Asia Art Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 39 Week of 3 November 2025
(1) Art Taipei 2025 ‘delivered’, showing the Taiwanese art market’s resilience amid challenges
The fair yielded ‘satisfying’ sales for some galleries as Taiwan’s art market navigates geopolitical tensions and global uncertainty.
(2) 15th Shanghai Biennale: Does the Flower Hear the Bee?
The 15th Shanghai Biennale, titled Does the Flower Hear the Bee?, explores intersections of human and non-human intelligence through over 250 works by 67 global artists and collectives.
(3) Artists’ Indonesia-themed works explore life, death and transformation in Hong Kong shows
Thresholds, a group exhibition running at 2 Hong Kong venues, sees 9 artists exploring Indonesian tradition to chart their spiritual journey
(4) Bonhams Presents Rare Gemstones and Iconic Jewels in Hong Kong
Exceptional Large Gemstones Including Exquisite Emeralds and Paraíba-Type Tourmaline Are Highlights of the Bonhams Hong Kong Jewels & Jadeite Sale.
(1) Art Taipei 2025 ‘delivered’, showing the Taiwanese art market’s resilience amid challenges
(Photo Credit: SCMP)
Taiwan’s robust economy—marked by a booming stock market and strong currency—coupled with high-profile art acquisitions like a Taiwanese collector’s HK$197 million purchase of a Picasso in Hong Kong, set the stage for Art Taipei 2025. Despite global art market declines and the cancellation of rival fair Taipei Dangdai, the event attracted international galleries and collectors, with organizer Taga positioning it as an accessible “kaleidoscope” catering to diverse tastes, from pop art to contemporary ink works.
The fair featured 120 booths showcasing light-hearted pop art (priced 1,300–10,000), Taiwanese modern art like Joseph Wong Chak’s Old Master Q sculptures, and contemporary pieces such as Kwon Neung’s playful historical reinterpretations. Galleries like Hanart TZ and de Sarthe reported solid sales, with prices ranging from NT2milliontoNT8 million, while highlights included the “Made in Taiwan” section’s surreal and virtual-themed works by emerging artists like Liu Hsing-yu and Riley Tu.
Despite Taiwan’s semiconductor-driven economic shield, trade tariffs and cross-strait visa restrictions limited mainland Chinese and Hong Kong participation, affecting events like the Taipei Art Week Forum. However, the fair diversified by attracting non-Chinese collectors and 52 international galleries, though major global galleries were absent. Veteran dealers emphasized Taiwan’s deep collector base and cautious but promising market potential, underscoring its resilience amid geopolitical headwinds.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3331272/art-taipei-2025-delivered-showing-taiwanese-art-markets-resilience-amid-challenges
(2) 15th Shanghai Biennale: Does the Flower Hear the Bee?
(Photo Credit: CiMAM)
The 15th Shanghai Biennale, titled Does the Flower Hear the Bee?, explores intersections of human and non-human intelligence through over 250 works by 67 global artists and collectives. Inspired by scientific discoveries about cross-species interactions, the exhibition positions contemporary art as a “privileged space” to investigate embodied interconnectedness, echoing eco-philosopher David Abram’s concept of the “more-than-human world” amid global uncertainty and ecological crises.
Conceived through collaborations with artists, curators, scientists, poets, and musicians, the Biennale emphasizes sensory attunement to diverse intelligences as a pathway beyond despair. It features notable participants like Theaster Gates, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Haegue Yang, with City Projects extending beyond the Power Station of Art to venues like Jia Yuan Hai Art Museum, fostering public engagement through screenings, workshops, and urban interventions.
Organized by the Power Station of Art—China’s first state-run contemporary art museum—the Biennale reaffirms Shanghai’s role as a hub for academic innovation since its 1996 inception. Supported by a 400-page catalog prioritizing artist voices and critical essays, the event continues its mission of tracking global social evolution while strengthening local cultural ecology through international dialogue and community-oriented programming.
News Source: https://cimam.org/find-list-biennials-here/biennials-2025/shanghai-biennale/
(3) Artists’ Indonesia-themed works explore life, death and transformation in Hong Kong shows
(Photo Credit: White Cube/SCMP)
Bali-based independent curator Galuh Sukardi has realized a long-held vision with Thresholds, a dual-venue group exhibition celebrating Indonesian contemporary art and its deep-rooted rituals. Inspired by a profound moment gazing at a sacred banyan tree wrapped in black-and-white poleng cloth—symbolizing the Balinese Hindu principle of Rwa Bhineda, the balance of opposing forces such as life and death, good and evil—Sukardi explores themes of transformation, spirituality, and cultural equilibrium. Running until January 10 at White Cube Hong Kong and until March 31 at The Hari Hong Kong, the show features nine artists connected to Indonesia, whose works in painting, sculpture, textiles, and silverware navigate personal and mythological journeys between worldly existence and the afterlife.
The exhibition highlights powerful female voices engaging with Indonesia’s layered heritage, shaped by indigenous traditions and colonial influences from Dutch, Portuguese, and Japanese rule. Dutch-Indonesian artist Jennifer Tee’s tulip petal collages reference Sumatran soul-passage textiles; Christine Ay Tjoe’s abstracts probe physical and spiritual limits; and Citra Sasmita reinterprets the lamak, a ritual cloth from Balinese temples. Igak Murniasih (Murni) channels endurance through Pengosekan-style painting, while Ines Katamso uses botanical repetition to evoke regeneration. Multidisciplinary artist Galuh Anindita dialogues with the Javanese sea goddess Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, and Nadiah Bamadhaj’s suspended sculptures—crafted from brass, steel, and buffalo hide—honor the fierce yet nurturing Hindu warrior mother Durga, reflecting the artist’s own identity as a queer mother navigating mental health and the art world.
With Indonesian art gaining global momentum, Thresholds underscores a maternal force of balance and transition, rooted in Sukardi’s reconnection with her Islamic and Indonesian heritage after years abroad. Works like Kei Imazu’s reimagining of the Maluku “coconut girl” myth and Arahmaiani’s Jawi-script abstractions promote tolerance and harmony. As Sukardi notes the rising interest from international museums and creators, the exhibition affirms that Indonesian contemporary art—especially by women—is firmly in the spotlight, bridging ancient cosmology with modern expression.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3331627/artists-indonesia-themed-works-explore-life-death-and-transformation-hong-kong-shows
(4) Bonhams Presents Rare Gemstones and Iconic Jewels in Hong Kong
(Photo Credit: BLLNR Asia)
Bonhams will host its Hong Kong Jewels and Jadeite sale on November 23, 2025, featuring a meticulously curated live auction of signed jewels, rare gemstones, and period treasures from renowned houses like Bulgari, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chaumet Paris.
The sale highlights exceptional private collections offering colored diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies of unparalleled quality and craftsmanship, targeting discerning global collectors.
Leading the auction is a pair of Colombian pear-shaped emerald pendants (64.37 and 63.19 carats) with an estimate of HK1.8–3.5 million, alongside a rare 160.75−carat unmounted Parai’ba−type tourmaline of African origin (HK2.8–5 million). Other notable pieces include a Bulgari diamond necklace and ear clip set (HK3–4million),a Cerrone faint pink diamond ring (8.00carats,HK1.6–2.5 million), and a GF & F Burmese sapphire ring (17.10 carats, HK$2.6–3.5 million).
News Source: https://www.bonhams.com/press_release/40667/
