7 of the best Hong Kong art shows in 2020, from the Italian Renaissance to a Wan Chai pop-up

‘Botticelli and His Times’ took art lovers to another time and place with 42 paintings from the Renaissance era – and will still be around until February 24

Conceptual artist Francis Alÿs was one of few international names to make it to Hong Kong this year, putting on a show of past works and custom commissions

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“Botticelli and His Times – Masterworks from the Uffizi” was one of the few art shows that was not cancelled this year in Hong Kong because of the pandemic. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 3:15pm, 29 Dec 2020Updated: 1:36pm, 30 Dec 2020

Ever since Hong Kong became a global art hub, industry insiders have pondered the designation of the city, considering it more of a marketplace for art and doorway to Asia than a true hotbed of creativity.

In 2020, the pandemic all but eradicated travel and a packed art fair calendar saw events cancelled one after another. It’s been an interesting time to watch how Hong Kong’s art industry coped and pivoted. Here, we highlight seven of the best shows we saw this year.

“Botticelli and His Times – Masterworks from the Uffizi”, Hong Kong Museum of Art

In a year marked by a lack of travel opportunities, the exhibition “Botticelli and His Times”, mounted by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Uffizi Galleries, was a welcome trip to another land and another time.

Visitors browse the art at the “Botticelli and His Times – Masterworks from the Uffizi” exhibition. Photo: May Tse

Featuring 42 paintings from the Renaissance era, the show not only shines light on the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli but also features portraits and religious depictions by the likes of Filippo Lippi, Cosimo Rosselli, Pietro Perugino, Luca Signorelli and Biagio d’Antonio. Among the highlights is The Adoration of the Magi (1474-75), one of Botticelli’s most important paintings.

The exhibition continues until February 24, 2021, but the museum is currently closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. A live virtual tour of the exhibition will be held on December 31 between 3pm and 4pm (conducted in Cantonese).