Hong Kong Exhibitor Guide

Hong Kong is a bustling city and major tourist destination known for its striking skyline, iconic harbour and vibrant cultural scene that makes it an intriguing destination for artists and art lovers alike. Celebrating its 10^th anniversary edition in 2023, and generating HK$32m in art sales, Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong is a well-established and popular fair for gaining exposure, developing connections and selling art!

Read on to learn more about exhibiting to our engaged audience in Hong Kong.

Why Hong Kong?

Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong has become a cornerstone event in the city’s cultural calendar, bringing art enthusiasts, collectors, and first-time buyers together for an all-round experience. It provides a unique platform to showcase your artists’ work to a broad, engaged and international audience eager to discover and purchase new art. With a focus on fun, people come to our Hong Kong edition to enjoy themselves and experience the vibrant atmosphere.

We see a huge demand for art in Hong Kong. In 2023, we welcomed 26,000 visitors, which is our highest visitor count of all global editions. This is testament to the active art scene in the city, where art and culture is vital to the enthusiastic audience. As a hub for art in Asia, it’s not difficult to sell in Hong Kong. We have a large, engaged audience, teamed with friendly and open galleries – a barrierless approach appreciated by our visitors. As a community-orientated event, expect great conversation with other exhibitors, our Affordable Art Fair team and visitors alike!

First impressions of the fair

The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is an iconic venue – there’s simply nothing else like it in the city. Considered the ‘place to be’ by locals, it’s known for hosting a wide variety of anticipated events throughout the year. Despite being in the heart of the city centre, it offers a huge space for us to curate a beautiful atmosphere that immediately captures the attention of visitors as they walk in. Often impressed by the scale, diversity and vibrant splashes of colour, first impressions of the fair typically include the sheer number of friendly faces and excitable crowds as art flies off the walls.

Visitors offer overwhelmingly positive feedback on the diversity of the art on offer in Hong Kong and it’s very much our intention to curate with this element of variety in mind. Over 70% of our exhibitors are international with unique styles and personas. This highlights the charm of Hong Kong. One booth might be presenting contemporary Chinese ink, whilst Renaissance landscapes or street art might be popular next door. Often, the same visitors will be interested in all three, which speaks to the global taste of our audience. The result of this split between local and international makes for a colourful, vibrant and varied fair, where every exhibitor can excel. 

Who are our audience?

We’ve discovered that visitors in Hong Kong appreciate variety, and with this comes an element of creativity that is unique to the city. We find that buyers want to spend a whole day at the fair, which we encourage through ample special projects, music and artist activations to stimulate creativity. They’re a creative crowd, so when their inspiration is flowing and a sense of joy is sparked, their enthusiasm to buy increases tenfold. 

With a large demographic of expat buyers, we often see visitors leaning towards artworks associated with their home countries. They might enjoy the flair of European art, or the contemporary nature of urban art, but a universal similarity is that everyone has a deep-rooted love for Hong Kong. Especially as we still see people returning after COVID-19, visitors like to take a piece of the city away with them. Whilst it’s important to bring artworks that inspire connection, art buyers in Hong Kong will appreciate your own unique style as a gallery above all.

Fair Director, Regina Zhang’s, top tips for success:

Have an open mind. Bring a range of artwork sizes that fit within several genres. If you have variety, showcase this!

Speak to us (and other exhibitors). Our feel as a fair is all about collaboration. Talk to us to further understand our demographics and what excited our buyers. Whether you’re a new or returning exhibitor, Hong Kong is ever-evolving, so these conversations are essential.

Focus on curation. Grab the attention of visitors by making sure your booth looks amazing and is in keeping with our guidelines. As a company, we’ve been running art fairs for twenty-five years – we know what curation works!