Launch of Art Central Cements Hong Kong as One of the World's Leading Art Hubs

HONG KONG, Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong's Art Week will reach new heights in 2015 with the launch of the inaugural Art Central, the first satellite fair of international standards to be staged in Hong Kong. From 14 to 16 March 2015, Art Central will welcome the art-loving Hong Kong public alongside an international audience of buyers, curators and art enthusiasts to a vibrant and fresh new event in the Art Week calendar. Art Central is timed to complement Art Basel and the growing popularity of Hong Kong Art Week, positioning the city firmly as one of the world's leading art hubs.

Mock-up of Art Central tent on the Hong Kong Central Harbourfront

Art Central takes place on the new Central Harbourfront in a 10,000 square metre temporary structure, the likes of which have not been seen in Hong Kong before. This enviable location on Victoria Harbour will make a bold statement on the Hong Kong skyline.

Art Central is brought to Hong Kong by the team behind ART HK, which went on to become today's Art Basel. Tim Etchells, Sandy Angus and Will Ramsay, founders of ART HK, and Charles Ross who was Managing Director of ART HK will be overseeing the new fair. In combination they deliver a wealth of experience and a thorough understanding of the demands of staging a sophisticated art fair from their previous fairs which are staged around the world.

Art Central will be headed by Fair Co-Directors Eve Share Banghart and Maree Di Pasquale who bring impressive global art fair experience to the team.  Eve Share Banghart joined ART HK in 2009 and went on to become Gallery and Project Manager for Art Basel. Maree Di Pasquale is the former Melbourne Art Fair Assistant Director, having previously worked on the launch of Sydney Contemporary.

Maree Di Pasquale says, "We are hugely excited to be launching Art Central. Not only does the fair provide further reason for collectors to come into town during Art Week, as it will complement their Art Basel experience, it also invites Hong Kong's art loving public to engage with museum quality works. We will be showcasing the next generation of talent alongside the most established contemporary galleries and art spaces from around the world in the most prominent satellite fair Hong Kong has ever seen."

"Satellite fairs are an integral part of Art Week in global art hubs such as London, Paris and Miami. Art Central lifts Hong Kong Art Week to an international standard; we're getting ready to rival the world's best," said Eve Share Banghart.

Art Central will feature over 70 galleries from Asia Pacific and the world, and will present contemporary work from both established artists and a range of newer talent. The fair has a dedicated emerging section entitled 'Rise' which will showcase both solo and dual artist presentations from spaces launched in the last five years.

Art Central has appointed an impressive gallery selection committee comprised of Ethan Cohen of Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, New York; Conny Dietzschold of Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney and Cologne; Angela Li of Contemporary by Angela Li, Hong Kong; and Christa Schubbe of Schubbe Inc., Dussledorf.

Stiff & Trevillion, award winning London architect firm and former architects of ART HK, have been appointed fair architects. 

The fair experience for Art Central will be completed by an ambitious programme of talks and panel discussions devised and presented by The Asia Society Hong Kong Center. Staged daily, the programme will provide a means for visitors to directly engage with some of the leading artistic trends and curatorial practices of contemporary art in Asia and beyond, including a panel discussion on contemporary ink art.

Managing Director of Art Central, Charles Ross says, "We are thrilled to be launching the next big thing in the Hong Kong art calendar. Timed to coincide with Art Basel and the growing popularity of Hong Kong Art Week which annually attracts over 65,000 fairgoers, Art Central positions the city firmly within the first rank of global art destinations".

Full Details of exhibitors and the supporting programme will be announced in early 2015.

Notes to Editors

Opening times

VIP Preview: Friday 13 March, 11am - 6pm
(before Art Basel opens for their VIP Preview at 6pm)
Saturday 14 March - Sunday 15 March: 11am - 7pm
Monday 16 March: 11am - 5pm

Art Central Management Team

Fair Co-Directors:

Fair Co-Director, Eve Share Banghart worked in London at Gagosian Gallery before moving to Hong Kong in 2009 and joining ART HK. Subsequent to the sale of ART HK, Eve became a central figure in the development of the Art Basel team in Hong Kong as Gallery and Project Manager.

Fair Co-Director, Maree Di Pasquale previously worked as Assistant Director of the Melbourne Art Fair and the first edition of Sydney Contemporary.  She has also worked with TDIC on Abu Dhabi Art Fair and the Saadiyat Island Cultural District museums project.

Board of Directors:

Tim Etchells, Sandy Angus, Will Ramsay and Charles Ross together founded ART HK in 2008. The Fair quickly became a major fixture of the international art world, prior to Art Basel acquiring the Fair in 2011.

Tim Etchells went on subsequently to found Art13 London and Sydney Contemporary in 2013. He has also managed and operated Melbourne Art Fair since 2014.

Sandy Angus is a Director of India Art Fair and co-founded Istanbul's newest art fair, ArtInternational in 2013. He co-founded Art13 London and in 2014 founded Photo Shanghai, the first international art fair dedicated to photography in Asia-Pacific.

Will Ramsay is the founder of the PULSE Art Fairs which are staged annually in New York and Miami.  He is a Director of India Art Fair and also founder of the Affordable Art Fairs, which are staged in a variety of cities across the world.

Art Central Managing Director, Charles Ross was also Managing Director of ART HK since the fair's inception in 2007. He played a pivotal role in ART HK's collaboration with Art Basel, and has been Managing Director of Art13 London since its inception.

Selection Committee:

Ethan Cohen, New York
Conny Dietzschold, Sydney
Angeli Li, Hong Kong.
Christa Schubbe, Dusseldorf

Follow Art Central

http://www.artcentralhongkong.com
Facebook:  /artcentralhk
Instagram: /artcentralhongkong
Twitter: /artcentralhk

Media Contacts

For more information, please contact Sinclair Communications at +852-2915-1234:
Jessica Playford | jessica@sinclairasia.com | +852-6313-6015
Susan Riza | susan@sinclairaisa.com | +852-9232-4727

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150106/8521500053