Prestigious Art Basel comes to Asia

New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) Art Basel, the premier international annual show of modern and contemporary art in the Swiss town of Basel, has announced its first edition in Hong Kong May 23-26 next year.

In a statement Tuesday, its organisers said Magnus Renfrew, who led the prestigious Art Hong Kong, has been appointed as Art Basel's Asia director.

Anettee Schonholzer and Marc Spiegler, the directors of Art Basel in Switzerland, will continue to develop Art Basel's global activities through three annual shows and further projects.

The organisers said as a member of Art Basel's executive board, Renfrew will lead Art Basel's edition in Hong Kong and spearhead its activities in Asia.

The Art Basel show in Asia will present more than 250 of the leading galleries from Asia, Europe, America and the rest of the world, selected by a newly-formed committee.

More than 2,000 artists, ranging from young emerging artists to the modern masters from both Asia and the west will be represented in the show's multiple sectors.

The exhibition will include the highest quality of paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs, video and editioned works from the 20th and 21st centuries from Asia and the rest of the world.

Founded in 1970, Art Basel hosts the world's premier art shows for modern and contemporary works in Basel, Switzerland, and Miami Beach in Florida. With the addition of the Hong Kong show, Art Basel will be active in three major regions - Asia, Europe and the Americas, they said.

Annette Schonholzer, co-director of Art Basel, said he was delighted to launch a new Art Basel show in Asia.

'Art Basel has been observing the phenomenal growth in the art scene in Asia for years. This new show aspires to play a central role in creating new bridges between the Western art scene and the rapidly emerging contemporary art scene throughout Asia,' Schonholzer said.