The 44-year-old Art Basel modern art fair, which originated in Switzerland and has only exhibited in Basel and Miami, will be coming to Hong Kong for the first time on May 23-26 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The programme and works showcased at each of the shows are unique to, and defined by, the host city and region.
Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong – the official hotel for the Art Basel fair – will be celebrating the show's debut in the city by offering a promotional package and art-inspired menu featuring special dishes, chocolates and cocktails from May 20-27.
Entitled "Art Basel Stay", the package costs HK$4,899 and includes one night's accommodation with breakfast in the Clipper Lounge or Café Causette, access to the main exhibition and all auxiliary events (including admission to the Collectors Lounge and an invitation to the preview), a bottle of 'R' de Ruinart champagne, an art-inspired treat and a book about the hotel's in-house exhibition Hong Kong Eye.
From May 6 to 26 there will also be a special "art menu" available at the hotel's Michelin-starred Mandarin Grill + Bar, where chef Uwe Opocensky will create a themed three-course lunch and five-course dinner options. Tickets to the fair will be given to customers who order the special menu, which features dishes inspired by works by art legends such as Andy Warhol and Vincent van Gogh (pictured above).
Clipper Lounge will also be transformed into an exhibition space for the Hong Kong Eye art fair, showcasing over 20 of the city's emerging and established artists. Art-inspired cakes will also be available for afternoon-tea guests to enjoy, where chocolate pencils, paint brushes and artist palettes will also be served. These special edible gifts will be given to Art Basel Package guests and for sale at The Mandarin Cake Shop.
The 25th-floor M Bar, meanwhile, will serve up intoxicatingly creative cocktails named after and themed around the various exhibition sectors, namely "Insights", "Discoveries" and "Encounters".
For more information visit www.mandarinoriental.com/hongkong
Alex Andersson
