ART HK 09 History: The 2009 Hong Kong International Art Fair

ART HK 09 was the second edition of the Hong Kong International Art Fair, launched in 2008 and held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The fair ran in May 2009, and its dates, gallery count and attendance figures vary by source.

Searchers looking for “art hk 2009 history” usually want a clear record of a fair that helped put Hong Kong on the contemporary art map. The first edition took place in 2008 at the same Wan Chai venue, organized by Asian Art Fairs Ltd. Artnet and Frieze covered both editions, but neither source consolidates dates, venue, organizer and key figures into one page. Dates, venue, organizer and key figures come from primary coverage and the fair's official site. The Hong Kong International Art Fair ran for several editions before evolving into Art Basel Hong Kong, making its 2009 edition a reference point for collectors and researchers.

What was ART HK?

ART HK was the short name for the Hong Kong International Art Fair, a contemporary art fair that opened in Hong Kong in 2008. Asian Art Fairs Ltd launched the event to bring international galleries and Asian collectors together in one venue. The fair focused on the primary market for contemporary art, with gallery booths showing work by living artists. Magnus Renfrew served as fair director, according to Artnet and Frieze coverage. The 2008 debut established a format that mixed Western galleries with galleries from across Asia, and the 2009 second edition, called ART HK 09, built on that foundation. The fair's location in Hong Kong allowed it to draw on a mix of international and regional galleries, a contrast with fairs that focus on a single market. For collectors, the fair offered a way to see art from different regions under one roof without traveling to multiple cities.

From the 2008 debut to ART HK 09: a timeline

• 2008: The first Hong Kong International Art Fair takes place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Asian Art Fairs Ltd organizes the debut, and Artnet reports on the fair's launch as a new platform for galleries in Asia. The first edition introduced the fair's basic structure: gallery booths, a program of talks, and an opening that drew collectors from across the region.
• 2008–2009: Hong Kong's gallery scene expands in Central and Wong Chuk Hang, giving the fair a local base of collectors and spaces. Artnet and Frieze note this growth in their fair coverage.
• 2009: ART HK 09 opens in May 2009 at the same venue. Frieze's coverage describes the second edition as larger than the first and notes the presence of international galleries. The fair continues to use the HKCEC's exhibition halls, and the official site lists exhibitors and daily programs.
• 2013: Art Basel Hong Kong launches at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre after Art Basel's parent company takes a stake in the Hong Kong fair. Artnet and Frieze both document this transition. The move gives Hong Kong's fair a direct link to one of the world's best-known art fair brands.

ART HK 09 at the Convention Centre: dates and venue

The 2009 edition took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. The HKCEC sits on the Hong Kong Island waterfront at 1 Expo Drive, a short walk from the Wan Chai ferry pier and the MTR station. The fair ran in May 2009, according to the organizers, and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre confirms that the fair used its exhibition halls that month. The official ART HK 09 site lists exhibitor information and daily programs, but exact opening and closing dates differ across sources. The location is clear: ART HK 09 happened at the Convention Centre in Wan Chai.

Key figures: ART HK 08 vs ART HK 09

The two editions share the same venue, organizer and director. The main change reported by Frieze is scale: ART HK 09 was larger than the 2008 debut. Reports from the period do not always publish comparable totals for exhibitors, gallery count or attendance; the official site lists participants but no aggregate figures.

Who organized the fair

Asian Art Fairs Ltd organized both editions. Magnus Renfrew served as fair director, according to Artnet and Frieze coverage of the fair's early years. The company positioned the event as a commercial platform for contemporary art, connecting galleries from Asia, Europe and the United States with collectors in Hong Kong. The organizer published exhibitor lists and program details on the fair's official website. The fair's official materials consistently name Asian Art Fairs Ltd as the organizer. Renfrew later became a familiar figure in Hong Kong's art scene during the fair's transition to Art Basel Hong Kong.

How the fair fit into Hong Kong's art market

By 2008, Hong Kong's art market was expanding, and the fair gave international galleries a reason to show work in the city. Artnet and Frieze both covered the fair as part of a broader shift: Asia's importance in the art industry was growing, and Hong Kong offered a tax-friendly entry point for art sales. Hong Kong's free port status meant artworks could be imported and stored without the duties charged in many other Asian cities, a point Artnet and Frieze both mentioned. The fair helped create a regular calendar event that connected local collectors with dealers from abroad. Today, Hong Kong's current art scene still reflects that hybrid structure, with commercial galleries and institutions operating side by side. Beyond the fair halls, the city's hidden art corners in Hong Kong show a different side of the local scene. The 2009 edition did not single-handedly build the market, but it arrived at a moment when Hong Kong was becoming a regional hub for contemporary art.

What happened after 2009

ART HK did not end in 2009. The fair continued under the same name for several more editions, refining its format at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. In the early 2010s, Art Basel's parent company took a stake in the Hong Kong fair, and in 2013 the event relaunched as Art Basel Hong Kong. Frieze and Artnet both reported on the acquisition and the subsequent rebranding. The change in ownership gave the fair access to Art Basel's global network of galleries and collectors, but it also ended the ART HK name. The later editions grew into Art Basel in Hong Kong 2023, which staged its largest show that year.

FAQ

What is ART HK?

ART HK was a contemporary art fair launched in Hong Kong in 2008 by Asian Art Fairs Ltd.

Where was ART HK 09 held?

At the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.

When did the Hong Kong International Art Fair start?

The first edition took place in 2008.

Who organized ART HK 09?

Asian Art Fairs Ltd, with Magnus Renfrew as fair director.

What happened to ART HK after 2009?

It continued in later editions; Art Basel later took a stake and launched Art Basel Hong Kong in 2013.

Sources

• Artnet — art market news coverage of ART HK 08 and ART HK 09.
• Frieze — critical coverage of the 2008 and 2009 editions and the Asian art market.
• Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre — venue information for the fair.
• Sitio web oficial de ART HK 09, hongkongartfair.com/2009/index.php.