Alice Wu

Opinion | More pandas are great, but let’s also grow Hong Kong as a city of art

While Hong Kong remains one of the world’s leading auction capitals, the worth of having a healthy arts scene must also be recognised

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A Sotheby’s art expert speaks in front of Chinese artist Chang Dai-chien’s masterpiece “The Giant Lotuses” in Hong Kong on September 13. At over 3 metres tall and 8 metres wide, it is the largest known work created by the artist. This was the first time it had been seen in Asia. Photo: AFP

Alice Wu

Published: 9:15am, 30 Sep 2024

Those of us who could tear our eyes away from Hong Kong’s new VIP (very important panda) arrivals and newborn twin cubs would have found the city’s arts scene highly attention-worthy in recent weeks.

One of the world’s largest auction houses, Christie’s, held its inaugural sales at its new Asia headquarters in The Henderson, the gleaming skyscraper in Central district designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, last week. To mark its move and expansion, the firm brought in some rarely seen masterpieces by the likes of Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet. These weren’t just a treat for art collectors in Hong Kong; they were a feast for the eyes for everyday people like me, too.

I had the chance to see the artworks up close at the preview, and all that beauty on display was so euphoric and uplifting that my Monday blues melted away and I walked out of the space with a lighter step. No wonder art is increasingly emerging as a form of therapy.

Around the same time, another auction giant, Sotheby’s, exhibited The Giant Lotuses, a six-panel ink masterpiece by Chang Dai-chien, in Central district.

This level of public access to the arts in Hong Kong is commendable, and entirely in keeping with our standing as an arts and cultural hub. Hong Kong remains one of the world’s four leading auction capitals, alongside New York, London and Paris.

In fact, the Hong Kong art market has generally been on an upward trajectory over the past decade, reaching a high of US$1.8 billion in 2021. For auction lots in the US$10 million-plus price bracket, Hong Kong’s sales volume increased fivefold, from US$90.6 million over the decade, beating both Paris and London in 2021.

Christie’s staff hold up “Les canots amarrés” by Vincent van Gogh, which sold at auction in Hong Kong on September 26. Photo: AFP