Ahead of Hong Kong Art Week 2025, Patrick Sun, the founder of the Sunpride Foundation, shares his top tips on navigating the city and its fairs.
As the founder of the Sunpride Foundation, which uses art to advance LGBTQ rights across Asia, Patrick Sun is one of the most prominent members of the Hong Kong art scene. Since it was founded in 2014, the foundation has since organised acclaimed LGBTQ exhibitions across Asia, such as Myth Makers in Hong Kong’s Tai Kwun Contemporary in 2022 and Spectrosynthesis at Taipei’s Museum of Contemporary Art in 2017. A forthcoming exhibition with Art Sonje Centre in Seoul is in the works for 2026.
Sun’s passion for collecting began in 1980 when working on a project on Hollywood Road led him to became acquainted with the local galleries. Although he started out with Chinese art, he’s been collecting contemporary art since 2014. Today, Sun is also a member of the Tate’s Asia-Pacific Acquisition Committee, the Guggenheim’s Asian Art Circle, and the M+ Council for New Art.
Ahead of Art Week 2025, Patrick Sun shares his tips on the top exhibitions to visit this year, the best bars to be seen at and the one thing a visitor can’t leave without seeing.
Hello, Patrick! How are you feeling ahead of Art Week 2025? A thrilling mix of excitement and anticipation – the abundance of social and cultural events can be overwhelming, but it’s without a doubt the best time for art lovers to be in Hong Kong.
How would you describe the energy of Hong Kong Art Week? Hong Kong Art Week is a vibrant celebration of creativity and culture, where the city buzzes with artistic energy. It’s a dazzling showcase of global and local talent, highlighting Hong Kong’s thriving art scene and its role as a dynamic cultural bridge between East and West.
What shows are you most looking forward to seeing? I’m really looking forward to seeing Sin Wai Kin’s new solo exhibition at Blindspot Gallery titled The Times of Our Lives and Picasso for Asia: A Conversation presented by M+, marking the first time a museum collection from Asia is in dialogue with masterpieces from Musée National Picasso-Paris.
At Art Central or Art Basel fairs, are there any galleries, artists or talks you’re most looking forward to seeing/should be on someone’s radar? I look forward to meeting Aki Sasamoto and Charmaine Poh, two brilliant artists whose works are in our collection but I’ve never met in person. I’m also curious about this program at Art Basel’s Conversations: “How to succeed as an artist in Asia today”.
What’s your biggest piece of advice to someone visiting the fairs for the first time? ‘Pace yourself’ – planning ahead helps, but taking breaks is equally important. After all, it is as much about enjoying the experience as it is about the art itself.
Where’s your favourite place to get a drink during Art Week? Argo and Artefact both have excellent cocktails and ambience and are close enough to each other that you can visit both on the same day.
And eat? For fine dining, my favourite restaurant is WING, where traditional Chinese dishes are finessed with contemporary flourishes. For something local and unique to the city, try the roast goose at YAT LOK.
An art institution that should be on every visitor’s list? M+ for sure, but I wouldn’t want to miss out on JC Contemporary at Tai Kwun either.
The best place to discover emerging artists? Wong Chuk Hang is a creative haven in Hong Kong, where galleries transformed from industrial spaces showcase emerging artists. It’s a laid-back, exploratory zone for discovering fresh talent and the city’s evolving art scene.
What’s something a visitor can’t leave without seeing? For first-time visitors, it’d have to be The Peak, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the city skyline, Victoria Harbour and the surrounding mountains.
What’s your favourite hotel in the city? Rosewood Hong Kong, famous for its signature luxe hospitality style against the stunning backdrop of Hong Kong Island’s skyline along the water.
Your happy place in the city? Home, with a view of the harbour that I never get tired of and great shopping spots just at my doorstep.
The best place to shop? Harbour City, a one-stop shopping paradise with over 400 shops and close to a hundred food and beverage outlets
Over the years, what have been your favourite memories of Hong Kong Art Week? It’s hard to choose, but a few favourites include watching new commissions of M+’s facade from the Star Ferry, being wowed by installations at the Encounters sector of Art Basel, and hosting friends from all over the world at my foundation’s exhibition or events.
Do you have any exciting projects coming up that you can share? Our team at Sunpride Foundation is thrilled to have recently announced the fourth edition of our groundbreaking queer art exhibition in Asia, set to take place in 2026. Following our shows in Taipei, Bangkok, and Hong Kong, the next chapter of this inspiring journey will unfold in Seoul. The exhibition will be presented in collaboration with the esteemed Art Sonje Center, further enriching the dialogue around queer art and culture in the region.
