Who knew you could have a pyjama party and fundraise for art at the same time? But Hong Kong’s arts lovers did just that as they gathered at St Regis Hong Kong’s ballroom to support the city’s oldest contemporary arts hub
When? November 22, 2023
Where? St Regis Hong Kong
Who? Billy Tang, Alan Lau and Jonathan Crockett
Here’s what you missed:
On November 22 evening, St Regis Hong Kong’s Ballroom looked like it was hosting a pyjama party. In reality, it was Hong Kong’s oldest contemporary arts centre Para Site’s first fundraiser gala post Covid—and art lovers, collectors and connoisseurs turned up to support and celebrate the local arts scene.
Hosted by arts patrons Shane Akeroyd, Virginia Yee, and gallerist Mimi Chun the evening’s theme was “Sunrise in Paradise” and the dress code was “I woke up like this”—think fuzzy slippers, hair rollers, nightgowns, robes and luxurious nightwear. Custom-made eye masks, designed by emerging Hong Kong artist Chan Ka Kiu, were gifted to every guest, and napkins at the place settings had embroidered phrases such as “did you wake up forgetting?”. Another fun feature of the evening was that each table was named after breakfast items such as “pancake”, "sunny side up", and "mimosa".
The spirit of the evening was relaxed and festive, and the spotlight was on the auction, which featured 58 pieces by popular artists, such as Cecilia Vicuña, and those by Hong Kong’s own Wai Pong Yu and Trevor Yeung—all of them donated by galleries and artists.
Jonathan Crockett, Phillip’s executive chairman and the guest auctioneer for the evening, helped fire up the bidding war from the start. And the very first lot, Sigg Prize-nominated artist Trevor Yeung’s Night Mushroom Colon (my old work desk) (2023)—donated by the artist and Blindspot Gallery—sold fast for HK$140,000, double its double estimated price.
In his speech, Para Site’s executive director and curator, Billy Tang, thanked patrons for their support while highlighting the challenges faced by the arts scene in the past year. He also noted that the exhibitions, public programmes and workshops Para Site was able to stage and organise this year “were particularly fruitful and unique, [and] curated by a talented team”. All proceeds from the evening will go towards hosting the art centre’s upcoming exhibitions and programmes, which have become a crucial part of the city’s burgeoning cultural landscape.