Art Central 2026 opened March 25 on the Central waterfront in Hong Kong, featuring more than 100 galleries and 500 artists, introducing a new “Central Stage” program to spotlight emerging international artists, and aiming to connect Hong Kong, Asia, and the global contemporary art scene.
Breaking Out
New “Central Stage” Debut
Right: Marta Frėjutė. Photo by Mantas Bartaševičius. Courtesy of the artist and Meno Parkas Gallery.
This year’s fair is curated by Wing-yee Yung and Derek Cheng, who combine international perspective with local insight to give the fair new momentum. The debut “Central Stage” program focuses on artists who have recently emerged at international cultural institutions, including Tokyo art collective SIDE CORE, known for city intervention work, Iranian-American artist Elnaz Javani, and Lithuanian artist Marta Frėjutė.
Crossing Boundaries
When Sculpture Meets Digital, When Tradition Embraces the Future
The fair is larger than ever, bringing together more than 100 galleries and 500 artists, reinforcing its status as a flexible and forward-looking contemporary art fair in the Asia Pacific region, and breaking conventional exhibition formats. A highlighted section titled “Alternative Sculpture and Installation Projects” will present five large-scale installations, three of which are by Hong Kong artists, including OrangeTerry’s “Ready-made Faith” and Mo Kaijing’s “Formed Vessel.” The works emphasize experimental materials and exploratory concepts. A new unit called “C3NTR4L+” blends digital art with booth presentations, reflecting Art Central’s drive for change and innovation.
The fair places special emphasis on emerging galleries and artists. The Neo section welcomes six returning galleries and four first-time exhibitors this year, presenting cutting-edge artistic voices. Visitors can find work from contributors ranging from Marco Lu, a founding member of the Chinese underground anti-mainstream group Nameless Painting Association, to London-based digital artist Maxim Zhestkov, all offering boundary-pushing experiments.
Corey Andrew Barr, director of Art Central, said, “This year the fair will continue to nurture and promote the emergence of new perspectives, building bridges between Hong Kong, Asia, and the international art community. We want visitors on the Central waterfront to experience our core idea of ‘encountering art, embracing wonder,’ and to see how art can be seamlessly integrated into everyday life.”
Whether you are an experienced collector, an art professional, or a curious observer of visual culture, Art Central 2026 is worth engaging with. The fair offers a visual and sensory program where visitors can explore the possibilities of contemporary Asian art.
Date: March 25 to 29, 2026
Schedule:
March 25, noon to 5 p.m., public hours; 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Central Night, an evening program
March 26 to 27, noon to 7 p.m.
March 28, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
March 29, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Central waterfront, 9 Lung Wo Road, Central, Hong Kong (along the Central waterfront)
