Asia Society Art Gala Launches Art Basel Hong Kong

More than four hundred of the world’s most distinguished collectors, curators, gallerists and dignitaries gathered this evening to honour four exceptional contemporary artists at the Asia Society’s second annual Art Gala, hosted by Dr. Melissa Chiu at their spectacular Hong Kong Center. Kicking off Art Basel in Hong Kong, the evening celebrated world-renowned artistsBharti Kher, Liu Guosong, Takashi Murakami and Zhang Xiaogang for their extraordinary contributions to contemporary art in Asia. Guests were also treated to a private viewing of the first major solo exhibition of Xu Bing’s work in Hong Kong, currently on display th rough 31 August 2014.
 
Notable guests included artists Li Song Song, Mariko Mori, Michael Joo and Song Dong. International collectors attended including Deddy Kusama, Maggie Tsai and Alexandra Prasetio. Gallerists included Jean-Pierre Lehman, Emmanuel Perrotin, Arne Glimcher, Jane Lombard and Lisa Carlson, and Marcia Levine. Supporters of Asia Society included Robert & Chantal Miller, Hal & Ruth Newman, Mitch Julis, and Richard Elman. Other guests included actress Lynn Hsieh, Director of Art Basel, Marc Spiegler, Managing Director of Christie’s Asia, Rebecca Wei, and Curator of UBS Art Collection, Stephen McCoubrey. The night’s honourees were recognized with a special presentation by their long-time advocates: Dr. Melissa Chiu for Bharti Kher;&nb sp;Dr. Y eewan Koon for Liu Guosong; Dr. Benjamin Genocchio for Takashi Murakami; and Michelle Yun for Zhang Xiaogang.
 
Melissa Chiu, Director of Asia Society Museum in New York and Senior Vice President for Global Arts and Cultural Programs for Asia Society, commented: “We were delighted to have the unique opportunity to honour such exceptional artists as Bharti Kher, Liu Guosong, Takashi Murakami and Zhang Xiaogang at the Asia Society Art Gala this year. This annual event, now in its second edition, was established to recognize and celebrate artists who have had an unprecedented influence on the contemporary art scene, particularly in Asia. It is a pleasure to give prominence to their remarkable achievements and to continue to create awareness for contemporary Asian art, building on the foundations of the past two decades.”

In New York, Chiu has implemented a number of major initiatives at the Asia Society Museum, including the establishment of a contemporary art collection to complement the museum’s renowned holdings of traditional Asian art, gifted to the Society by Mr. and Mrs. Rockefeller 3rd. The Art Gala is among the many ways Asia Society Museum is putting a spotlight on artists in Asia for nearly twenty years, and is one of the pioneering institutions in this field.
 
Photo:  THIS YEAR’S HONOUREES FEATURED BHARTI KHER, LIU GUOSONG, TAKASHI MURAKAMI AND ZHANG XIAOGAN OTHER ARTISTS IN ATTENDANCE WERE LI SONG SONG, MARIKO MORI, MICHAEL JOO & SONG DONG

Tags

,