers a diverse lineup of talks and workshops, which offers an excellent platform for local and international art enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the vibrant local art scene and witness the artistic feast crafted by local artists. Details of exciting activities during the art fair will be announced soon. Please stay tuned to the HKAC and Collect Hong Kong website. We look forward to seeing everyone at ‘Collect Hong Kong 2025’!