Artnet News Pro First Stop, Hong Kong: Global Auction Houses Work to Woo Deep-Pocketed Asian Buyers by Giving Them Early Access to Top Lots The appetite for Western art in Asia, and Hong Kong in particular, has never been bigger than it is right now. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 26, 2021
Art Fairs Italy’s Artissima Becomes the First Major Art Fair to Mint NFTs as Part of an Overhaul of Its Emerging Artist Prize Five shortlisted artists showing at the art fair in November will be invited to create NFTs. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 21, 2021
Art World ‘Art in Afghanistan Will Have to Be Underground’: An Afghan Artist Who Escaped to Italy Wants to Help Those Still Caught in Kabul The artist, professor and curator Rahraw Omarzad, now living in exile in Turin, still aims to draw attention to the work of artists across the diaspora By Vivienne Chow, Oct 20, 2021
Art World ‘We Are Ready!’: Record Sales and Attendance at the KIAF Art Fair Are Stoking Hopes For Seoul as Asia’s Next Art Hub Galleries are focusing on favorable conditions in the South Korean capital as uncertainty around Hong Kong grows. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 19, 2021
Auctions Asian Collectors Steal the Show at Sotheby’s $90 Million London Evening Sale, Buying Banksy’s Shredded Work and Competing for Young Artists The sale exceeded expectations thanks in large part to Asia's buying power. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 14, 2021
Art Fairs Frieze Masters Debuts in London With a Focus on Korean Art and a Slower-Than-Usual Pace (But There Were Still Multimillion-Dollar Sales) Many exhibitors are making a concerted effort to internationalize the market for Korean art. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 13, 2021
Art World A Group of 12 Art Trade Associations Has Vowed to Prevent Cultural Heritage Trafficking From Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan The organizations have warned their members to be on the alert for looted artifacts circulating on the market. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 12, 2021
Artnet News Pro A $21.2 Million Picasso Soars to a New Record as Basquiat and Other Western Art Stars Dominate Sotheby’s Auctions in Hong Kong Sales results point to Asia's growing appetite for western art while Asian blue-chip names Zao Wou-ki, Sanyu and Zeng Fanzhi were not sold. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 11, 2021
Politics Danish Artist Condemns Hong Kong University’s Removal of His Tiananmen Monument After Over 20 Years: ‘I Think They Will Destroy It’ Sculptor Jens Galschiøt says the attack on his work is an attempt to erase history. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 8, 2021
Art Fairs Fine Art Asia, Hong Kong’s Homegrown Art Fair, Returns—a Third Smaller, More Local, and With NFTs After last year's team up with Art Basel Hong Kong, 2021 saw new strategies to navigate the still-evolving landscape. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 7, 2021
Auctions Sotheby’s Unveils a $40 Million Botticelli in Hong Kong as Asian Appetite for Old Masters Works Grows Sotheby's has unveiled another Sandro Botticelli work in Hong Kong following an earlier record-breaking sale in January. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 6, 2021
Politics The U.K. Has Rejected UNESCO’s Call on British Authorities to Reassess Their Position on the Contested Parthenon Marbles The statement marks a major step forward in Greece's claim to the 2500-year-old marbles. By Vivienne Chow, Oct 5, 2021
Analysis Hong Kong’s Local Art Market Is Flourishing. But Under Its National Security Law, Many Fear an Artist Exodus Sales have been strong at the start of the city's fall art season—but it's market appears to be operating in a parallel universe. By Vivienne Chow, Sep 28, 2021
Museums & Institutions Hong Kong’s M+ Museum Has Removed Ai Weiwei’s Famous Tiananmen Square Photo From Its Website While It Awaits Government Review The development coincides with news that the long-awaited museum will open on November 12. By Vivienne Chow, Sep 8, 2021
Art Fairs Hong Kong Collectors Finally Started Paying Attention to Local Artists During Lockdown. But Will It Last? Scores of work by local artists sold to new clients at Art Basel Hong Kong. By Vivienne Chow, May 26, 2021