The 11th edition of Art Basel Hong Kong marked a triumphant return for the fair, emerging from a period of scaled-down operations in response to COVID-19. The fair welcomed 242 exhibitors—up from 177 last year—with 69 galleries returning after a hiatus and 23 first-timers. The atmosphere carried a palpable sense of optimism over its two VIP days and three public days, especially among the locals, who reveled in the fair’s full-scale return.
“This edition reflected the city itself to the world: utterly alive and teeming with energy, a meeting place of tradition and the avant-garde, a port of cultures and an essential bridge in the evolving art landscape across regions,” said Angelle Siyang-Le, director of Art Basel Hong Kong. “Art Basel Hong Kong continues to be a vital anchor in Asia’s ever-growing local art scenes and a key moment in the global art trade calendar.”
Despite the fair’s success in terms of size, fair attendance was down: Art Basel Hong Kong reported 75,000 visitors in attendance this year, compared to 86,000 in 2023. The VIP days were noticeably less crowded compared to previous editions, which provided a more leisurely experience for attendees, though it induced a sense of anxiety among dealers. The sales pace at Art Basel Hong Kong has historically relied heavily on pre-sales to existing clients to mitigate risks associated with transportation and unsold inventory. Still, momentum gradually built up this year after relatively muted first-day sales, with transactions occurring through the end of the fair.
The geographical makeup of attendees at this year’s fair also diverged from the norm, with notably fewer American and European collectors and advisors on site, yet a stronger presence from Australia. Chinese collectors were present in significant numbers; however, feedback from dealers suggested a cautious approach to purchasing, which can be attributed to the Chinese government’s recent efforts to impose tighter controls on capital outflow. Meanwhile, a significant number of Korean collectors were in attendance and appeared to be among the most active groups when it came to purchasing.
Prominent artists from the Asia-Pacific region and its diaspora were at the forefront of the fair’s offerings, with notable works available by Rirkrit Tiravanija, Haegue Yang, Lee Bul, Kim Yun Shin, Zhang Enli, Yayoi Kusama, and Christine Ay Tjoe, among many others.
While the immediate outcome may not have been a windfall—similar to most fairs over the last couple of years—the broader successes include the solo presentations of emerging talent from the 22 galleries in the Discoveries section, the increased visibility of Hong Kong’s art scene and the Asian art market, and the return to the pre-pandemic size for the Basel fair.
Here, we share a rundown of the top reported sales at Art Basel Hong Kong 2024.
Hauser & Wirth logged the most expensive reported sale on the first VIP day of the fair, with Willem de Kooning’s Untitled III (1986), which sold for $9 million. The gallery’s other top reported sales included the following:
- Philip Guston’s The Desire (1978) sold for $8.5 million.
- Mark Bradford’s May the Lord be the first one in the car…and the last out. (2023) sold for $3.5 million.
- George Condo’s Escaping Figures (1998) sold for $850,000.
- Pat Steir’s 9 x 7, D (2022) sold for $850,000.
- Avery Singer’s Poppers (2024) sold for $800,000.
- Rashid Johnson’s God Painting “Open Waters” (2023) sold for $750,000.
- Maria Lassnig’s Heimliche Liebe / Heimlich Liebe / Couple im Gespräch (Secret Love / Secretly Love / Couple Talking) (1995) sold for €650,000 ($700,000).
- Anj Smith’s If Winter comes (can Spring be far behind)? (2023) sold for $600,000.
- Charles Gaines’s Numbers and Trees: Charleston Series 1, Tree #11, Fiddle Way (2023) sold for $595,000.
- Zhang Enli’s Composer (2023) sold for $350,000.
- Paul McCarthy’s The Angel (2018) sold for $275,000.
- Roni Horn’s Pair Object VIa: For two locations in one Place (1990) sold for $275,000.
- Catherine Goodman’s The Sweet Sound of Silence (2023) sold for $200,000.
- Camille Henrot’s Dos and Don’ts – Mozart or the Brilliant Child (2022) sold for $175,000.
- Bharti Kher’s Matter I (2023) sold for €120,000.
- Angel Otero’s Reckless and Sweet (2022) and Balcony (2023) each sold for $100,000.
Sprüth Magers’s top reported sales included the following:
- George Condo’s Constructed Female Portrait (2024) sold for over $2 million.
- Jenny Holzer’s Minor Victim-3 (2022) sold for $475,000.
- Nora Turato’s TBC (2024) sold for €55,000 ($59,200).
- Henni Alftan’s Compass (2023) sold for $50,000.
- Andreas Schulze’s Untitled (Green curtain) (2023) sold for €45,000 ($48,500).
- Thea Djordjadze’s Untitled (2023) sold for €42,000 ($45,200).
- Three paintings by Hyun-Sook Song, including Brushstroke-Diagram and 6 Brushstrokes over 1 Brushstroke (both 2023), each sold for a price in the range of €40,000–€60,000 ($43,100–$64,600).
- Louise Lawler’s Lost at Sea (Lamp) (1996/1997) sold for $30,000.
- Cindy Sherman’s Untitled #446 (1976/2005) and Untitled #442 (1976/2005) each sold for $30,000.
- Louise Lawler’s Untitled (MoMA) (2021) sold for $20,000.
- Robert Elfgen’s Folkboat (2023) sold for €8,500 ($9,100).
Top reported sales at White Cube included the following:
Top reported sales at Thaddaeus Ropac included the following:
- Tony Cragg’s Incident Solo (2023) sold for €725,000 ($781,000).
- Martha Jungwirth’s Ohne Titel (2023) sold for €450,000 ($485,000).
- Lisa Brice’s Chasing that High (2006) sold for $275,000.
- Lee Bul’s Untitled (sculpture M3) (2013) sold for $250,000.
- Megan Rooney’s Prelude to the wind (2023–24), Echos and Hours (2024), and Holding us fast (light) (2024) each sold for £35,000 ($44,100).
- Heemin Chung’s Marigold in June (2023) sold for $28,000.
Lisson Gallery’s top reported sales included the following:
- Anish Kapoor’s Black to Brandy Wine and Organic Green mix (2022) sold for £625,000 ($787,600).
- Olga de Amaral’s Cuarzo 1 (2015) sold for $280,000.
- Li Ran’s Becoming a Symbolic Archive (2023) sold for $60,000, and her Mont Sainte – Victoire (2012) sold for $23,000.
- Kelly Akashi’s Life Forms (2023) sold for $50,000.
Top reported sales at Kukje Gallery included the following:
- Park Seo-Bo’s Écriture No. 040424 (2004) sold for $540,000–$648,000.
- Ha Chong-Hyun’s Conjunction 24 (2024) sold for $223,000–$268,000.
- Julian Opie’s Dance 2 step 1. (2022) sold for £110,000–£132,000 ($138,600–$166,000), and Hat scarf umbrella pony tail plastic bag long hair long skirt (2022) sold for €52,000–€62,000 ($56,800–$66,800).
- Suki Seokyeong Kang’s Mat 120 x 165 #23-67 (2023) sold for $75,000–$90,000.
- Kibong Rhee’s There is No Place (2023) and Diminishing Place (2024) each sold for a price in the range of $70,000–$84,000.
- Six works from Kim Yun Shin sold, including Add Two Add One, Divide Two Divide One 2019-24 (2019) for $70,000–$84,000; Vibration 2018-43 (2018) for $60,000–$72,000; Fragments of Memories 2019-24 (2019) for $40,000–$48,000; Vibration 2018-25 (2018) for $40,000–$48,000; Granted Wishes 2018-32 (2018) for $25,000–$30,000; and Granted Wishes 2018-36 (2018) for $25,000–$30,000.
- Three works from Daniel Boyd sold, including Untitled (POMOTB) (2021) for $70,000–$84,000; Untitled (IANATAB) (2024) for $35,000–$42,000; and Untitled (WBMWFP) (2014) for $14,000–$17,000.
- Kibong Rhee’s Out from Outside (2024) sold for $60,000–$72,000.
- Two works from Jean-Michel Othoniel sold: Passiflora (2023) for €42,000–€50,000 ($45,200–$53,800) and Amant Suspendu (2024) for €35,000–€42,000 ($37,700–$45,200).
- Four works sold from Haegue Yang for prices in the range of €11,000–€22,000 ($11,800–$23,700).
Almine Rech’s notable sales included the following:
- Two paintings by Javier Calleja each sold for a price in the range of $300,000–$330,000.
- A painting by Kenny Scharf sold for $190,000–$210,000.
- A drawing by Tom Wesselmann sold for $145,000–$160,000.
- A photograph by Taryn Simon sold for $100,000–$110,000.
- Two paintings by Youngju Joung each sold for a price in the range of $70,000–$90,000.
- A painting by Zio Ziegler sold for $70,000–$80,000.
- A painting by Alejandro Cardenas sold for $60,000–$65,000.
- A painting by Thu-Van Tran sold for $50,000–$55,000.
- A painting by Roby Dwi Antono sold for $45,000–$50,000.
- Two paintings by Sylvia Ong each sold for a price in the range of $15,000–$30,000.
David Kordansky Gallery’s top reported sales included the following:
Top reported sales at Perrotin included the following:
- Mr.’s Untitled (2024) sold for $310,000.
- Barry McGee’s Untitled (2023) sold for $230,000.
- Georges Mathieu’s Homage to Guillaume Dufay (1970) sold for €220,000 ($237,000).
- Shim Moon-Seup’s The Presentation (2021) sold for $142,000.
- Emi Kuraya’s Untitled (2024) sold for $115,000.
- Jason Boyd Kinsella’s Grace (2020) sold for $90,000.
- Jean-Michel Othoniel’s Kiku (2023) sold for €85,000 ($91,600).
- Laurent Grasso’s Studies into the Past sold for €80,000 ($86,200).
- Two works by Lee Bae each sold for $75,000.
- Thilo Heinzman’s O.T. (2016) sold for €35,000 ($44,100).
- Two works by Izumi Kato each sold for $33,000.
- Yu-Xin Su’s Air and Breathe (Gunung Merapi) (2024) sold for $27,500.
- Josh Sperling’s AbExDubBub Y (2023) sold for $25,000.
- JR’s Ballet, Sur les Toits du Louvre #4, Horizontal, Paper Block, Paris, France (2021) sold for €25,000 ($26,900).
- Two works by Marty Schnapf each sold for €20,000 ($21,500).
- Two works by Gregor Hildebrandt each sold for €19,000 ($20,400).
- Chang Yachin’s Long Distance Call: Winter (2024) sold for $18,000.
Pace Gallery’s notable sales included the following:
- Adam Pendleton’s Black Dada (D) (2023) sold for $275,000.
- Kylie Manning’s Fracture (2024) sold for $100,000.
- Maysha Mohamedi’s Ice Remedy (2023) sold for $100,000.
- Kiki Smith’s Silver Moon (2023) sold for $95,000.
- Mika Tajima’s Negative Entropy (Seishoji Priest Prayer Drumming, Mustard, Quad) (2024) sold for $95,000.
- Alicja Kwade’s A year (2024) and 139 missing days (2024) sold for €85,000; Memory, 2023, 277 missing hours (2024) sold for €42,000; and Gegen den Lauf (2022) sold for €35,000 ($44,100).
- Torkwase Dyson’s A Bolt from Blue 01 (2024) sold for $65,000.
- William Monk’s Untitled (rainbow) (2019–23) sold for $60,000.
