THEASIACONTEMPORARYARTSHOWRETURNSFORITS10THEDITIONNEXTSPRING

UnveilingImportantNewFeaturesattheFirstEventinHongKongArtWeek

HongKong,Tuesday,November 29th,2016:Welcomingmorethan80galleries fromAsiaandthe world, including up-and-coming and mid-career artists, the 10th edition of the AsiaContemporaryArtShowwilltakeplacefromMarch17to20,2017,attheconvenientlylocatedConradHong Kong. The Spring editionwill be the first art fair toopen itsdoors to collectorsduringHongKongArtWeek,beginningwithaninvitation-onlyVIPCollectorsPreviewonFridayeveningMarch17andcontinuingwithgeneraladmissionovertheweekendandonMonday.

"HappyThoughts"byGerricoBlanco,GalleriaCamaya,Philippines,Room4023

"ABOVE/ChaterGardens"byMartinLever,HongKong,Room4317

The 10th edition will host galleries from 17 countries, and introduces two new features,China Perspectives and Artist Projects. Spread across the Show, China Perspectives willpresentacollectionofcontemporaryartfromnewandemergingChineseartists,whileArtistProjectswilldedicate30artspacesacrosstwofloorstosoloorjointartistpresentations.ChinaPerspectivesandArtistProjectswillofferamore thematically focusedandhands-onviewing experience for visitors.With easily identifiable galleries showcasing works in theChinese contemporary artgenre,buddingcollectorswillbeable to addworks frommanyemerging artists to their collections. Similarly, new and repeat visitors will have theopportunity to engagewith artists and learn about their creative journeys, an experienceuniquetotheAsiaContemporaryArtShow.

ShowDirectorMarkSaundersonremarkedthatafter10editions,theShowisfirmlyanchoredinHongKong’sartscene.“Asyou’dexpect, there’sa lotofanticipationbeingthefirstart fair tokick-offHongKongArtWeekinthecity’s‘arttriangle’thatincludesArtBaselandArtCentral.Artfairshavecertainlybecometheartexperienceofchoice,providingawelcomingenvironmenttogatherandtalkaboutart,aswellasaplacetodiscoverandbuyuniqueworks,”headded.“According to the independent visitor survey conducted after our most recent Show inSeptember,some20%wishtodeveloptheirownartcollection.Ourshowaimstonurturethisnextgenerationofcollectorswhowillincreasinglyimpacttheartmarket.There’salsoagrowingswathofinterestedartenthusiastswho,althoughtheybuylessoften,aredrawntoworksfromestablishedartists,andarethereforewillingtospendmore.Anexamplethatcomestomindisfromour Fall showwhere a collectorbought several pieces fromone artist including one forover HK$200,000.With the strongest primary and secondary artmarket in the region, HongKongremainstheprincipalmarketmakerforartsellersandseasonedandyoungercollectors.”

"LifeIsanObstacleRace"byYoonkyungKim,GalleryiLHO,SouthKorea,Room4205

China Perspectives presents a series of works by selected galleries, artists and artist collectives thatfollow inthetraditionoftheChinesecontemporaryartmovement.Artists inChinaaimedtoredefine,reinterpret andchallengeartisticnorms thatwereprevalentatend of theColdWar, questioning therapidsocialandeconomictransformationsthatwereoccurringinthecountryandaimingacriticaleyetowards the country’s dominant cultural and political environment. Within the collection will beexamplesofworksdoneinthePoliticalPopandCynicalRealiststyles,aswellasworksthatdemonstratethenewwaveintraditionalink,andothersthatblendtheWesternabstractstylewithChinesematerialsandaesthetic.

CHINAPERSPECTIVES

LIBAIMING,CHINA–BeijingCentralArtGallery,Room4307Trained in traditional Chinese ink andwatercolour,LiBaiming(b.1981)hasevolveda style that is uniquely his own. Redefiningand reinterpreting traditional norms into acontemporary perspective, Li’s series“Creation . Recreation . Metamorphosis”exemplifies the “newwave” of ink painting.The artist is learned in Chinese history,classical literature and poetry, drawing onthis knowledge to inspire a visual languageexceptional in colour, composition andinnovation.Hismastery of technique allowshim to express the subtleties of imagery,ranging frommajesticmountaintops to seasof delicate clouds with masterfulbrushstrokes effortlessly applied with inkandwatercolouracrossxuanpaper.

"SecretBeauty"byLiBaiming,BeijingCentralArtGallery,China,Room4307(Left)"LatentPower"byLiBaiming,BeijingCentralArtGallery,China,Room4307(Right)

DUHAIJUN,CHINA–Nancy’sGallery,Room4220Du Haijun (b.1978) represents the new generationof Chinese contemporary art, with works that arestatements on the social and economic issues thatform part of today’s new China. Having beenwitnesstoChina’srapideconomicdevelopment,hispaintings reflect the crowded urban life structuresthatnowexemplify themodernChinese cityscape.The artist narrates a story of congestion andmultiple layers of co-existence, of innumerablewindows sheltering thousandsof individual secretsand stories inapicturebookofcrumbled, chippedpaint that peers into the modern reality ofmegalopolitan life. Du Haijun graduated from theChinaCentralAcademyofFineArts."UmbrellasundertheWindows"byDuHaijun,Nancy'sGallery,

China,Room4220

LYDIAMOAWAD,LEBANON,Room4110A distinguished designer, illustrator and artprofessor,LydiaMoawad(b.1965)isconsideredone of the most renowned Lebanesecontemporary painters.Herworks are the fruitof long years of research, a journey that hasbroughthertofindherownaestheticlanguage.Theprocessofcreation ispartmeditation,partrevelation, bringing together body and spirit,dream and reality. As a curious andexperimental artist, Moawad uses a variety ofmaterials in her work, such as silk paper andoxidisedsheetsofcopper,combiningthesewithabstract symbols and words which give freeexpression to her creative spirit. Her worksdepict a universe of her own creation, rich inmemoriesandunexploredfeelings.

"Force"byLydiaMoawad,Lebanon,Room4110

ARTISTPROJECTS

Offering viewers the unique opportunity tomeet artists in person, Artist Projects brings artists fromaroundtheworldtoexhibitinasoloorjointpresentation.Spreadacrosstwofloors,thisnewfeaturewillbring narrative and context to life with the artist as storyteller, chronicling the accounts of whatmotivatesand inspirestheirworkandartisticpractice.Bybringingartistsandcollectorstogether inafamiliar, relaxed environment, Artist Projects will provide an ease of interaction and accessibility, afostering of engagementwith art and thosewho create it. For both artist and collector, it will be achancefordialogueandexchange.

SOUSKEONOIKE,JAPAN–SouskeArtProjects,Room4123Souske Onoike’s (b.1969) work focuses on abeauty almost whispered, reflected in theangelicfaces,elegantposesandshyglancesofhis subjects in the traditional, yet exquisite,kimono.Withtheaimofofferingtheviewerabit of glamour and the essence of his nativeJapan, the artist uses traditional techniquesandmaterial topresentuswith "Bijin-ga"–aterm for pictures of beautiful women inJapaneseart,especially inwoodblockprintingof the ukiyo-e genre. Onoike likes to add atwisttotheworks,makingthemaccessibletoforeignaudiences.Theartisthasexhibitedhiswork in Japan, South Korea, Australia andItaly.Heistherecipientofseveralawardsandhaspublishedmanyillustratedbooks.

"HutaHihiruver.2014-2Butterflies”bySouskeOnoike,SouskeArtProjects,Japan,Room4123

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EDITOR’SNOTE:AsiaContemporaryArtShow10thEditionConradHongKong,40–43floorsMarch17–20,2017OpeningHours:Invitation-OnlyVIPCollectorsPreviewFridayMarch17,4pm–9pmGeneralAdmissionSaturday,March18,12nn–9pmSunday,March19,12nn–8pmMonday,March20,12nn–6pmTickets:AdmissionticketswillgoonsaletwomonthspriortotheeventHK$220(admitstwoifpurchasedonline;admitsoneifpurchasedatthedoor)Freeadmissionforchildrenunder16yrsaccompaniedbyanadult.Buyticketsathttp://www.asiacontemporaryart.com/tickets/High-resimagesandinformationaredownloadablefrom:https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jxeoyr77uvjfk97/AADtCKzjaS5dU9hmSdawlkXsa?dl=0

UPCOMINGEVENTSThe 2nd edition of Singapore Contemporary and the inaugural presentation of Photo17Singapore,attheheartofSingaporeArtWeek,takesplaceJanuary19–22,2017,attheSuntecSingaporeConvention&ExhibitionCentre.