With thanks to all our readers and supporters for a wonderful year, we wish you all a happy and safe festive season surrounded by family and friends.

We look forward to bringing you more, next year, from the artists behind the art.

Issue 14, on sale, February 2011.

Damien Hurst with White Cube

Today Artist Profile continued their tour of the 2010 Hong Kong International Art Fair. In its third year and with an increased participation from international galleries, the fair hosts a large and varying array of artists on exhibition. On the floor, works by Damien Hirst sit alongside pieces by collaborative artist duo Gilbert & George. A collage of eastern and western art hangs amongst one another. A mixture of genre, mediums, styles and outputs comes together in what can only be described as an overwhelming visual – and at times audible – sensation.

For the Australian artists and their gallery representation, the fair is an opportunity to extend their international profile as the international art world is, quite obviously, focusing its attention on who is here and what they’re doing – be they from Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Berlin, London, Melbourne or Sydney (to name but a few cities branded for their lively art scenes).

Sam Leach, Penny Byrne, Alexander Seton, Darren Sylvester + Marc De Jong with SSFA

On exhibition at ART HK10 are some of Artist Profile’s favourite artists. Showing with Sullivan + Strumpf Fine Art is 2010 Archibald prize winner Sam Leach, marble fiend Alexander Seton and ceramic conservator come political activist Penny Byrne. Each artist has produced a new body of work to show here in Hong Kong. From Melbourne, ISSUE 11 cover artist Brook Andrew has completed a new series of belgian linen, gold reflective canvases inscribed with text extracts taken from library archives as he attempts to reveal the truths of unspoken stories from our past. These works hang alongside the paintings of Tim Maguire in the Tolarno Galleries stand.

Brook Andrew, Tim Maguire, Patricia Piccinini + Rosemary Laing with Tolarno Galleries

Hitesh Natalwala has proven a favourite in GBK’s stand, with his vibrantly colourful gouache on paper works, who is exhibiting with 2009 Venice Biennale representatives for Australia Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healy who have created images of nuclear explosions with corkboards and pins. Dani Marti has woven a golden delight for the BREENSPACE stand with three large woven portraits created by a gilt of golden materials. These simply glow next to the light boxes of Gary Carsley who has recreated images of the Hong Kong Botanic Gardens.

Bill Henson, Dale Frank, Fiona Foley + Imants Tillers with Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery

On a darker palette, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery has brought over both landscape and portrait works by Bill Henson from his current exhibition in Sydney.  GRANTPIERRIE allows Lionel Bawden to bursts off the walls with his coloured pencil sculpture creations while Raafat Ishak, represented by Sutton Galleries, shows 2D geometric works on board that give the illusion of 3D. Mori Gallery, arguably the most minimal stand in the entire fair, has installed Susan Norrie’s latest video piece SHOT which adorns the dimly lit white walls. And, by contrast, Conny Dietzschold has filled her space with sculptures of Robert Schad and Julia Davis’s beautiful metallic stones.

As David Elliott said in his opening address for this year’s Sydney Biennale, “Something’s cookin’ down here” referring to Australia and its art scene. If the artists who are exhibiting here in Hong Kong, holding their own amongst some of the – arguably – best of the contemporary art world, are to go by then David Elliott is spot on. Something is cooking and it smells good.

The 2010 Honk Kong International Art Fair kicked off last night to much fanfare and a throng of crowds – artists, curators, collectors and galleriest amongst everyday art lovers – from around the world. The fair, in its third year, has grabbed the attention of the international art world as it plays host to some of the most respected galleries and their represented artists from all corners of the globe.

Participating galleries include London’s White Cube, New York’s James Cohan Gallery and Galerie Urs Meile of both Beijing and Lucerne.  Sitting along side these galleries are some of Australia’s heavy weights who clearly see this fair as the foray into a market perfect for their artists as they increase their profiles to an international scale. Returning for their second or third times, BREENSPACE, Conny Dietzschold Gallery, GBK, GRANTPIERRIE and Mori Galleries have all been joined by first timers Roslyn Oxley9, Sullivan + Strumpf Fine Art, Sutton Galleries and Tolarno Galleries.

Many eyes are watching over this emerging fair and, by all accounts, it’s impressed both exhibitors and visitors alike. Stay tuned for more in depth stories of our time here at the 2010 Hong Kong International Art Fair.

Catching the Moment ; Each Step is the Past. Courtesy 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art

4A PRESENTS Catching the Moment; Each Step is the Past, an exhibition of major new work by Thai-Australian artist Phaptawan Suwannakudt.

Catching the Moment; Each Step is the Past is an ephemeral and poignant installation using silk and hand-woven fabric, layered
with delicate drawings and Thai texts. This exhibition includes a major new interactive work, Conversation Room. Two people are invited to sit at a table and work with lengths of shredded silk. The participants are connected through their actions with the silk but obscured by a veiled curtain. Working with the material in silence, participants are able to observe the implications of the other on their attempts to create their own space.

Exhibition Dates 21 May – 3 July 2010
Opening: 6-8pm Thursday 27 May 2010
To be opened by Tony Bond OAM Assistant Director, Curatorial and Head Curator International Art, Art Gallery of NSW
4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art
181-187 Hay St Sydney