Art
‘Hong Kong Is Rolling Out the Red Carpet:’ Art Basel Returns With an Inflatable King Tut and Collectors Still Hungry for Ultra-Contemporary Art
To paraphrase Mark Twain, it appears that reports of Hong Kong’s demise as the arts hub of Asia are greatly exaggerated. After nearly three years of some of the most draconian quarantine measures anywhere, preceded by mass protests in 2019, skeptics questioned the city’s ability to bounce back.
Judging from the first day of Art Basel Hong Kong, and the whirlwind of parties, new gallery openings, dinners, and more parties, Hong Kong has got its mojo back. The excitement at the fair was palpable as collectors and dealers who had not been able to visit the city since 2019 plied the aisles.
Indeed, the city’s cultural offerings multiplied during the pandemic with the addition of the Palace Museum and M+, which until now have received only a trickle of international visitors. M+ which officially debuted in 2021, opened its doors exclusively to VIP guests for a private viewing followed by a party for more than 2,000 people on the eve of the fair. “Everyone is pulling out the stops, said Shasha Tittman, director at Lehmann Maupin Gallery. “Hong Kong is rolling out the red carpet.”
Installation view, Hauser & Wirth at Art Basel Hong Kong 2023. Photo: JJYPHOTO.
Auction houses are doubling down too. Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips are all moving to new, greatly enlarged premises. “With the events of the past few years people started asking if other cities in Asia could rival Hong Kong,” said Jonathan Crockett, chairman for Asia at Phillips, which opened a gleaming new 52,000 square foot space opposite M+ on Saturday. “This is an opportunity for Hong Kong and its arts and cultural institutions to come together and put Hong Kong back on the map.”
But it is the fair that will provide the true acid test of Hong Kong’s ability to rebound after being hermetically sealed for nearly three years during COVID. In 2020, it was an entirely virtual fair, followed by two pruned-down editions in 2021 and 2022, with just 104 and 130 galleries taking part, respectively. This year features 177 galleries, still down from 242 in 2019, partly because Covid restrictions in Hong Kong were still in place when the application deadline closed last June.
A work by Yinka Shonibare at Stephen Friedman’s booth sold to Saian museum for £200,000. Photo: Frederik Balfour.
The excitement was palpable as VIPs clutching champagne flutes browsed the fair. “There is a very, very good buzz,” said Stephen Friedman, whose London-based gallery got off to a flying start.
A 2023 sculpture entitled Birdcage Man by Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare sold for £200,000 ($244,794), and a Jeffrey Gibson acrylic on canvas painted in 2022 for $250,000. Both were acquired by Asian museums. Friedman said he had sold more than 20 other works, but he drew the line when a Chinese collector tried to buy four cane-backed chairs used by the staff manning the booth.
Not only were mainland buyers back in force, but the fair has attracted many influential international collectors including Sheikha al-Mayassa of Qatar, Maja Hoffmann, Swiss founder of the LUMA Foundation and fellow Swiss collector Uli Sigg. Pharrell Williams, who has telegraphed his arrival to Hong Kong with a cover story in glossy magazine Tatler, is expected to visit the fair on day two, the Art Basel team said.
The fair offering reflects a growing trend among Asian collectors to embrace young, international contemporary art. Five years ago, you couldn’t walk more than 100 feet without seeing a Warhol, Picasso or Damien Hirst for sale. Now more galleries have moved away from blue chip artists in favor of lesser-known names. “The whole Asian market has matured immensely in the past few years,” says Ben Brown, whose eponymous gallery has brought works by African American conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas and Ethiopian-born Awol Erizku.
Awol Erizku’s Gravity, (2018-2023) presented by Ben Brown Fine Arts. Courtesy Art Basel, Photo: Isaac Lawrence.
Erizku’s ten-meter-high inflatable replica of King Tutankhamun, hanging in a shopping mall because it was too big to show at the fair, has attracted a huge amount of attention after a local newspaper reported that Chinese knockoffs were advertised for sale at online marketplace Taobao for about $76. Though Brown said the artist was very upset, he added: “there is no such thing as bad publicity.” The work, not yet sold, is priced in the six figures.
For the first time, two galleries from Africa are showing at the fair, SMAC from Cape Town, South Africa, and Retro Africa, from Abuja, Nigeria. Dolly Kola-Begun, Retro Africa’s founder, is presenting a solo exhibition by Victor Ehikhamenor, a Nigerian-born artist who divides his time between Lagos and Maryland uses plastic rosary beads to produce semi figurative tapestries priced between $40,000 and $150,000.
Though Ehikhamenor has been purchased by museums in the U.S. and Europe, bringing him to Asia poses a new challenge. “Though the gaze is on Africa, we are coming in here blind,” says Kola-Begun. “Coming to Hong Kong is daunting and there may be very little cultural context for people, but that’s true of Africa the world over, even in Miami or L.A. and we would like to rectify that.”
Developed by Art Basel in 2020 in lieu of a physical fair, online viewing rooms (OVR) have since become an indispensable marketing tool, dealers say. Take David Kordansky Gallery. Within 24 hours of the VIP OVR preview going live, it had sold 10 of U.S. artist Adam Pendleton’s works, including all eight large-scale works on Mylar for $95,000 and two small paintings on canvas for $135,000. The third and final work, also on canvas, sold for $135,000 at the fair. All buyers were based in Asia.
Ugo Rondine’s painted bronzes bought by Liu Yiqian at Art Basel Hong Kong. Photo: Frederik Balfour.
Liu Yiqian, who made his name on the auction circuit for buying tens of millions of dollars worth of rare Chinese antiquities with his AMEX card, and using the airline points to fly around the world acquiring more art, was busy shopping again. He also picked up Red Sculpture, 2016-2022, by Jordan Wolfson for $900,000 from David Zwirner and a Helen Marten silkscreen on multimedia from London-based Sadie Coles HQ for $285,000. He also picked up two painted bronze sculptures the color of highlighters priced at $350,000 each from Gladstone Gallery executed by New York-based Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone.
Zwirner also sold an oil on linen entitled Truffaut, painted by Elizabeth Peyton in 2005 for $2.2 million to a major Asian museum. Coles, who skipped the fair during the pandemic because she “really didn’t want to do a ghost booth,” was back with strong first day sales. She sold a 2021 Richard Prince for $750,000 to a European buyer. The work is based on the joke archives of Rodney Dangerfield belonging to the artist. She also sold five works of wash on paper painted in 2023 by 92-year-old Italian artist Isabella Ducrot for €4,000 each.
Art Basel Hong Kong is on view through March 25 at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Art
Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
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The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”
On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”
The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.
Blaze in the West Wing
The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.
About Somerset House
Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.
Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.
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