In partnership with Hong Kong Tourism Board

Hong Kong feels like a city between eras. On the one hand it’s full of glass towers and neon lights, on the other it’s covered in ancient trees and home to century old Temples that pop out of the concrete. The architecture reads like the 80s, but it’s also a deeply 21st century city with its technologically charged overtones. I was lucky enough to be in the city for Art Basel Hong Kong, presenting a solo booth with Neon Parc. It was a week of art, work and socialising. Art Basel has a way of drawing everyone in at once, and Hong Kong during fair week is pretty electric, with collectors, artists, gallerists all converging in one place for art and crab consumption.

Day One

After a 9 hour flight from Melbourne, I landed in Hong Kong with my husband, artist Nick Modrzewski. The immigration checkpoint felt like art camp - we kept bumping into Australia gallerists, collectors and advisors, all waiting in line to enter the country for Art Basel. We took a taxi to the Wharney Hotel in Wan Chai, unzipped our bags, skipped dinner and had 30 minutes to get ready for the M+ party. Amongst the drinks and performances was a nighttime view of Hong Kong. The cityscape looked like a video game from the 90s.

Install day

We had from 8am – midnight to start and finish setting up our booth, which meant a lot of decisions. I collected my exhibitor pass, met up with Geoff Newton (my dealer, Neon Parc) and straight away we started unpacking the two large crates that were waiting for us from my New York studio. After the sculptures were unpacked, we set up the tables/pedestals. Then, we placed the artworks according to their formal and spatial relationships. Jonathan Tan (talented photographer with incredible attention to detail) then arrived for photography. After a long day, Geoff took me and Nick to the Grand Hyatt rooftop bar and the Mirage bar at the Renaissance for martinis. We wrapped up the night with a luxurious dinner at Matsubishi Japanese Restaurant, where we had Teppanyaki and sashimi platters.

Day Three

Started the day at the pool and gym and then went back to the art fair for VIP preview day, which was full of energy and momentum. I was introduced to Hong Kong art collectors, museum curators and directors at some of my favourite New York galleries. Throughout the day, I got the chance to catch up with artists, consultants, curators and gallerists from Australia, Singapore and LA who I haven’t seen in a few years. The day was packed with interviews, photographs and conversations about the new artworks. Dinner was at Hee Kee Fried Crab Expert Ltd. The restaurant was cozy and we ate a lot of clams, crabs and prawns.

Day Four

Woke up and received news that our booth at Art Basel Hong Kong was included as one of the 10 best booths at Art Basel Hong Kong by Artsy. We were excited about the presentation and response to the work, so it felt like the cherry on top after months of work and planning. We also finally had a chance to walk around the fair. The Jacqueline Humphries painting at Modern Art and the Tobias Spichtig painting at Jan Kaps stuck with me.

Dinner was steak and mussels at Feather and Bone and then we went out for drinks at The Optimist and then caught a cab to the party at the Continental, where we ran into some young Hong Kong collectors we’d met at the fair. They took us out for drinks, with the last stop at Dragon I, Lan Kwai Fong.

Day Five

A reset was necessary, so Nick and I booked massages at Sun and Moon Deluxe and then drank flower tea. We then made our way to Tai Kwun Artists’ Night where we had espresso martinis and canopies of food. We met up with Harry and Olivia (directors at Station Gallery) for a beautiful dinner at Madame Fu and they introduced us to their London gallery friends. Afterwards, we went down a hill into a crowded street where we had more drinks.

Day Six

Went to M+ to see the Lee Bul exhibition titled ‘From 1998 to Now’. It was a comprehensive survey of her career. I was particularly drawn to the drawings, sketches, and maquettes, showing how Lee conceptualises and realises the larger architectural works. We met up with Geoff; Jan Van Shaik (architect, artist and collector), artist Claudia Tran and Charles (who had been assisting Geoff at our booth) for our last dinner in Hong Kong and then went to the rave at Empty Gallery where there was a Jutta Koether show on. The next morning, we said goodbye to Hong Kong and made our way back to New York City.

Visit the Discover Hong Kong website to find out more about the Hong Kong Arts March and to explore Hong Kong's vibrant street art scene.