The month of May has been buzzing in anticipation of Asia’s premier art fair ArtHK 2012, the ticket sales, selling like hot pancakes, just proves our point. Riding on the art wave, Asia Tatler brings our list of all the top art fairs to visit this month.

Art HK 2012: Hong Kong’s Premier Art Fair

All eyes are on Asia’s largest art market this month as Art HK 2012 kicks off for the fifth year running on May 17, bringing in the very best contemporary art works by the world’s bigwig galleries and newcomers, all under the same roof. The four-day fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) welcomes 266 galleries representing 38 countries including 80 galleries that have never been seen before in Hong Kong.

Committed to offering a cross-cultural exchange, the fair will highlight Korean artist Juree Kim’s installation of clay houses, and a sculptural installation, Rest in Peace, developed by Iranian artist Mahmoud Bakhshi specifically for the fair. The sculpture comprises 16 coffins with the Iranian flag draped over it to draw attention to political and social issues, For more information, please visit www.hongkongartfair.com.

Christie’s Spring Auction Preview: Hidden Gem


Cloisonné Enamel Caparisoned Elephants

In the same venue as the Art HK event, auction house Christie’s Hong Kong will offer art aficionados a chance to truly embrace art through its annual Spring Highlights 2012 Tour which includes Chinese fine classical calligraphy, paintings and important. The Hong Kong spring auction preview takes place simultaneously with the spring auction itself from May 25 to May 30, should you want to get a sneak peek ahead of the auction, the Asian 20th Century & Contemporary Art section of the auction will be available for preview at Christie’s Hong Kong’s headquarters in Alexandra House in Central from May 18 to 20.

This year’s auction will include masterpieces from the Mandel Collection dating back to the Qing dynasty and the Qianlong period, a pair of cloisonné enamel caparisoned elephants, reputed to have once been in Winston Churchill personal collection. The auction will also feature some of the world’s rarest wines and timepieces for those interested in addition to exceptional classical and contemporary Asian paintings, ceramics and works of art by modern masters and cutting-edge artists. For more information, please visit www.christies.com.
 

ArteBA: A Cultural Fiesta

From May 18 to 22, galleries from Latin America, North America, and Europe will come together at the Convention Center La Rural in the city of Buenos Aires in Argentina to showcase over 800 contemporary artists at ArteBA.

Be prepared to enter the world of paintings, photographs, sculptures and videos with a festive approach in one of South America's most exciting cities. Not only will leading bank Banco Ciudad exhibit works by world-famous photographer Marcos López, but the art fair will also include 56 works by renowned Argentinian artists including Emilio Petorutti, Anotonio Berni, Xul Solar and Torres García. For more information, please visit www.arteba.org.

The Other Art Fair: A Fresh Start to a New Hobby

From the series Memoirs of Lost Time photography

Not quite the art connoisseur? It’s never too late to start and why not begin your art journey this weekend from May 10 to 13 at The Other Art Fair? The fair is the newest in London and will feature over 1000 artworks from unrepresented artists directly, with a starting price as low as HK$626. The 100 emerging artists who will exhibit at the event carefully selected by a committee of experts including internationally-acclaimed artist Chris Levine (who will be featured at The British Cut at Hong Kong’s The Cat Street Gallery).

Featured art pieces include the dreamlike photographic and literary expedition, Memoirs of Lost Time by fashion-inspired artists Vikram Kushwah and Trisha Sakhlecha. To gain an insight into art collecting, there are also curated walks covering topics such as ‘Buying your First Piece’ and ‘Investing in Art’. For more information, please visit: www.theotherartfair.com.

San Francisco Fine Art Fair: Picture Perfect

If you will be in the US on May 17, add a little post-war and contemporary art to your spring excursions with a trip down to Fort Mason Center, where the San Francisco Fine Art Fair docks a cosy boutique setting on the pier, with spectacular views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

This five-day event, beginning May 17, brings over 70 local and international galleries featuring paintings, works on paper, drawings and printed editions of fine art photography in addition to indoor and outdoor sculpture and glass art. Keep an eye out for Ken Kalman’s winged ride, Chariot of Fire, at the ArtBike exhibition. Other high-calibre fine art galleries included in the fair include ArtHaus’s first international mobile photo awards exhibition, Gallery M’s vintage and contemporary photograph collection and San Francisco Bay area’s very own Hang Art. Visit www.sffineartfair.com for more information.

The official hotel of Art HK, The Mandarin Oriental also has an artsy stay package for visitors going to the art fair.