Art Basel Hong Kong: Highlights from the Echoes Section 2024

Art Basel Hong Kong opened its doors this week, showcasing a curated selection of contemporary art and offering a snapshot of emerging galleries and artists. A new section, dubbed “Echoes,” is dedicated to works created within the past five years, presented by galleries from around the globe, according to reporting from The Art Newspaper.

Hyun Nahm’s Miniature Worlds

Korean artist Hyun Nahm’s work, Whistle, fuses classical East Asian aesthetics with a heavily technological approach. The piece, as described by The Art Newspaper, embodies the concept of chukgyeong—the miniaturisation of vastness—using epoxy, cement, and polystyrene to represent digital consumption, telecommunication infrastructure, and global hyperconnectivity. The artwork aims to encapsulate the immensity of the contemporary world on a smaller scale.

Leelee Chan’s Mystic Sculptures

Hong Kong-based artist Leelee Chan’s latest sculptural intervention, presented jointly by Berlin’s Klemm’s and Capsule Shanghai, delves into mystic iconography and urban decay. The Art Newspaper reports the work is a geometric wall relief in black, accented with amber-coloured glass panes and plant forms, resembling a relic from both the ancient and futuristic worlds.

Data and Abstraction: Tiffany Chung’s Global Spice Trade

Vietnamese American artist Tiffany Chung’s work at Max Estrella’s booth centers around an embroidered map depicting the historical routes of the global spice trade. According to The Art Newspaper, Chung’s work transforms data and statistics into a visually compelling representation of connections between cultures, culinary traditions, commerce, and migration.

Kei Imazu’s Cybernetic Surrealism

The work of Kei Imazu, showcased by Double Q Gallery, blends digital experimentation with painting, according to The Art Newspaper. Her pieces feature geometric abstraction, emphasizing a painterly approach and tackling socio-ecological issues in Indonesia and the colonial history of Japan.

Cian Dayrit’s Palimpsestic Exploration

London’s Flowers Gallery presents the work of Filipino artist Cian Dayrit, described by The Art Newspaper as “palimpsestic.” His installation, Despatch, explores themes of reuse and the impact of colonialism, utilizing tapestry and sculpture.

Lewis Hammond’s Anxieties of Contemporary Life

Berlin-based English artist Lewis Hammond, represented by Arcadia Missa and Christian Andersen, presents dark and hazy paintings that aim to expose the anxieties of contemporary life. The Art Newspaper notes the work features shadowy figures and mysterious imagery, reflecting a sense of unease and uncertainty about the modern world.

Art Basel Hong Kong director Patrick Jeanneret lauded the fair’s public programme, stating that “people don’t expect it,” according to a report in Monocle. The fair continues through March 29th.