Doryun Chong
Chief curator, M+
My favourite place to switch off in Hong Kong is…
Any of the many hiking trails on the gorgeous hills—or at least the idea of being on them.
The art world in Hong Kong is different because…
It was quite small and local until very recently, but has suddenly become big, international and even global. This incredible growth spurt is visible and palpable, and the tensions that come from it are also real. I believe that all of us who are part of this growth are trying to make it meaningful and productive for the future.
The best place for an after-party in Hong Kong is…
The best place for after parties—which I specialise in, rather than after-parties—would be inside a taxi or a tram going home. From inside a moving vehicle, you experience the beauty of Hong Kong’s peerless urbanism: its Blade Runner highways, its Wong Kar-wai neon sign illuminations, the co-existence of scintillating skyscrapers and dilapidated housing estates… all the clichés of the city together concoct an incredible view.
Living here makes me feel…
Like I’m on the frontline of a great historical change that's afoot.
My top tip for surviving Art Basel Hong Kong week is…
Ride the Star Ferry across the harbour, back and forth until you feel as though you can breathe again. I recommend the upper deck.
Art fairs are important because…
You get to see a lot of people and art from around the world at once. If you’re in London or New York, you have five, or perhaps seven, weeks like that in a year. Here, this one week in March is pretty much it. So we really appreciate it.
I last watched (film/theatre/box set)…
I discovered the show Gaycation, which stars the brilliant Ellen Page, on the Vice Channel.
Simon Birch
Hong-Kong based artist
My favourite place to switch off in Hong Kong is…
Switching off for me means switching on creatively, so I would say my studio, unsurprisingly. It's a big old dusty industrial building, far away from the city, with an ocean view. It’s rare to find peace and quiet in such a frantic city, so it’s a great escape and, more importantly, a productive space for me to paint, think, dream and take action.
The art world in Hong Kong is different because…
It’s so new and undefined. With little platform, there is the opportunity to make your own, if you can innovate your way around the crushing rent and increasing political unrest.
The best place for an after-party in Hong Kong is…
The party never stops. There is no after, only during, as far as I can see.
Living here makes me feel…
Frustrated, these days. I love Hong Kong, but with the inequality, the disconnection between the power and the people, the ever-dwindling quality of life for the majority, the threat to freedom of speech, the press censorship and the high cost of living, it’s no fun being at a party when there are so few people dancing any more. Heck, I can’t even afford the entry fee now. But Hong Kong people can be an amazing force to be reckoned with, and they have a great habit of fighting through the toughest of times, so I’m cautiously optimistic that we can turn things around.
My top tip for surviving Art Basel Hong Kong week is…
It hardly needs surviving; just enjoy it and don’t take it too seriously.
Art fairs are important because…
The circus needs clowns and freak shows just as much as lions and trapeze artists, although these days, the balance seems a bit off.
I last watched (film/theatre/box set)…
The Revenant. It’s pretty much my life right now while building the 14th Factory, a massive installation in New York. It’s brutal, but if I survive, it will make a hell of a story.
Monique Burger
Co-founder of the Burger Collection
My favourite place to switch off in Hong Kong is…
Walking around the Peak.
The art world in Hong Kong is different because…
We are in China.
The best place for an after-party in Hong Kong is…
Tasmania Ballroom, Lan Kwai Fong.
Living here makes me feel…
It keeps me on my toes.
Art fairs are important because…
They are important because of the business of finding new collectors.
I last watched (film/theatre/ box set)…
Manifesto by Julian Rosefeldt, starring Cate Blanchett, in Berlin.