Art Basel Hong Kong founder says Taiwan is undiscovered market for collectors

When the Swiss events company MCH Group bought Art HK and turned it into Art Basel Hong Kong in 2012, Magnus Renfrew became the man of the moment in the city’s art scene.

Now, he and his partners have a second act coming up in January 2019 – Taipei Dangdai (Taipei, the present moment), which he believes can tap into Taiwan’s underappreciated art scene.

Renfrew talks about the forthcoming show and why he thinks the island is an undiscovered market for Hong Kong art collectors.

Why did you and your partners decide to start a show in Taipei? Whose idea was it and who needed convincing?

I was approached by galleries from Taipei asking me if I would set up an art fair. I thought about it for quite some time, and then I began to do more detailed analysis and it became clear that there was a real opportunity to do something that could help to activate the local scene and to attract international visitors.

I approached the former shareholders of ART HK, as we had worked exceptionally well together as a team previously, with complementary skill sets and strengths. They saw the point of it quickly and have been excited by the early endorsement of key sponsors such as UBS and strong interest from some of the most recognisable names in the art world.