Art Basel Hong Kong Announces 2026 Public Program Across City Venues
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Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 will present an expanded public program across the city, offering free access to film screenings, talks, experimental presentations and cultural collaborations beyond the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The program will run alongside the fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 26 to 29, with a vernissage on March 26 and public days from March 27 to 29.
Film Program Highlights
The Film program will present works by filmmakers from Asia and other regions, offering a global perspective on moving image practices. This year’s edition is curated by media artist and curator Ellen Pau, whose work has been central to the development of Hong Kong’s art and technology landscape.
A special screening and talk titled Life as a System: Time, Labor, and Storytelling in Contemporary Moving Image will be presented by the Korea Arts Management Service and ArtReview. The program examines the often unseen systems that structure daily life, followed by a discussion with artists Ayoung Kim and ikkibawiKrrr, moderated by ArtReview Editor-in-Chief Mark Rappolt.
Conversations and Key Talks
Art Basel’s flagship talks program, Conversations, will gather cultural figures from the art world and beyond for live debates on current issues in art and culture. One full day of discussions will be guest curated by Venus Lau, Director of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (Museum MACAN) in Jakarta.
Among the artist talks, Shahzia Sikander will discuss her approach to power, trade and global exchange in conversation with Doryun Chong, artistic director and chief curator of M+ in Hong Kong, on Wednesday, March 25 from 3pm to 3:45pm.
Another session, What Can Art Fairs Do for Curating? scheduled for Friday, March 27 from 12:30pm to 1:15pm, will bring together artists Ari Bayuaji, Geraldine Javier and Kongkee for a discussion moderated by Mami Kataoka, Director of Mori Art Museum in Tokyo.
Additional public programs include Beyond the Square, a March 26 conversation between inaugural M+ Director Lars Nittve and Tobias Berger, Curatorial Director of Serakai Studio, and State of Wonder, the Hong Kong Ballet’s Art Basel debut on Saturday, March 28 from 3:45pm to 4:15pm, curated by Artistic Director Septime Webre.
Exchange Circle and Citywide Collaborations
Exchange Circle will return as an open platform for short and experimental presentations that address developments in arts and culture across the region, including artist talks, group discussions, book presentations and workshops.
Art Basel and M+ will also co-commission, for the fifth year, a large-scale public artwork for the M+ Facade, presented by UBS. From March 23, 2026, Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander’s animation 3 to 12 Nautical Miles will transform the museum’s exterior with animated versions of her hand-painted watercolours, tracing currents of power, trade and global exchange.
In partnership with Tai Kwun, Tai Kwun Art Week 2026 will feature Tai Kwun Artists’ Night on Friday, March 27, an invitation-only evening of live performances, installations and music, followed by the public program Art After Hours: Beings in Motion on Saturday, March 28.
Fair Venue and Dates
Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
The vernissage is scheduled for Thursday, March 26 from 4pm to 8pm. Public days will run on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 from 2pm to 8pm, and on Sunday, March 29 from 12 noon to 6pm.
For full program details and updates, visit Art Basel Hong Kong online.