Hong Kong artists Angel Hui and Kingsley Ng, along with Macao artists Eric Fok Hoi Seng, Veronica Lei Fong Ieng, and O Chi Wai, will represent the Greater Bay Area at the 61st Venice Biennale, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026. Hong Kong's exhibition, titled 'Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice,' marks a shift from a solo to a duo format for the first time, co-organized and curated by the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA). Hui presents installations featuring embroidered plastic bags and aluminum window grilles inspired by local Hong Kong motifs, while Ng creates site-specific works referencing hanging laundry. Macao's showcase, 'Jacone's Polyphony,' features the three Macao artists. The biennale, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, is themed 'In Minor Keys' and includes 110 artists, 100 national participations, and 31 collateral events.
This representation matters because it highlights the growing cultural prominence of the Greater Bay Area on one of the world's most prestigious international art stages. The shift to a duo format for Hong Kong signals a move toward collaborative and dialogic exhibition-making, while the inclusion of both Hong Kong and Macao artists underscores the region's diverse artistic voices. The theme 'In Minor Keys' offers a framework for exploring nuanced emotions like joy and hope through art, and the participation of these artists brings local Hong Kong and Macao narratives—such as everyday urban symbols and traditional crafts—into a global conversation about identity, pause, and cultural exchange.