Must See Unique Hong Kong Art Spaces
Babette Radclyffe – The Fabulous Fashionista
Art Basel, Asia Contemporary Art Show and hundreds of galleries dotted along Hollywood Road…the list of Hong Kong’s world class fine art events and spaces grows every month. Here’s our picking of Hong Kong’s most unique art spaces.
The Popsy Room
The Popsy Room is Hong Kong’s first multi-sensory gallery and its premise is for artists to collaborate and experiment in different media, especially in experiential arts. As well as hosting new art exhibitions each month and an event-filled calendar including workshops, pop-ups, creative discussion panels, The Popsy Room also hosts private dining every evening – perfect for those who love fine art and fine food.
AO Vertical
This innovative Hong Kong art space was launched in May 2012 and to date is one of the only ‘vertical flow’ galleries in town. Spanning from the third floor to the thirteenth floor, AO Vertical Art Space showcases artworks along its vertiginous internal staircase. For those who would like to avoid a cardio workout while checking out the art exhibitions, start at the top and make your way down for a much easier experience.
Grotto Fine Art
It’s fair to say that this Central-based art gallery is definitely a grotto of emerging Hong Kong artists all of whom are hoping to gain international acclaim. For over a decade Grotto Fine Art has specialised in nurturing and promoting local contemporary artists such as Li Wei-Han Rosanna and Lee Bovey, and to this date is the only gallery in town with this exclusive creative mission.
Cattle Depot Artists’ Village
A former red-bricked slaughterhouse located in Ma Tau Kok, the Cattle Depot Artists’ Village has been renovated and reimagined as a creative space just for local artists. Over a dozen art groups use the space regularly and it also hosts the occasional art exhibition, primarily at gallery 1A Space. This independent, not-for-profit gallery is dedicated to contemporary visual arts and is surely Kowloon’s creative gem.
Above Second
Sai Ying Pun is fast emerging as a creative competitor to Sheung Wan, with restaurants, bars and art galleries to boot. Sai Ying Pun’s Above Second art gallery specialises in exhibiting a trendy Hong Kong art crowd with works including illustrations, graffiti, comic books, pop culture and street art. After checking out their latest art exhibition, be sure to have a stroll in the neighbourhood along to Sheung Wan where you may see Hong Kong street art come to life along city walls and alleyways.
Chi k11 art space
Located in the seven-storey K11 Art Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, chi K11 art space is a light-filled multi-purpose venue with an inspiring annual programme featuring collaborations with various galleries, art students, art organisations and academic institutions to produce some amazing Hong Kong art. The space helps promote and nurture the local contemporary art scene and emerging artists from Greater China with a range of art exhibitions, forums, workshops, tours, artist talks and events to encourage public dialogue.
Gallery by the Harbour
Gallery by the Harbour is a small gallery space located on level 2 of Harbour City, one of Hong Kong’s largest shopping malls. The quaint harbourside gallery offers the perfect reprieve from a day of shopping with changing solo art exhibitions showcasing local Hong Kong artists, cartoonists and little-known illustrators. The small gallery has also hosted an exhibition of Hong Kong Photo Contest Winners.
Digital Art Fair
Hong Kong’s Digital Art Fair will be held from 20 October – 6 November this year, after a successful launch in 2021. The digital art fair is an engaging and interactive high-tech Web 3.0 art experience that will showcase the works of world-class digital and NFT fine artists with leaders at the forefront of digital art, crypto, finance and technology sharing ideas and knowledge on a wide range of topics. This unique Hong Kong art fair can’t be missed.
Fashion and lifestyle journalist Babette Radclyffe-Thomas is based in the concrete jungle of creativity, Hong Kong. Having spent her formative teenage years in Hong Kong, after a MA in Fashion Journalism from the London College of Fashion, the city’s charms lured her back and she has made it her mission to discover the latest creative hotspots and trend setters.