Interviews

Wendy Xu on Hong Kong

Based in Hong Kong, Wendy Xu joined White Cube in 2017 and has been instrumental in managing the regional operations and driving the business development for the gallery across Asia, which now has representation in key markets including China and Korea, alongside overseeing the day-to-day operations of the gallery in Hong Kong. Wendy joined White Cube from Christie’s where she served as Associate Vice President, Director of Operations, China for four years and gained a deep understanding on the secondary market. She oversaw Christie’s first auction in China in 2013 – the first for any international auction house, and managed the organisation's operations for both Shanghai and Beijing offices. Wendy started her career in the hospitality sector working for international hotel brands including Hyatt International and Jumeirah Group. A native Shanghainese, she studied Fashion Design at Lasalle International Design College and then later went on to complete an MBA at the Macau University of Science & Technology.

by Mara Sartore

May 17, 2022

Mara Sartore
Wendy Xu

When White Cube Hong Kong opened its doors to the public on 2 March 2012, Hong Kong at that time was a very different city. Can you tell us about the art scene and the atmosphere in Hong Kong at that time?

White Cube opened its doors in Hong Kong in March 2012 as the gallery’s first outpost outside the United Kingdom with Gilbert & George as our inaugural exhibition. Globally, White Cube has been operating for 29 years (founded in 1993 in London) and our outpost in Hong Kong was very much an opportunity for White Cube to further build cultural cross collaborations between West and East, and vice versa.

When the gallery opened 10 years ago, there was certainly a thriving local cultural scene driven by artists and galleries in the city, but there was just a handful of international galleries establishing a presence in Hong Kong.

When ART HK launched its first edition in 2008, it quickly emerged as the first truly international contemporary and modern art fair to be staged in Hong Kong, and then led to its transition into Art Basel’s Asian flagship in 2013. And since then, more international galleries opened in the city alongside a growing cultural landscape with the opening of M+ at West Kowloon District (2021) and Tai Kwun (2018) and the reopening of the Hong Kong Museum of Art 2019.

The art scene in Hong Kong has gone from strength to strength and it continues to be a in positive position both geographically and culturally to cement itself a truly international hub for cross cultural collaborations.

Georg Baselitz, Die Frau mit der Kongomaske (The Woman with the Congo Mask), 2021. Courtesy White Cube

In September 2014 pro-democracy protests occupying the street known as ‘The Umbrella Revolution’ placed Hong Kong on the front pages of all international press. In January 2018 H Queen Building opened its door to a wide group of important galleries, David Zwirner, to mention one, the city’s art scene was growing very rapidly. At the end of 2019 the outbreak of the pandemic closed down the city and isolated it from the rest of the world for nearly two years. How has the contemporary art scene reacted to this situation, what is the new Hong Kong like?

While events over the last few years have certainly had their impact on international visitors coming to Hong Kong, the art community in the city has continued to stage exhibitions, auctions, art fairs, with strong attendance from local audiences. While face to face interaction is important in this industry, we have had to look at other means to communicating with international audiences through online sales, online videos of our Hong Kong exhibitions and heighten electronic communication with our colleagues and clients.

However, we remain confident in the resilience of Hong Kong as an international hub, and we anticipate that the market will bounce back.

A protester holds an umbrella on a main road in the occupied areas outside government headquarters in Hong Kong's Admiralty on Oct. 9, 2014. Photo credits: Kin Cheung—AP

The edition of Art Basel from 27-29 May 2022 is taking place in a different Hong Kong, has the fair taken on a “more regional” character, aimed mainly at Asian collectors? Or do you think Art Basel HK can still attract a wide international audience?

Last year’s fair was an enormous success for the gallery despite restrictive Covid protocols in the city, and we are optimistic that this year’s fair will be equally fruitful for visitors, collectors and galleries alike, especially as social distancing measures have increasingly relaxed. While we anticipate interest from remote buyers, we expect to sell largely to Hong Kong collectors.

Danh Vo, Untitled, 2020. Courtesy White Cube

What will you be showing during ABHK and what are your plans for the future? Will you participate in Frieze Seoul and will the Korean city become the new hub for contemporary art in Asia after HK?

For Art Basel Hong Kong, we will present a selection of some 40 works from a selection of international artists including Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, David Altmejd, Georg Baselitz, Tracey Emin, Theaster Gates, Antony Gormley, Mona Hatoum, Rachel Kneebone, Imi Knoebel, Christian Marclay, Julie Mehretu, Sarah Morris, Isamu Noguchi, Park Seo-Bo, Magnus Plessen, Takis and Andy Warhol among others.

As mentioned, we remain confident in the resilience of Hong Kong as an international hub and the wider Asia region. The gallery will participate in key international fairs in the region, including the inaugural edition of Frieze Seoul (September 2022) as well as West Bund Art & Design, Art 021 in Shanghai (November 2022), Art SG (January 2023), and Taipei Dangdai (May 2023), as these fairs remain pivotal to engage with local collectors.