Jean-Marc Bottazzi, a Japanese bond trader and collector based in Hong Kong, discusses his philosophy of collecting in an interview with The Art Newspaper. He emphasizes deep, focused support of artists rather than acquiring a superficial variety, citing his extensive holdings of over 100 works by the 96-year-old Japanese artist A-Yo and deep collections of Abstract Expressionism, Gutai, and conceptual photography.
Tobias Berger, a veteran curator who held senior roles at Hong Kong’s M+ and Tai Kwun, has transitioned from the public sector to lead two new private initiatives: Serakai Studio and the Tanoto Art Foundation. Ahead of Art Basel Hong Kong, Berger is launching "Gold," an experimental salon space in Wong Chuk Hang that merges contemporary art with design and fashion. These roles mark a shift toward agile, privately funded cultural models that prioritize regional focus and experimental programming over the bureaucratic structures of large public museums.
Several key personnel changes occurred in the art world this week. Boston gallery Praise Shadows hired Rebecca Hayes as its new Sales Director, while Hong Kong's Para Site appointed curator James Taylor-Foster as its Executive Director. Concurrently, galleries Lehmann Maupin and Jessica Silverman announced a co-representation agreement for artist Guimi You, and London's Timothy Taylor gallery revealed it will close its New York outpost after ten years.
Renowned Ghanaian artist El Anatsui is currently experiencing a significant professional moment with concurrent exhibitions at White Cube in Hong Kong and Seoul, timed to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong. The artist, known for his monumental sculptures crafted from discarded liquor-bottle caps and copper wire, recently saw his 2023 work "G6" sell for $995,000 at Sotheby’s London to benefit the Royal Academy of Arts. Now living back in Ghana after decades teaching in Nigeria, Anatsui continues to explore the fluidity of his medium, which mimics the organic processes of growth and decay.
Artsy profiles 14 influential women who are shaping India's rapidly evolving art market, including Nita Mukesh Ambani, Jaya Asokan, Shireen Gandhy, and others. The article highlights their roles as founders, directors, collectors, and patrons, with a focus on the upcoming 17th edition of the India Art Fair, which will feature a record 135 exhibitors. Each woman is described as contributing to the growth of galleries, auction houses, biennales, and cultural institutions across the country.
Clément Delépine, the director of Art Basel Paris, has been appointed as the next director of Lafayette Anticipations, a prominent Parisian exhibition space. He will succeed Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel, who is leaving after six years to pursue new challenges. Delépine will assume the role on November 17, shortly after the upcoming edition of Art Basel Paris, which opens to VIPs on October 22. A search for a new director for the Paris fair is underway.
Adrian Cheng, founder of the K11 property business and a prominent figure in Hong Kong's art scene, discusses his two-decade role in shaping the city's cultural landscape. He founded K11 in 2008 to integrate museum-quality art with retail, developed the Victoria Dockside district and K11 MUSEA, and established the K11 Art Foundation and K11 Craft & Guild Foundation. Cheng has launched new ventures including K11 by AC and the ALMAD Group, and his foundations have partnered with major institutions like the Palais de Tokyo, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Serpentine Galleries. He also initiated a regular salon series focused on art and technology, held during events like Frieze Seoul and Asia Now.
New York's Rachel Uffner Gallery, founded in 2008, has appointed director Lucy Liu as its first business partner, prompting a rebrand to Uffner & Liu. Liu, 25, joined the gallery as a sales assistant in 2023 and was promoted to director in 2024. The partnership aims to expand the gallery's international presence, particularly in Asia, and to introduce more artists from the Asian American Pacific Islander community into its programming.
Artist Sougwen Chung is presenting new work, including the 10-metre scroll 'Recursion 0,' at Art Basel Hong Kong's new Zero 10 sector. The piece, created with brainwave data, will be completed live at the fair, showcasing her ongoing exploration of human-machine collaboration.
Masumi Shinohara, a Japanese-born, French-bred former luxury executive who joined Sotheby's Japan in April 2024 to lead its operations, has been promoted to managing director for Asia within his first year. He succeeded Nathan Drahi, son of majority owner Patrick Drahi, and now oversees Sotheby's expansion across the region amid a recovering global art market. The article features an interview with Shinohara discussing his transition from luxury brands (Valentino, L'Oréal, Ermenegildo Zegna) to the auction world, his childhood immersion in art through his father, and the strategic benefits of Sotheby's new permanent Hong Kong premises, Sotheby's Maison, which allows year-round auctions and thematic sales.
Kong Lingyi has been appointed as the new CEO of the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, succeeding Philip Tinari who stepped down shortly before the Lunar New Year. A veteran of the institution since 2012, Kong previously served as vice president of brand and is now tasked with overseeing UCCA’s multiple branches in Beijing, Beidaihe, and Yixing. Her leadership marks a shift toward a new management structure focused on institutional sustainability and public accessibility.
The article questions the appointment of James Taylor-Foster as the incoming director of Para Site in Hong Kong, noting his background as a curator of architecture and design rather than contemporary art, and his lack of prior engagement with Asia's curatorial scene. It also reports that Philip Tinari, former director of UCCA in Beijing, has been appointed to lead Tai Kwun, replacing Pi Li, who has become founding director of the Tencent-funded Róng Museum of Art in Shenzhen.
Chinese artist Sun Yitian has partnered with the Samsung Art Store to feature her large-scale painting "Ken" (2023) as part of the Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 digital collection. The work, which depicts Barbie’s male counterpart at a massive three-meter scale, explores themes of mass production, the male gaze, and the hollow nature of modern plastic icons. The collaboration marks a bridge between Sun's physical painterly practice and the digital accessibility of contemporary art on domestic screens.
Singapore artist Ho Tzu Nyen has been named one of six medallists in the established artist category at the inaugural Art Basel Awards, announced on May 16. The 49-year-old shares the honor with artists including Cao Fei and Ibrahim Mahama. The two-round awards process will culminate in December with a shortlist of Gold medallists announced in Miami, and Ho is in line for a potential major commission from Art Basel. He was also recently appointed artistic director of the 16th Gwangju Biennale.