Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 opened its VIP day on Wednesday, March 26th, and a slate of sales have been reported by galleries in attendance. The leading reported transaction from the day is a $3.5 million Yayoi Kusama work sold by David Zwirner (all sales are in US dollars).
This year’s edition of the fair features 242 galleries from 42 countries, the same number of exhibitors as last year. Running until March 30th, the fair is organized into three sections: Galleries, Discoveries, and Insights. The fair takes place at a pivotal moment for the Hong Kong art market, which has contended with an economic downturn in mainland China and declining auction results over the past year.
Initial reports on the ground at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, however, appeared to tentatively dispel some of the trepidation heading into the week. “It’s been a good start to the fair,” reported dealer Thaddaeus Ropac. “Admittedly, ahead of the fair we weren’t sure how it would go, but there is positive energy here—a sense of cautious optimism which is translating into sales. We’re seeing a bit more of an international attendance compared to the past couple of years too, with Europeans returning.”
Here, we round up a selection of notable early sales reported by galleries at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025. Check back on Monday for our full round-up of sales from the fair.
