Cementing a more than decade-long relationship with China, the Swiss dealer couple Iwan and Manuela Wirth are opening a gallery in the new H Queens development in Hong Kong next spring.
Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong will occupy the 15th and 16th floors of the building designed by William Lim of CL3, joining galleries including David Zwirner, Pace and Pearl Lam. Art world architect-du-jour Annabelle Selldorf, who has overseen the renovation of six Hauser & Wirth galleries in Zurich, London, New York, Los Angeles and Somerset, will design the new 10,000 sq. ft space.
Hauser & Wirth
The gallery is also opening offices in Shanghai and Beijing this October. “Hong Kong’s multicultural spirit makes it an ideal base for connecting with the rest of Asia. Shanghai has a diverse and dynamic arts scene, and Beijing’s proximity to government and infrastructure makes it an important cultural hub and powerhouse of the future,” Wirth says.
The dealer says he spent two years carefully researching “the most appropriate ways” to expand in these cities, “to become a fully present part of the art scene in China and engage meaningfully”. The gallery currently only represents one Chinese artist, Zhang Enli, although Wirth says he plans to add more Chinese and Asian artists to his stable.
Hauser & Wirth
Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong will be co-directed by Vanessa Guo, who joined from Christie’s in early 2016, and Lihsin Tsai, who most recently managed the exhibition space of the Shanghai collector and entrepreneur Qiao Zhibing. The gallery’s exhibition programme is yet to be announced.