Converging contemporary art, public space and participatory
experience, UBS will showcase local artist Chan Wai Lap in the UBS Art
Studio at Art Basel Hong Kong. This special commission will present an
immersive take on the artist's pool-inspired works. The installation
highlights UBS's continued commitment to supporting the local art
community and fostering dialogue, interaction and contemporary cultural
exchange. In the UBS Lounge, the UBS Art Collection will present
Beyond Pop: Art of the Everyday, which will feature works byadiverse range of global artists that explore the connection between fine art and popular culture.
HONG KONG SAR -
Media OutReach Newswire
- 4 February 2026 – As Global Lead Partner, UBS proudly presents the
2026 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong, 27-29 March 2026, drawing together
collectors, curators, artists and art enthusiasts from around the world
to the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Center.
"Art Basel Hong Kong continues to serve as the leading art fair in the
region, offering collectors an important platform to discover a rich
tapestry of groundbreaking galleries and visionary artists of our time.
This year, we are thrilled to continue our support and commitment to the
local art community by presenting an immersive installation by Hong
Kong artist Chan Wai Lap that reflects the city's vibrant culture. The
Art Basel and UBS Global Collecting Survey 2025 highlights how
collecting behaviors are evolving in Asia and beyond, driven by new
tastes and approaches, and this new commission by UBS reflects the
changing ways collectors engage with art. We believe in using
contemporary art to bring together ideas, inspiration, and people
together - enriching lives, and fostering deeper connections between
artists, audiences, and the communities they serve," says
Amy Lo, Chairman, UBS Global Wealth Management Asia, Head and Chief Executive, UBS Hong Kong.
"We are pleased to feature Chan Wai Lap's works at the upcoming edition
of Art Basel Hong Kong. His practice offers a compelling lens through
which to consider how everyday spaces carry deeper emotional and social
resonance. The UBS Art Collection is dedicated to nurturing innovative
artistic practices that engage audiences in meaningful ways, and Chan's
installation embodies that mission. Through this work, he is creating a
space that examines the nuances of personal experience and community."
says
Mary Rozell, Global Head of the UBS Art Collection.
Celebrating Local Artist Chan Wai Lap in the UBS Art Studio and UBS Lounge
Commissioned by the UBS Art Collection, the installation
Mimimomo Pool (2026) by Chan Wai Lap draws from a tongue-in-cheek
Cantonese expression depicting a slow, sluggish state, inviting
visitors to pause and find respite amid the vibrant pace of Art Basel
Hong Kong. Developed from Chan's drawing
Dreaming of Swimming Pools 12 (2024–25)—a work in the Collection
that will be featured in the UBS Lounge—the interactive circular
installation explores community, connection and shared experience.
Featuring a carpet printed with the original drawing, mosaic‑adorned
structures, built‑in massage rollers and brightly colored parasols,
Mimimomo Pool creates a playful communal space within the fair.
Chan will join Elaine Choi, UBS Art Collection (APAC) and Mizuki
Takahashi, Executive Director and Chief Curator of CHAT (Centre for
Heritage, Arts and Textile) for a discussion on his practice, the
commissioned installation
Mimimomo Pool (2026) and his works for CHAT's presentation at the
fair. The talk is part of Art Basel Hong Kong's Conversations and will
take place on Saturday, March 28 at 12:30pm.
Beyond Pop: Art of the Everyday in the UBS Lounge and UBS One
This presentation features works in the UBS Art Collection by artists,
representing different generations, geographies and art movements, who
find inspiration in quotidian objects and materials, bridging the gap
between fine art and popular culture. While traditional art often draws
from figures, history or landscapes, these artists explore commonplace
items, infusing new meaning into their chosen mediums and materials.
They elevate these objects for different purposes—to evoke nostalgia or
familiarity, reflect personal and collective identities or examine
consumerism through mass produced imagery, transforming the ordinary
into impactful works of art.
Artists featured in this display include Farah Al Qasimi, Katherine
Bernhardt, Chan Wai Lap, Anne Collier, Michael Craig-Martin, Jose
Dávila, Gabriel de la Mora, Sylvie Fleury, Hong Hao, Steph Huang, Roy
Lichtenstein, Luo Brothers, Ma Qiusha, Claes Oldenburg, Hilary Pecis, Ed
Ruscha, Wayne Thiebaud, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Andy Warhol, and Zheng
Guogu. Chan's works will be presented with a site-specific backdrop,
also commissioned by the UBS Art Collection, that ties to his practice
and explores how everyday environments inspire contemporary art,
inviting visitors to delve into the intersection of daily life and
artistic expression.
The UBS Art Collection is one of the most important corporate
collections of contemporary art with over 40,000 artworks by influential
artists of our time.
Championing Moving Image at M+
For the fifth year, UBS presents a monumental public artwork on the M+
Facade in the West Kowloon Cultural District, co-commissioned by Art
Basel and M+. Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander, whose works
are also included in the UBS Art Collection, will transform the museum's
exterior with a hand-painted animation,
3 to 12 Nautical Miles. This radiant cinematic tableau, animated
from hand-painted images, navigates the enduring currents of power and
trade that have shaped the global landscape from the nineteenth century
to the modern era. This commission reflects UBS and Art Basel's
commitment to bringing contemporary art into the public realm. The work
will be shown on the M+ Facade every night from Monday, 23 March to
Sunday, 21 June 2026.
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