Art Basel Hong Kong’s Special Sectors Were Thought Provoking Portals

Over the weekend, 240 galleries from 42 countries and territories exhibited work for the more than 91,000 visitors to Art Basel Hong Kong 2025. This edition marks a substantial rise in guests from last year’s five-day event, which saw 75,000 attendees, and the fair’s 2013 debut, which welcomed 60,000. Once again, more than half the galleries were based in the Asia-Pacific region, and 23 exhibitors made their Art Basel debut. Upon its conclusion, Art Basel reported strong sales figures—but of equal importance was the impactful curation of the fair’s special sectors.

A literal and figurative centerpiece to Art Basel Hong Kong, the Encounters sector, curated by Alexie Glass, presented 18 large-scale projects, more than half of which were developed specifically for the fair. These artistic interventions ranged from digital creations to totemic installations, textile pieces, and more. Among the thought provoking inclusions, Australian artist Gemma Smith’s triptych of painted works, together entitled “Shadow Paintings,” entranced with a Rothko-like exploration of color, and British artist Liam Gillick’s Perpetual Discussion Platform invited fairgoers to sit amidst a kaleidoscope of color.

In addition to Encounters, the Kabinett sector warranted attention for its 38 thematic projects, each orchestrated by one participating gallery. Within, attendees witnessed 21 solo or collaborative presentations from Asia-Pacific artists and 15 drawn from elsewhere around the world. Highlights ranged from Kwon Dea Sup and Kim Hong Joo’s interpretations of the traditional Korean moon jar to Ju Ting’s riveting, textural fusion of painting and sculpture, and Alec Egan’s marriage of vivid floral still lifes and meditative landscapes.

Parallel to the spirit of the special sectors, many other booths intended to transport viewers beyond the walls of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, including P21 Gallery’s presentation of Korean artist Shin Min, who won the fair’s 2025 MGM Discoveries Art Prize, aimed at honoring emerging artists. The installation, entitled Ew! There is hair in the food!!, probed the feelings she experienced while working low-wage service jobs through paper sculptures and figurative drawings. Elsewhere, conceptual artist Mak2 asked attendees to play his virtual gold-digging video game, Home Sweet Home Backyard, in Hong Kong–based gallery De Sarthe’s room draped in gold.