Paintings and sculpture at Schoeni Gallery. Photos courtesy of Schoeni Gallery

Art has been the talk of the town lately with several local publications featuring articles on art and especially the art scene in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong art scene is not only changing, but growing rapidly and becoming more and more worthy of investment. But, what exactly has changed and who is benefiting and where will it take the Hongkongers?

In the past, visitors in the city had not much interest in the local art. The Hollywood Road galleries are easily accessible for visitors and they go around shopping in the streets of Mid-levels. Moreover, there are galleries showcasing art for sale. These galleries have paintings (by Asian artists) of women in straw rice hats and monks, statues of the Buddha clad in gold and mesmerizing oil paintings or lacquered works, alongside the antique Chinese furniture.

Nicole Schoeni of Schoeni Gallery says: "I encourage my clients to go to China because of all that is happening in the art world there but they still come back to me. There's a certain comfort I guess in working with Hong Kong galleries." This caters well to the western market - a market that is easily awed by the romantically mysterious orient.

But where does it leave local artists?

Arnault Castel, manager of Ka-pok, a shop-cum-gallery in Tin Hau says, "The commercial galleries (with a few exceptions) tend to show very similar artworks." Hong Kong-based artist Simon Birch agrees, saying "I'm rarely startled by artworks in Hong Kong".

High rents in Hong Kong have always dogged the residents and artists alike. Local artist Beatrix Pang says: "New spaces are very competitive in the city, in terms of living and leisure spaces, so spaces for art are not so much the priority in Hong Kong." So how can local artists living in any city apartment find or afford the space to paint?

They began to create spaces and communities for themselves, like that of the well-known Cattle Depot in To Kwa Wan and the artists village in Fo Tan. Some cafes and shops also provide space for artists to show their works. Castel, who was approached by two curators looking for a space to exhibit, says: "I thought it would be interesting to have exhibitions. I provide the space for free."

Such generosity has put Hong Kong art on the international map. The local art is now being recognized and talked about amongst art communities elsewhere.

There has also been a visible change in the galleries on Hollywood Road. Not only have they begun to stretch further, up to Caine Road, and out, as far as Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun; the works we see there are also different. Of course, there are still those that specialize in, or favor the Asian art featuring women in straw rice hats, or monks, but more and more they also represent mainland artists who are increasingly becoming diverse in their subject matter and style.

Such art is considered a good purchase. "Chinese art has become so popular because it has this identity attached to it, everyone's watching because of the economy, and they're naturally becoming curious about the art because it reflects the changes they are going through," Schoeni explains.

Yet, in some Hong Kong galleries we now see a lot more modern western art, including works by local western artists like Simon Birch who has been living in the city for the past 12 years and as well as works by non-natives, such as Banksy, Warhol and other international modern artists.

But what does it mean for local artists? Schoeni, whose gallery hosted the Banksy exhibition, says: "One thing about Chinese contemporary art is that it has reached such a high level that there are so many art lovers and collectors that can't actually afford it." She continues: "I've been running this gallery for four years now and I'm more confident and I want to change things. I think a lot of galleries showcase oil canvas but I think there are more mediums - photography, video... more mixed media works. Perhaps the new diversity in mainland art has also helped open the doors for local galleries to represent more diverse international artists."

Over the years the likes of the Hollywood Road galleries, and galleries that have additional premises in China and further afield have built a prestige for themselves amongst locals and visitors alike, as representatives of mainland and Asian artists. One thing buyers or art collectors can feel assured that there aren't any "fakes" for sale. The local galleries sell only quality paintings. They have good taste, and they understand Asian art.

This combination of developments has afforded some galleries the confidence to safely venture into representing more dynamic art, bringing the big names of modern art to the shores of Hong Kong which is something that the scene here needs; Birch says: "I'd like to see more galleries taking risks and showcasing artists who are a little less commercial."

In fact, Schoeni is looking at developing a side project called Adapter, which will showcase more international Urban art. "I love Urban art, it's very much part of our generation so I wanted to give people a chance to see what is happening overseas and also to be a part of it." She plans to kick things off in November this year, featuring Urban Artists from the UK.

Exhibitions such as these could really put Hong Kong on the regional art map, especially within Asia.

While mainland artists become more prominent both at home and abroad and galleries on the mainland flourish, Hong Kong galleries continue to invest in that market while at the same time represent western artists. Such a move could make Hong Kong one of the best players in the region for international arts especially given that the 2009 Hong Kong International Arts Fair is being planned.

People queue outside Schoeni Gallery during the Banksy exhibition.

(HK Edition 08/05/2008 page4)