Adrian Cheng is a leading figure in Hong Kong\u2019s art world. In 2008 he founded K11, a property business dedicated to \u201ccultural commerce\u201d\u2014and was responsible for developing the Victoria Dockside global art and cultural district, home to K11 MUSEA, on Hong Kong\u2019s harbourfront. In 2010 he set up the K11 Art Foundation to support Asian contemporary artists. He also chairs the Mega Arts and Cultural Events (Mega ACE) Fund, a Hong Kong government initiative to support international and large-scale arts and cultural events in the city.<\/p>\n
Ahead of this year\u2019s Art Basel Hong Kong we asked Cheng what are the key trends in Hong Kong\u2019s art scene to look out for.<\/p>\n
The Art Newspaper: What are your thoughts on this year\u2019s Art Basel Hong Kong and Art March? What are you most looking forward to?<\/p>\n
Adrian Cheng: March and April represent the pinnacle of our cultural calendar. The government\u2019s Hong Kong Mega 8 initiative brings together world-class events\u2014from Art Basel and Art Central to ComplexCon and the Hong Kong Sevens. This powerful synergy across art, sports and pop culture transforms the entire city into an extended exhibition space.<\/p>\n
Beyond the fairs, our ecosystem is supported by incredible momentum from major auction houses\u2014including Sotheby\u2019s, Christie\u2019s, Phillips and Poly Auction,\u00a0which is presenting major spring sales of Chinese antiquities and modern masterpieces. We are also seeing a wave of new gallery openings, such as Shanghai-based Antenna Space expanding to Wong\u00a0Chuk Hang, alongside 32 galleries participating at Art Basel for the first time.<\/p>\n
I am particularly excited by the calibre of international artists showing across the city. We have Mary Weatherford\u2019s luminous neon paintings at Gagosian, Nicole Eisenman\u2019s intimate scenes at Hauser & Wirth, and El Anatsui is making his Hong Kong debut with monumental bottle-cap installations at White Cube. This concentration of high-quality programming is drawing a truly global audience from the US, Europe and across Asia.<\/p>\n
What developments in the Hong Kong art scene are you watching this year?<\/p>\n
A compelling shift this year is the rapid maturation of the digital art landscape. We are seeing a surge in tech-driven programming, exemplified by Art Basel\u2019s Zero 10 initiative making its Asia debut, bringing digital era art directly onto the main show floor.<\/p>\n
The \u201cgreat wealth transfer\u201d is bringing a growing cohort of millennial and Gen Z collectors into the market, many emerging from the technology and fintech sectors. We are also seeing a strong pivot toward intra-regional buying, with collectors from Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia actively participating in the Hong Kong market.<\/p>\n
I see more collectors holding hybrid portfolios that combine physical works with digital editions. These individuals prioritise digital provenance, interactivity and algorithmic code, encouraging institutions to embrace more innovative ways of presenting art.<\/p>\n
What has the Mega ACE Fund been up to this year? What projects should we keep an eye\u00a0out for?<\/p>\n
The Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund operates with a careful mandate to nurture a balanced cultural ecosystem. Since its inception, we have thoughtfully evaluated and approved funding for over 20 diverse projects, representing a commitment of nearly HK$200m [$26m] to the city\u2019s creative sectors.<\/p>\n
With the fund\u2019s backing, the 11th edition of Art Central expanded significantly, bringing together 117 leading galleries and over 500 artists. We supported major public programmes, such as Kaitlyn Hau\u2019s Recursive Feedback Ritual 0.01 and the Yi Tai waterfront installations, strengthening Hong Kong\u2019s curatorial voice globally.<\/p>\n
We also support dynamic platforms like the third edition of ComplexCon, which featured over 100 international brands and 30 world-class performances\u2014including Yeat and BLACKPINK\u2019s Jennie. By strategically backing these varied initiatives, we stimulate the broader \u201cmega event economy\u201d, driving positive spillover effects for tourism and local retail.<\/p>\n
How has the fund adjusted alongside the journey to evolve from its early years? How do you strike a balance between critical value and crowd appeal?<\/p>\n
Over the years, the fund has evolved from reactive event sponsorship to a more proactive role in building cultural \u201csoft infrastructure\u201d. We view culture not merely as decoration, but as a core driver of urban growth. We now think holistically about how each supported event contributes to the broader ecosystem and strengthens Hong Kong\u2019s international cultural diplomacy.<\/p>\n
I believe critical value and crowd\u00a0appeal are not in tension\u2014they are mutually reinforcing. Large-scale events with broad public\u00a0appeal help democratise access to art, drawing new audiences into the fold, while providing the platform and resources for more niche, critically rigorous programming to thrive.<\/p>\n
From Art Central\u2019s contemporary depth to ComplexCon\u2019s pop-culture resonance, Hong Kong tells its cultural story with diversity and openness. Because of our vibrant ecosystem, Hong Kong\u2019s \u201cSuper March\u201d is not just a momentary event but a sustained energy, showing the world that Hong Kong is a city of boundless creativity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Adrian Cheng is a leading figure in Hong Kong\u2019s art world. In 2008 he founded K11, a property…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38593,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[16134,77,3260,3827],"class_list":{"0":"post-38592","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basel","8":"tag-art-basel-hong-kong-2026","9":"tag-basel","10":"tag-hong-kong","11":"tag-interview"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/116290262792531775","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38592"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38592\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}