Beyond Basel: Four Satellite Art Exhibitions in Hong Kong

While Art Basel is surely on every art lover’s to-do list this month, that’s no reason to miss out on some of the other satellite art exhibitions taking place in Hong Kong at the same time. Here are the ones we’ll be checking out for sure.

FUTURA – Abstract Compass

A celebrated street artist based in New York, FUTURA is coming to Hong Kong this month with his FUTURA – Abstract Compass exhibition at Space 27. Displaying 27 new and existing works, the exhibition will showcase his unique abstract graffiti style, with signature evanescent symbols in spray paint can fashion.
27 to 31 March
Space 27, 10/F, Block AB, Tung Chong Factory Building, 653-659 King’s Road, Quarry Bay

Lui Shou-Kwan – A Centenary Celebration

Over at Alisan Fine Arts, meanwhile, legendary ink artist Lui Shou-Kwan’s solo exhibition is being staged in honour of his birth centenary. On display will be Lui Shou-Kwan’s revolutionary ink artworks that merged traditional Chinese ink art painting with Western Abstract Expressionism – a style that later came to be known as New Ink Movement.
30 March to 16 May
Alisan Fine Arts, 21F Lyndhurst Tower, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central

Convergence

Three of Hong Kong’s leading art galleries, Maria Kiang Chinese Art, 88 Gallery and Chelesa Art, have joined forces to host Convergence – one of the most important satellite art exhibitions overlapping with Art Basel. Spanning Chinese objets d’art, historic furniture by Robert Goossens and ink paintings by contemporary artist Ren Zhong, the art exhibition deftly marries modernity with nostalgia through its showcase.
16 March to 2 April
6/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central

Art Deco. The France-China Connection

While anticipating Art Basel, it’ll be a shame to miss this particular satellite art exhibition happening at CityU Exhibition Gallery, in somewhat faraway Kowloon Tong. Titled “Art Deco. The France-China Connection”, the exhibition brings together Art-Deco-style art objects of Chinese origin, including furniture, sculptures, paintings, posters, costumes, ceramic glassware, vases, jewellery, etc. all of which have been deeply influenced by the French Art Deco Movement of the 1920s.
6 March to 30 June
CityU Exhibition Gallery, 18/F, Lau Ming Wai Academic Building, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong

Introducing Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11, a 50th anniversary limited edition

Celebrations are in order as 50 years have passed since American astronauts Neil Armstrong and ‘Buzz’ Aldrin took their first steps onto the moon in 1969, marking a great leap forward for man – and the watchmakers responsible for creating a watch to be worn in outer space, Omega.

Indeed, as any watch connoisseur is well aware of, during the iconic mission to the moon, Omega Speedmaster watches graced the astronauts’ wrists and to celebrate the earth-defying achievements of man Omega has released the OMEGA Speedmaster Apollo 11 special 50th anniversary limited edition. However, it was actually in 1957 that the Swiss luxury timepiece manufacturers first launched their OMEGA Speedmaster which soon after became known as ‘pilots’ choice’ and was adopted by the US Air Force.

Speed up to 1964, NASA’s space programme was really ready for take-off and officially began the search to find a watch capable enough to accompany their astronauts far beyond the Earth’s limits. In the end, Omega prevailed on top, and has been the supplier to NASA’s Human Space Flight Program ever since.

Throughout the years Omega has released many Speedmaster watches but what makes the new OMEGA Speedmaster Apollo 11 – which is limited to only 1,014 pieces – so special is its exclusive 18K gold alloy and brand new manual-winding Master Chronometer calibre 3861. The 18K Moonshine gold is said to be inspired by shining moonlight against a dark night sky; it also maintains its shine longer than the traditional 18K yellow gold. Meanwhile, the 42mm case of the timepiece features a asymmetrical case-band that has been now been used for four generations of Speedmaster watches.

*Buzz Aldrin with President and CEO of OMEGA Raynald Aeschlimann*

Adding a unique touch to the watch is the engraving on the outer case-back that reads, “1969-2019” with the limited edition number highlighted in burgundy. Vintage lovers will also rejoice in the fact that the OMEGA Speedmaster Apollo 11 features a number of classic Omega logos throughout the design – including on the dial, the crown and the clasp.

Omega has certainly helped to create one small tick for man and one giant tock for mankind.

All For A Good Cause: Markus Klinko’s ‘2000s: David Bowie and Beyond’ exhibition in Hong Kong

As you enter the plush premises of Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s MO Bar this weekend, don’t be surprised if your eyes are automatically drawn towards the walls, because hanging on them are a range of striking photographs of some of the most legendary stars of our times – from David Bowie to Lady Gaga – shot by none other than award-winning celebrity photographer Markus Klinko who’s hosting his first exhibition in Hong Kong titled 2000s: David Bowie and Beyond till 16 April.

Kevin Cheng, Jo Soo Tang, Markus Klinko, Daphne King

And these photos are just the tip of the iceberg. Klinko has not only teamed up with The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, but also with Central-based art gallery Alisan Fine Arts to showcase some of the most iconic photos in his repertoire – be it Bowie’s behind-the-scenes portraits from his Heathen photoshoot or Beyoncé’s Dangerously in Love album cover. Shot entirely on Fuji cameras, what sets them apart from run-of-the-mill celebrity photos is Klinko’s unfailing ability to reveal an unexplored side of the artist’s personality in each of his ethereal, almost otherworldly compositions.

Irene Wan in front of Lady Gaga’s photo by Markus Klinko

Keen not to miss out on the experience, Hong Kong’s art aficionados have been thronging Alisan Fine Arts since the opening night to appreciate the photos firsthand and also to support Hong Kong Adventist Hospital Foundation (HKAHF)’s cancer fund, with the proceeds of the sale going to this charity. And though Klinko’s exhibition is officially ending on 16 April, art lovers would rejoice to learn that some of his photos would be available for sale at Alisan Fine Arts for the whole of March.

Meanwhile, Kaws fans would also be happy to know that the inflatable version of the American artist’s signature cross-eyed Companion floating on Victoria Harbour won’t be the only Kaws memorabilia to grace our Fragrant Harbour this month. Some photos from Klinko’s Lohan X Kaws photoshoot will also be available for sale at Alisan Fine Arts.

It’s just the right kind of exciting build-up to Art Basel, isn’t it?

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Bag Baggers: A bonanza of Hermes Birkin bags fetch top dollar at auction

On the very rare occasion that a Hermès Birkin bag comes up for auction, it offers buyers an irresistible opportunity to jump the minimum two-year queue for this notoriously luxurious item of ladies’ luggage.

Imagine the delight, then, when news rippled across high-end Hong Kong that the local Christie’s had somehow managed to wrangle a whopping seven of them into one of its most-widely-anticipated-ever winter sales. Sure enough, with a brigade of Birkin-bereft buyers making a beeline for the auction house, it was no surprise that total takings for the much-talked about-totes topped US$5.5 million, with half of their bags going for well beyond the initial estimates.

While none of the items of haute handbaggery failed to impress, most impressive of all was the Rare Matte White Himalaya Nilocticus Crocodile Retourné Kelly 28 with Palladium Hardware (2015), which went for a rather grand US$208,644 – more than double the estimate of US$77,038. Also of note was the sale of a Rare, Shiny Ombré Salvator Lizard Birkin 25 with Gold Hardware (2007), which went for US$60,988, and a Shiny Black Porosus Crocodile Sellier Mini Kelly 20 with Gold Hardware (1994) that went for a cool US$56,173.

Lots in Space: Moon rocks command astronomical price

Just shy of the 50th anniversary of the day Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to circle the moon, Sotheby’s hosted their second annual Space Exploration auction. Of the lots, the most astronomical figure was commanded by ЧАСТИЦЫ ГРУНТА ЛУНЫ-16 (Soil Samples from Luna-16), which went for an out-of-this-world US$855,000 (HK$6.7 million). For the lucky winner, this was a rare prize indeed – the only known duly-authenticated lunar rocks to be in private hands. The three fragments of moon rock (brought back by the Luna-16 mission of 1970) come housed inside an encased glass and metal block, within a 5.08cm x 5.08cm sphere, and are viewable via an inbuilt adjustable lens.

Truly a heavenly purchase, previous analysis of the rock shows it to consist of basalt feldspar crystals and “finely-structured vesicular agglutinates”. With the help of the lens, it is even possible to discern the thin glass-coatings that were the legacy of an ageold meteorite impact. Making these boldly-gone mini-boulders still more special, they are also a lasting testament to the Soviet Space Era. Indeed, Luna-16 is now seen as one of the greatest

Frank Exchange: Norman Rockwell’s portrait of Frank Sinatra fetches big bucks

Norman Rockwell, the renowned painter and illustrator best known for the popular covers of American culture he created for New York’s The Saturday Evening Post, was again the talk of the town when one of his works – Sinatra: An American Classic – was the most sought-after lot at Sotheby’s Lady Blue Eyes: The Property of Barbara and Frank Sinatra auction. When the gavel finally dropped on his 1973 oil canvas painting of the beloved singer, actor and hell-raiser, the winning bid – after a heated six-way battle – was US$687,000, nearly six times its US$120,000 reserve price.

Initially published in conjunction with an article of the same title (a work by his long-term friend and collaborator, Rosalind Russell) in a 1973 edition of the Ladies Home Journal, the original Frank Sinatra portrait spans 47.6cm x 33cm and was one of the last paintings Rockwell completed before his death in 1978. As well as the many years he spent working as a magazine illustrator, Rockwell was also known for his portraits of notable American celebrities and politicians, including John F Kennedy, John Wayne and Ronald Reagan. What makes the Frank Sinatra portrait so unique, though, is its vibrant green background, as most of Rockwell’s works were predominantly grey. Maybe Frank insisted he did it his way.

Going, going, gone: Announcing 2019’s most interesting auctions so far

Despite setting new records last year, one would be ill-advised to ignore the onslaught of reports that the auction houses of the world are increasingly suffering the symptoms of decline. Indeed, last year jewellery sales were down by a whopping 17.6 percent, with Christie’s sales falling by 11.5 percent and Sotheby’s by 25 percent.

However, it wasn’t all bad… gavels still dropped and collectors still locked horns to outbid each other. In fact, 2019 seems to be off to a not-so-shabby start with George Michael’s Collection coming up next month at Christie’s – a sure treat for any modern art collector.

Below are the most interesting auctions of 2019 thus far…

A not-so-pretty penny sold for a pretty extraordinary price of US$204,000 last month at a Florida auction. What made the value jump from $0.01 to over six figures, you ask? Well, this particular penny is indeed rare as it was mistakenly minted in bronze rather than steel, and with only 10 to 15 of these accidental pennies said to exist in the whole world, making it wholly worthy of its astounding price. The seller, Don Lutes, is believed to have originally found the lucky Lincoln coin inside his pocket after being handed over loose change from his school cafeteria way back in 1947. Now that’s what we call lunch money.

interesting auctions — Andy Warhol – Orangutan (from Endangered Species) 1983 | Photo Credit: Artnet

A range of iconic American pop artist Andy Warhol’s paintings went under the hammer earlier this month, the priciest piece turning out to be a painting titled Orangutan (from Endangered Species) 1983 which fetched US$150,000 – more than double its estimated sale price of US$60,000. Orangutan stood out from the rest of the lot due to Warhol’s own curiosity in the animal and the unique idea to draw the ill-fated ape in an upbeat and colourful manner to help propel the species towards stardom and hopefully save it from extinction. Only 30 trial proofs were created, making this signed screenprint a delightful addition to any collector’s home.

Fans of American skateboarding and streetwear brand Supreme were delighted to bid on the entire full set of decks created by the iconic brand, dating back to 1998. The 248 skateboards set a record at US$800,000 for the whole shabang, definitely a more expensive hobby than your teenage son would have you believe twenty-some odd years ago…

Cows certainly made headlines last week as an US Angus bull set new records with its sale at a cool US $1.51 million in North Dakota on Friday. The fancy bull was none other than SAV America 8018, who despite his stout figure is barely over a year old, not bad for a man just barely out of his calf years. Mr 8018 will soon be heading to his new farm in Nebraska with his new owners Herbster Angus Farms; we think its fair to assume while he may be one, he won’t be taking any bull.

Text: Bailey Atkinson

Snuff Said: Antique box office bonanza for Christie’s HK

Those who believed that boxes were just a necessary evil when it came to carting crockery to a new location or an unwanted barrier that increased the time taken to get to a gift, hopefully found the recent Gold Boxes in Asia auction something of an education. Hosted by Christie’s Hong Kong, it was the first time the house had staged a sale solely dedicated to such remarkable receptacles.

Top of the bill was a bejewelled, enamelled automatic snuff music box. Dating back to the 19th century and created by Guidon, Gide & Blondet, one of the most celebrated of Swiss goldsmiths, it ultimately sold for HK$2.25 million. It was, however, just one of 75 lots on offer, all of which consisted of jewelled gold boxes of exceptional provenance, with most of themmade by the finest craftsmen of 18th / 19th century Europe.

Commenting on the success of the event, David McLachlan, Head of Christie’s Gold Boxes Department, said: “We previously only sold gold boxes through our Geneva office, but we’ve now extended this service to Hong Kong and Shanghai. This is largely because such items are now widely in demand across Asia.”

Rock and Scroll: Ancient Chinese scroll by Su Shi smashes auction record

A crucial chunk of classical Chinese history resurfaced during Christie’s Hong Kong’s recent Beyond Compare: A Thousand Years of the Literati Aesthetic auction, when an ancient Chinese scroll – Wood and Rock by Su Shi, an 11th century Chinese statesman and poet – came up for sale. It eventually went for more than HK$463 million (US$59 million), making it the most expensive object ever sold by Christie’s in Asia.

For those still stunned by the price tag, a little background information may make it a little more digestible. Su Shi – a writer, poet, painter, calligrapher and statesman – was, arguably, the single most important political and literary figure of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), a man who undoubtedly hugely enriched Chinese culture with his paintings, poems, essays and travelogues.

The scroll in question is said to be one of the great artist’s more mature works and depicts withered trees, grotesque rock formations and stormy seas all across an expansive of 27.2cm x 543cm canvas. Crucially testifying to its provenance, there is also an accompanying calligraphy courtesy of Mi Fu, a renowned painter and calligrapher himself, and a contemporary of Su Shi.

Mane Attraction: Lion emerald gets pride of place from Zambian mine

It was in October last year that word started to spread around Kagem, a Zambian emerald mine, that something truly sensational had been uncovered. That ‘something sensational’ turned out to be Inkalamu, a giant 5,655-carat emerald that stunned the haute joaillerie world with its size and clarity when it came up for sale at a Gemfields emerald auction in Singapore a few months later.

Fittingly, its name – Inkalamu – was taken from the local word for ‘lion’ and was chosen specifically to honour the internationally-recognised work the Zambian government has done to preserve the country’s dwindling lion population. Sadly, the gem itself is unlikely to enjoy a similar level of protection, with plans already in place to divide the lion emerald into a number of smaller jewels.

This, however, is not the first time that Kagem has surrendered a stone of such remarkable size and quality. Early in 2010, Gemfields uncovered a massive 6,225-carat emerald, which was catalogued as Insofu – ‘elephant’ in the local Bemba dialect – on account of its immense bulk. The mine, however, is seen as far from played out, with Zambia now regarded as the world’s principal supplier of new emeralds.