HONG KONG.- Back for its third year, ART HK 10 – Hong Kong International Art Fair will take place from 27 – 30 May 2010 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Sponsored by Deutsche Bank, ART HK 10 is delighted to present the strongest exhibitor line-up for an art fair in Asia to date, affirming its position as the leading art fair in Asia.

This year, ART HK 10 will welcome over 140 galleries from 27 countries. Leading galleries such as Gagosian Gallery, Lisson Gallery & White Cube are returning this year and, in addition to top level galleries from Asia, ART HK will present a strengthened line-up of western galleries. New additions include Hauser & Wirth from Zurich, London & New York, Galerie Lelong from New York, Paris & Zurich, Emmanuel Perrotin from Paris, Almine Rech Gallery from Brussels and Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, James Cohan Gallery, Lehmann Maupin Gallery, Leo Castelli Gallery, Marianne Boesky Gallery and Sperone Westwater from New York amongst many others.

The strength of Asian galleries represented at the Fair will continue this year with the return of Hanart TZ Gallery from Hong Kong, SCAI THE BATHHOUSE from Tokyo, Kukje Gallery from Seoul and Eslite Gallery from Taipei. Galleries new to the Fair include Long March Space from Beijing, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery from Sydney and ShugoArts from Tokyo.

The Fair will also feature diverse solo presentations from a number of the world’s most respected contemporary artists. Highlights so far include Chinese artist Liu Ye for Sperone Westwater, Japanese artists Yoshitomo Nara for Marianne Boesky, Aya Takano for Emmanuel Perrotin and the acclaimed Glasgow artist Jim Lambie for The Modern Institute.

Magnus Renfrew, Fair Director, ART HK, is delighted with the success of ART HK 08 and ART HK 09 and looks forward to continued growth: “We are excited that the role of ART HK takes an even bigger step forward in 2010 with the support of Deutsche Bank” he explained. “We are very pleased that so many established galleries from around the globe want to show their best work at ART HK 10”.

Iwan Wirth, President of Hauser & Wirth, commented: “We are delighted to be exhibiting at ART HK this year. Our recent Zhang Enli show in London has been a great success, attracting Chinese, as well as European, collectors. We are very much looking forward to the prospect of engaging with further Asian collectors at the Fair.”

In the last two years, ART HK has fast become a key fixture on the international art calendar. The fact that there are no taxes on the import or export of art, combined with the role of the city as the financial capital of the Far East, geographically positioned at the heart of Asia, are but a few reasons as to why Hong Kong has emerged as Asia’s primary destination for art.

Since the Fair’s inception in 2008, ART HK has welcomed nearly 50,000 visitors. Last year, ART HK 09 hosted a total of 115 galleries from 24 countries, and the Fair space increased by one-third over its inaugural year.

ART HK also attracts an outstanding mix of international collectors, curators and museum directors. “The calibre of galleries that ART HK has been able to secure has attracted an impressive number of VIPs from across the region,” explains Richard Chang, an Advisory Board member of ART HK and major art collector. “ART HK has not only proved itself to be a leading international fair, but a must for those looking to brush shoulders with the ‘who’s who’ of the art world.”

ART HK 10 will see the development of the ART FUTURES section, welcoming exciting young galleries for the first time such as Pilar Corrias Gallery from London, who will present a solo exhibition by Shahzia Sikander, and AANDO FINE ART from Berlin, to feature a solo presentation by Aya Ben Ron. Debuting at last year’s Fair, the ART FUTURES section is dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists from new galleries less than five years old, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the latest developments in cutting edge art.

Accompanying the exceptional exhibitor line-up, ART HK 10 will continue to serve as an important art educator, presenting a number of exciting panel discussions with leading collectors, curators and international artists, organised by the Asia Art Archive. Confirmed speakers so far include Shinji Kohmoto, Chief Curator at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, Daniel Brine, Artistic Director of Performance Space in Sydney and Dr Gene Sherman, Chairman and Executive Director of the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation in Sydney.