Anything with the word “Internet” in it is still hot
Following the MoMA PS1 x K11 Pop-Up opening last night which featured many familiar faces (DIS, Alexandra Domanovic, Miao Ying Darren Bader, et al) and was of course titled “.com/.cn”, it appears that the “emerging” flavour of the month remains firmly in the hands of the “post-internet”. Sleek stalked ubercurator Hans Ulrich Obrist doing a VIP tour of the Art Basel Discoveries section (read: solo positions by young galleries) for an assortment of Givenchy-clad ladies. Stops, hearty handshakes and Swiss-German accented exclamations were heard at Project Native Informant (showing DIS Magazine’s Berlin Biennale 9 Promo videos, irony isn’t an art-world forte, clearly), and Societe, with Petra Cortright’s banal Rose paintings, Carlos Ishikawa showing Stuart Middleton and Evelyn Taocheng and finally Shanghai newbie gallery Bank with Lin Ke’s desktop background blown up to two by three metres. Clearing, Jhaveri and mor charpentier galleries also got a look in, but the faces of the passed-over gallerists spoke further volumes. The HUO Midas touch clearly still holds.
Safe Buys Are In
Booths were jam-packed with trophy Behind The Couch (BTC) pieces: Basquiat, Twombly (a LOT of Twombly, some major collector must have recently unloaded their stash), Judd et al featured largely. So much so that even Liam Gillick is now doing sub-Judd translucent sculpture boxes. Sprueth Magers and Gagosian were the most egregious: Sprueth, the “discerning” billionaire firmly in their sights featured Condo, Sherman, Gursky, Trockel, Stella and Jenny Holzer (marble slogan stools for the artrium, bien sur). Gagosian, for those with a splashier taste had: Richter, Currin, Judd, Twombly, an enormous Murakami, Stingl, Liechtenstein and a Picasso. An instant collection of bland bluechip.
The Art of the subtle political protest
Of course, the Basel crowd couldn’t miss out referencing Trump and the annus horriblis that is 2017. One flapper-bobbed collector stalked the aisles wearing a $75 Ashish sweatshirt emblazoned with “Immigrant”. Others posed for selfies with Shen Shaomin’s assemblage of wax figures of dead dictators – Fidel Castro, Lenin, Zedong, Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il Sung. And finally, uber curator Klaus Biesenbach of MoMA PS1 is sporting a new, Julian-Assange like haircut – “Leak-Chic” indeed. No one can accuse the Basel crowd of not seizing on today’s pressing issues, and also, see above point about art world irony.
Zombie Formalism is Back
Remember the Zombie formalists that crashed and burned circa 2015? Well, they’re back, at least in Asia. Gagosian was trying to offload a Joe Bradley, and 303gallery was flogging a Jacob Kassay. It would be impolite to imply that they might just be offloading deadstock on the unsuspecting Hong Kong collectors, wouldn’t it?
Criticism? Look elsewhere
Usually, at art fairs there is at least one panel discussion hosted by an art critic about “art writing and its role in the art world and how really important it is”. At Basel Hong Kong? Nada. A single sad panel on Saturday is dedicated to New “Criticism” Digital Media and Cultural Journalism. I use quote marks advisedly: when was the last time you read serious criticism on the world wide webs? All the kids care about is listicles. Like this one.
The fashion really is good
Art Basel Hong Kong beats its mothership Art Basel Basel hands down when it comes to the fashion on view. Celine is of course still a favourite, but the Chanel here shouts in fuchsia rather than whispering in navy. There were Japanese school girl uniforms on display, silk pyjamas, pink dip-dye coiffures, and just generally a ravishing display of Alessandro Michele’s finest. Sleek only spotted three pairs of Valentino rock studs – usually the collector’s footwear of choice. But Chanel’s quilted 5.11 remains sadly ubiquitous – it does remain the handiest, ahem, way of saying “I cost 6000 USD, I can easily afford the Twombly.”