TARA SOSROWARDOYO
Just three and a half months ahead of Art Basel Hong Kong’s third edition, Adeline Ooi has been selected as its new Director Asia, Art Basel announced this morning. Ooi will now oversee the development of the Hong Kong fair, which is slated to take place next year from March 15 to 17, 2015.
Ooi, who was formerly the director of the Malaysian gallery RogueArt, will replace Magnus Renfrew. In July, Renfrew announced that he would step down as Director Asia to return to Bonhams, where he is currently the deputy chairman of Asia and the director of fine arts.
In a statement, Ooi said that, despite a background in curating Southeast Asian art and having previously worked with Art Basel as the VIP Relations Manager for Southeast Asia, the new position will be a new experience for her. “While I have worked with Art Basel for the last two years, this new role will require a lot of learning, and my focus for the initial months as Director Asia will be on supporting the team in delivering the upcoming show in Hong Kong,” Ooi said, adding that she was “honored to be selected for the position.”
The announcement of Ooi as the new Director Asia is the second major change for Art Basel Hong Kong. Earlier this year, Art Basel announced that the third edition would be held in March for the first time. The other two editions were held in May.