The 2024 Sovereign Asian Art Prize Finalists Exhibition and Charity Artwork Auction Launching at H Queen’s, Hong Kong
The 2024 Sovereign Asian Art Prize Finalists Exhibition will be opening its doors to the public on Wednesday 8 May 2024 at 9/F, H Queen’s on Queen’s Road Central in Hong Kong, with a private VIP Preview event held on the evening of 7 May 2024.
The much-anticipated exhibition organised by The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) will feature a diverse presentation of artworks from the 30 contemporary artists shortlisted for The 2024 Sovereign Asian Art Prize, the region’s most coveted award in contemporary art. The exhibition coincides with the 20th anniversary of The Prize, which will be celebrated with a glittering Gala Dinner event at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong on 17 May 2024.
Exhibition visitors can expect to encounter thought-provoking works by artists from 15 countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific region, including Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan. In addition, nearly two-thirds of the shortlisted artists hail from Hong Kong. The artworks, which encompass painting, mixed-media, photography, digital works, and sculpture in mediums such as marble, concrete, brass, stone, reclaimed wood, and even a work scented with precious incense, express the quality, diversity, energy, and clear vision of art made across Asia today.
Younger visitors will be able to explore the exhibition’s key themes with a special self-guided ‘Art Passport’, developed by SAF’s experienced art therapists and programme facilitators to promote family bonding and self-discovery through art. As always, visitors will be invited to cast their votes for their favourite finalist to be awarded the USD 1,000 Public Vote Prize by filling in a voting slip at the exhibition. Online votes can also be cast in the online finalist’s gallery at sovereignartfoundation.com.
A charity auction of the finalists’ artworks will also launch on 7 May 2024, affording art lovers a unique opportunity to snap up work by the best artists working in Asia today. Due to The Prize’s rigorous selection process, collectors can be assured that the artworks on offer are of investment-quality. A selected number of works can be purchased at the exhibition at a fixed price on a first-come-first-served basis, with the remainder to be auctioned live at the Gala Dinner event. Online bidding will also be offered from 7 May at hk.givergy.com/SAAP2024.
All artwork sale proceeds will be split equally between the artists and SAF’s charitable programmes, including the Make It Better (MIB) programme, which has been providing expressive arts workshops for children living in Hong Kong’s most disadvantaged communities since 2013. The workshops support the social, emotional, and behavioural challenges of children with special educational needs including autism, ADHD, and other specific learning difficulties, and are run by a professional team of registered Art Therapists.
On 11 May, the SAF team will organise a visit from a group of MIB students to the Finalists Exhibition, for a special artist-led workshop with one of this year’s Hong Kong-based finalists. The session will enable the children to learn about new artistic techniques directly from the artists, while sitting amongst the artworks themselves.
The Prize judging panel will fly into Hong Kong to attend the VIP Preview event and carry out the final phase of judging, determining the winners the USD30,000 Grand Prize and the USD5,000 Vogue Hong Kong Women’s Art Prize, respectively. This year’s judging panel comprises writer, curator and museum director, David Elliott (Chair Judge); Executive Director and Curator at Para Site in Hong Kong, Billy Tang; artist and former Prize recipient, Debbie Han; independent curator, critic and policy analyst, Marion Pastor Roces; and artist and winner of the 2023 Prize, Parul Gupta.
The winners of the Prize will be announced at the Gala Dinner event in May, which promises to bring together elite representation from the art world as well as members of Sovereign Group’s global leadership team. Interested parties can enquire about Gala Dinner tables and tickets and obtain an artwork price list by emailing art@sovereignartfoundation.com.
