An artwork "Laura" created by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa is displayed at Art Basel in Hong Kong, March 25, 2016.
HONG KONG —
Asia's biggest exhibition of modern and contemporary art brought together 239 galleries from 35 countries and territories in Hong Kong, which has emerged as the region's top art trading hub.
Organizers of Art Basel Hong Kong, which closed Saturday, shrugged off concerns about whether China's slowdown and a shaky world economy are dampening global art demand.
"Maybe I think collectors will ask a lot more questions before they agree to a sale, but I think ... it just feels like everyone is very excited about the art world,'' said Adeline Ooi, Art Basel's Asia director. The show is an offshoot of the annual contemporary art fair in Basel, Switzerland.
The show began in 2008 as ART HK and was bought three years ago by the same group that runs the Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach fairs. It's the biggest of a week of art-related events in Hong Kong that has attracted celebrities and billionaires from around the world.
Art and Art Lovers Blend Together in Hong Kong
1/8An artwork displayed at Art Basel in Hong Kong, March 25, 2016
2/8An artwork "Laura" created by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa is displayed at Art Basel in Hong Kong, March 25, 2016.
3/8A woman looks at an art installation created by Chinese artist Stella Zhang at Art Basel, March 25, 2016.
4/8Artwork "Transfuser" created by British sculptor Antony Gormley at Art Basel, March 25, 2016
6/8Artwork "Cloison a lames reflechissantes" created by Argentina artist Julio Le Parc at Art Basel in Hong Kong, March 25, 2016
7/8An artwork created by Indonesian artist Tintin Wulia is displayed during the VIP preview of the art fair "Art Basel" in Hong Kong, March 22, 2016.
8/8A man looks at an art installation "Face To Face" created by Taiwan artist Peng Hung-chih during the VIP preview of the art fair "Art Basel" in Hong Kong, March 22, 2016.
