If you love your Picassos but live like Van Gogh, the Affordable Art Fair might be your kind of viewing. Returning for its 12th edition from May 22 to 25 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the annual event has never been shy about its mission to democratise the art world. This year’s theme, “I Am an Art Collector”, drives that message home with 98 exhibitors from across the globe, all showing artworks priced under HK$100,000.
With representation from Australia, Britain, France, South Korea, South Africa, the United States and more, there’s a world of relatively wallet-friendly art to tickle your visual fancy. Hong Kong’s own scene is well represented, with the likes of Oi Ling Gallery’s contemporary ink artists who blend tradition and modernity, and Laurence Lai Gallery’s art photography that so aptly captures the city’s urban pulse.
Beyond the gallery booths, the fair’s Special Projects section features six units exploring themes of connection, identity and the fusion of tradition with modernity. Among the highlights is Li Shudan’s Fruit Market, an installation featuring 365 hand-carved wooden fruits that visitors can “adopt” for HK$1,000, blending playful market vibes with thoughtful symbolism.
Meanwhile, The ATM Project, by Jackie Case, features a cheeky take on art and commerce, where visitors purchase a “credit card” for HK$300, write a drawing idea on the back, insert the card into the “ATM” and receive a live sketch from the artist, who is hidden inside the installation.
One of the fair’s stand-outs will be the Auntie Angel Store, a nostalgic homage to Hong Kong’s beloved “士多 (si do)” tuck shops. Artist Angel Hui Hoi-kiu assumes the role of shopkeeper, transforming the elements that form a familiar neighbourhood hub into an all-encompassing ceramic art experience.
Continuing its tradition as a British-born enterprise, the fair will partner with the British consulate to present the GREAT Art zone. Curated by local artist Wong Ka-ying, this section celebrates British creativity with a selection from the British Council’s 9,000-piece art collection.
And amid the recent hubbub around the new Kai Tak Stadium, the Hong Kong Design Institute will present an exhibition, titled “Century of Glory – Kai Tak”, bringing together 20 artworks by teachers and students from its higher diploma in illustration design programme, to cast a new light on one of Hong Kong’s most endearing urban legacies.
