Fine Art Asia will be collaborating with London-based art fair Masterpiece in a long-term partnership. The Masterpiece Pavilion will be launched at Fine Art Asia as part of this year’s edition, which takes place from 4 – 7 October at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Meanwhile, Fine Art Asia will also present a showcase at Masterpiece London in June 2019. The two fairs have collaborated in the past—in 2013, Masterpiece London hosted a similar selling exhibition at the fair, titled Hong Kong Pavilion: Asian Treasures, and the following autumn took a similar concept, European Treasures, to Fine Art Asia.
The Masterpiece Pavilion will bring Masterpiece’s established vision of cross-collecting to an Asian audience, complementing Fine Art Asia, and strengthening Hong Kong’s offering as an international art centre through its unique contribution. Masterpiece's international expansion efforts have long been anticipated since receiving an investment from Art Basel parent company MCH Group.
The Masterpiece Pavilion at Fine Art Asia 2019 intends to occupy a large enough space that hosts around 25 exhibitors in individual stands, with some pairing up. Masterpiece’s managing director, Lucie Kitchener, said that “it is not a fair within a fair, it is very much an event within Fine Art Asia. The Masterpiece Pavilion will have its own identity but it is part of Fine Art Asia.”
Andy Hei, Founder & Director of Fine Art Asia, said "Hong Kong is an international city with a truly free trade port. The art market in Hong Kong continues to develop apace, with support from the government and creative initiatives by the industry. Therefore, a collaboration between two leading international fine art fairs such as Masterpiece and Fine Art Asia is appropriate for Hong Kong now and we are confident it will be mutually beneficial.”
Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, CEO of MCH Group, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Masterpiece in bringing its cross-collecting ethos to new locations internationally, beginning this October with its first event in Hong Kong. This is an exciting first step in Masterpiece’s international expansion, which is one of MCH Group’s key strategic initiatives.”
About Fine Art Asia
Fine Art Asia is the pioneer of art fairs in Hong Kong. Founded in 2006 by well-known antique Chinese furniture dealer Andy Hei to provide a vibrant new platform in Hong Kong for the art world in Asia and worldwide, the inaugural edition of Fine Art Asia was the first international art fair in Hong Kong in more than a decade. To date, a total of 14 fairs have been successfully staged in Hong Kong. Fine Art Asia is recognised worldwide and has gained a reputation for quality and value in the international art world. In 2015, Andy Hei also founded Ink Asia, the world’s first international art fair dedicated to ink art. In 2018, Ink Asia was held together with Fine Art Asia for the first time, adding to the range of artworks on offer.
Fine Art Asia 2019 will be held from 4 – 7 October 2019, with a preview on 3 October.
About Masterpiece London
Founded in 2010, Masterpiece London enters its tenth year at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Held in a bespoke marquee inspired by Sir Christopher’s Wren Royal Hospital Chelsea; 160 international exhibitors present exceptional works for sale for new and established collectors to discover. The Fair integrates exhibitors from every major market discipline, demonstrating how different works of art can be combined in a stimulating way, and introducing visitors to disciplines and periods of art, they might otherwise not encounter.
Masterpiece London 2019 will take place from 27 June to 3 July 2019, with a preview on 26 June.