'As the Hong Kong government set out to develop the creative industries around the millennium, the arts were suddenly transformed from an alternative culture into a solution to the social and economic challenges Hong Kong was facing. Beyond the staggering prices at art auctions, the art economy has taken on new manifestations in the art fairs that fill the city’s event calendar, with the Art Basel Hong Kong held in March every year putting the spotlight on “the world’s third largest art market”. In I Love Art Basel, veteran art critic and art practitioner Leung Po-shan takes the readers behind the glittering façade of Hong Kong’s art scene. From the institutionalisation of the arts and its implications on the discourse on creativity, the impact of bourgeoning art fairs on community art initiatives, to the increasing marginalisation of independent artists and freelance “art labourers” as a result of blooming cultural consumption, I Love Art Basel sheds light on the different facets of an accelerating art ecology. An essential read for long-time and aspiring art professionals and critical readers.' - from dirty press website.