HONG KONG.- Hong Kong will be introduced to its first satellite fair of international standards today 13 March with the launch of Art Central, which officially kicks-off Hong Kong Art Week 2015.

Staged in a 10,000 square meter temporary structure on the Central Harbourfront, Art Central is an Art Week experience unlike anything Hong Kong has seen before. It will inspire and wow fair-goers with over 75 galleries from around the world, spectacular large-scale installations, Art Week’s hottest pop-up restaurant and bar, The Continental, and street food bites from Classified, Beef & Liberty and Brickhouse.

Tim Etchells, Co-Founder of Art Central and of ART HK, (which subsequently has become Art Basel in Hong Kong), says “having created the original ART HK 7 years ago, we believe we have a good knowledge of the market here and have seen how it has developed and rapidly grown over this time. When we launched ART HK, the intention was always that one day this main fair would exist with a series of associated fairs just as we see in other major art centers of the world such as Miami and Basel.”

“Satellite fairs give international collectors and buyers an added reason to visit and really put the city on the global art map. In response to what we feel the market requires, we now feel the time is right for Hong Kong to have its own satellite fair of international standards and with the launch of Art Central, we are doing just that,” he says.

With an international selection of over 75 contemporary galleries from 21 countries, 65% of which are from greater Asia including 19 from Hong Kong, Art Central has strong local roots. There is a dedicated section for emerging galleries and artists called ‘Rise’ with solo or dual artist exhibitions. A panel of judges will crown one Rise artist with the Rise Award sponsored by J.Crew on 13 March, recognizing their talent with a cash prize.

“Thirty galleries will be showing in Hong Kong for the first time at Art Central. Many of these galleries are well known in their home cities, but are still emerging on a global platform. One of Art Central’s strengths is this opportunity for discovery,” said Fair Co-Director Eve Share Banghart.

Fair Co-Director Maree Di Pasquale said “We are showing museum quality works ranging up to more than US $1 million alongside art works by emerging local Hong Kong artists priced at less than US $1,000. This diversity, coupled with the ability to showcase local and emerging talents on a global stage, makes satellite fairs popular fixtures in art weeks around the world. It is also why we are confident that Art Central will be embraced by the Hong Kong public and international collectors and buyers alike.”

A series of ambitious installations will wow and amaze, including a custom designed crystal installation by Joyce Wang for Swarovski called ‘Oculus.’ Refractions and reflections dance through space as light penetrates an inner structure of 360 crystal spikes within the work. Lan Zhenghui from Ethan Cohen New York (New York) and Jeffery Gibson from MARC STRAUS (New York) will also bring site-specific installations, while Hong Kong gallery Galerie du Monde showcases internationally celebrated artist Stella Zhang, who is hand-sewing a site-specific installation about femininity, identity, and the status quo that is a continuation of her 0-Viewpoint series.

The Asia Society Hong Kong Center are leading an inspiring talks program to enable fair-goers to directly engage with some of the leading artistic trends and curatorial practices of contemporary art in Asia and beyond. This includes a panel discussion on contemporary ink curated by contemporary ink specialist Tiffany Beres. Contemporary ink is a key theme of Art Central and Tiffany Beres will also lead ink tours, showing fairgoers a few of the highlights of the more than 20 ink artists on display.

Other talks program highlights include ‘From Under the Umbrella: Art, Creativity and HK’s Evolving Identity’ exploring the city’s changing sense of identity through artistic expression with speakers Douglas Young, Co-founder and Creative Director of GOD; Jenny Suen, filmmaker; and design educator Patricia Choi. Founder and Co-creator of Creative City, Louise Wong, will moderate the conversation. ‘Downloading The King of Kowloon in Brooklyn: The New Global Relevance of Local Art’ takes Hong Kong’s King of Kowloon (Tsang Tsou-choi) as a starting point to discuss how technology is creating new global markets for local art. The discussion is led by Art Advisor Jehan Chu featuring Program Manager of the Google Cultural Institute, Lauren Nemroff Ph. D., Hong Kong cultural worker Phoebe Wong, and David Smith, Head of Digital at Asia Art Archive.

Education is an integral part of Art Central. As part of the education program, University Partner SCAD HONG KONG will conduct free educational tours providing insight into contemporary art. Those who prefer a self-guided tour are encouraged to download the Artsy app or visit the fair microsite on Artsy.net. Collectors and art enthusiasts can explore Art Central 2015, inquire on works for sale, and view special features such as highlights selected by art-world insiders.

Fair-goers can literally make their mark on Art Central with the Sovereign Art Foundation’s artist studio and Children’s Education Partner Art Loop will lead a series of Kids Tours for children aged 5-8 years old and 9-13 years old. With a strong program of educational tours and interactive arts activities, Art Central aims to inspire visitors of all ages.

The Continental pop-up restaurant and bar is set to redefine art-week-eats. Award-winning British Chef and Financial Times Weekend Magazine food writer Rowley Leigh will be at the helm with a menu drawing inspiration from the grand cafes of Europe and featuring the best ingredients from sustainable sources, serving dishes for brunch, lunch and dinner each day.

Those looking for a quick and easy bite will be amply satisfied by Classified, Beef & Liberty and Brickhouse in street food corner. From Mexican tacos and margaritas to hearty beef burgers, Art Central will be serving up flavor and style in creative new ways.

Art Central is brought to Hong Kong by the team who launched ART HK, now Art Basel, Tim Etchells, Sandy Angus, and Will Ramsay along with Managing Director of Art Central Charles Ross.