To celebrate the opening of Art Basel: Hong Kong’s 2019 edition, The Standard Hotel partnered with Finnish chef Antto Melasniemi and Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija to host a Bastard Dinner—in tribute to the duo’s forthcoming cookbook that’s dedicated to “bastard cooking.” The rationale behind “bastard cooking” is that of friendship and multiculturalism, as Lola Kramer, the editor of the book describes, “the Bastard Cookbook is the illegitimate offspring of the union between Finnish chef Antto Melasniemi and Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija. There are many types of cookbooks, but this one comes from the union of two self-proclaimed ‘bastards’ from different backgrounds, countries and life experiences, who became friends through the imaginative space of cooking and the freedom that making art provides.” This type of collaboration, as well as the idea of coming together to celebrate, eat, drink and make art, is at the core of The Standard Hotel’s brand since the first hotel opened its doors in West Hollywood, Los Angeles in 1999.