A curator’s tour of the Encounters sector at Art Basel Hong Kong

Alexie Glass-Kantor shares highlights of the most monumental pieces at the fair

The journey begins with Pacita and Pio Abad’s The Sky is the Limit (1996–2000), where three imposing quilted works explore themes of globalization through Pacita’s distinctive stitched technique. The tour continues with Jiieh G Hur’s hanging sculptures Falling Together in Time (2024–2025). These delicate metaphysical works are crafted of discarded books, newspapers, and magazines and engage with ideas of impermanence and transformation. Gemma Smith’s Shadow Paintings (2024) captures the artist’s approach to perception, with three large-scale abstract paintings. In Pedro Wonaeamirri’s 2020 work, Tiwi Tutini poles bring Indigenous Australian ritual onto the showfloor through meticulously carved and painted ironwood. 

We then visit Monster Chetwynd’s Lanternfly Ballet (2025), where Hong Kong’s iconic shopping mall Pacific Place becomes a stage for an ever-changing interplay of sculpture, sound, and movement.

Back at the show, technology and the art ecosystem intersect in Lu Yang’s DOKU the Creator (2025), an immersive environment blending Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and Computer Graphics elements. Continuing with digital works in the Encounters sector, Alison Nguyen’s Prosthetic Memory (2025) is an immersive experience, integrating video, sound, to explore personal and collective memory. Nearby, Nadia Hernández’s En todo tiempo (2024) combines tapestry, textile, and sound to document the experiences of Venezuelan women in Australia. The tour concludes with Movana Chen’s MOVANA (2004–2025), which incorporates daily performances using knitted travel documents from family and friends. 

Pacita Abad and Pio Abad are presented by Tina Kim Gallery (New York, Seoul) and Silverlens (Manila, New York).
Jiieh G Hur is presented by Whistle (Seoul).
Gemma Smith is presented by Sullivan+Strumpf (Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore).
Pedro Wonaeamirri is presented by Station (Melbourne, Sydney) in collaboration with Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association.
Monster Chetwynd is presented by Swire Properties with Pacific Place in partnership with Art Basel Hong Kong. She is represented by Galerie Gregor Staiger (Zurich), Massimodecarlo (Milan, Paris, London, Hong Kong, Seoul, Beijing), and Sadie Coles HQ (London).
Lu Yang is presented by de Sarthe (Hong Kong).
Alison Nguyen is presented by gdm (Hong Kong, Taipei).
Nadia Hernández is presented by Station (Melbourne, Sydney).
Movana Chen is presented by Flowers Gallery (Hong Kong).

Production
The Bastards
Editor: Raymond ChanVideo

Art Basel
Marketing Content Manager Asia: Suzanne Lai
Senior Editor: Alicia Reuter
Video Commissioner: Jeanne-Salomé Rochat

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