Art dealers and collectors returned from their holidays this week to find the May dates for Hong Kong's biggest art fair in two and a half years had been cancelled.
The Hong Kong International Art and Antiques Fair was touted as the new and better replacement for the Art Asia fair which ran at the Convention and Exhibition Centre for four consecutive years from 1992. However, there were early doubts as the fair - organised by William Burris who was also behind Tresors in Singapore - attracted fewer fine art dealers than expected.
Booth space - said to be the most expensive of any art fair round the world - was sold to Asian and international dealers on the argument that if they exhibited at one show it was a big saving on freight and insurance to exhibit at both. But there have been rumours since January that, despite all the best efforts of the Singapore government, Tresors was in trouble, and when its cancellation was confirmed last month owing to the poor economy in the region, some big international dealers pressured Mr Burris to do the same.
Hong Kong representative Yumi Kunizuko said they had made the decision reluctantly. 'We believe the market is still here. Some overseas dealers have wrong information about Hong Kong. They told me this is the place where they kill chickens, so the economy must be really terrible.' She insisted the show was postponed - to late October - rather than cancelled. However, a few dealers - having learned from the 'postponed' Art Asia which failed to reappear after November 1995 - say they will believe it only when they arrive at the opening party, and are handed the canapes.
Anything goes The Philippe Charriol Foundation continues its tradition of oddly named art competitions with its 1998 offering. Local artists are invited to present paintings and sculptures inspired by the title 'China Free' on or before July 28.
Quite what the organisers mean is not clear. China free of what? The only advantage is that with titles like that, artists can do absolutely anything, and judges will have to nod and agree that their work fits with the chosen theme. Call 2897 3381 for details.
