Dive into Art Basel Hong Kong 2026

From the debut of Chan Wai Lap’s new immersive installation in the UBS Art Studio, to a spirited display of works by 20 international artists in the UBS Lounge and UBS One.

At Art Basel Hong Kong 2026, UBS unveils vibrant UBS Art Collection presentations that invite visitors to find the playfulness in the everyday.

In the UBS Lounge, ‘Beyond Pop: Art of the Everyday’ features works in the UBS Art Collection by 20 international artists – representing different generations, geographies and movements – who turn to quotidian objects and materials as their subject matter. Bridging fine art and popular culture with clarity and wit, the familiar becomes newly charged, commonplace forms take on fresh meaning and mass-produced imagery is retooled to evoke nostalgia, examine consumerism or reflect personal and collective identities. In the company of American pop stalwarts like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha and Wayne Thiebaud, artists such as Katherine Bernardt, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Jose Dávila bring a contemporary cadence to the theme. And while this presentation extends an earlier iteration shown at Art Basel in Miami Beach 2025, Hong Kong brings a decisive regional resonance. Artists with roots and reflections across Asia — among them Steph Huang, Hong Hao and Ma Qiusha — mirror the city’s own cultural charge and vibrancy.

Highlighted in the display are works by Hong Kong artist Chan Wai Lap, whose paintings, drawings and installations are often rooted in personal experience, memory and everyday happenings. Known for exploring the relationship between public space and personal identity, Chan transforms familiar environments into places for reflection, where the audience negotiates the subtle power dynamics between public and private, self and other.

The conversation continues beyond the Lounge with the display in UBS One expanding on the theme. A space unique to the Art Basel Hong Kong fair, the UBS One Lounge this year will be animated by Michael Craig-Martin’s 'Folio', a portfolio of 12 colorful screenprints pairing a familiar domestic item with a contemporary “designer” object.

In the UBS Art Studio, Chan Wai Lap takes center stage with 'Mimimomo Pool' (2026), a major installation commissioned by the UBS Art Collection. An immersive take on the artist’s pool-inspired works, the installation draws from a tongue-in-cheek Cantonese expression describing a slow, sluggish state — inviting visitors to pause and find respite amid the vibrant pace of Art Basel Hong Kong.

Developed from Chan’s drawing ‘Dreaming of Swimming Pools 12’ (2024–25) — a work in the Collection that will be featured in the UBS Lounge — this interactive circular installation turns the logic of the pool into a lived and shared experience. It consists of a carpet printed with the original drawing underfoot, mosaic-detailed elements that shimmer like tiled edges, built-in massage rollers that suggest the quiet luxury of letting go and parasols casting color like sunlit ripples.

Functioning both as a breathing space and communal experience, Chan Wai Lap’s ‘Mimimomo Pool’ is a playful but elegant reminder that the most resonant art doesn’t only catch the eye — it changes the rhythm of the room, and for a moment, lets a crowd move together as if by tide rather than current.

Don’t “mimimomo” — visit the UBS Art Studio at Level 1 of Art Basel Hong Kong 2026, post your experience on Instagram tagging @UBSGlobalArt and #UBSArt, and show your post at the booth to claim a limited-edition towel designed by Chan Wai Lap, while stocks last (please see disclaimer below).

Looking to the upcoming fair, Amy Lo, Chairman, UBS Global Wealth Management Asia, Head and Chief Executive, UBS Hong Kong, said: "Art Basel Hong Kong continues to serve as the leading art fair in the region, providing an essential platform for collectors to discover a rich tapestry of groundbreaking galleries and visionary artists of our time. This year, we are thrilled to continue our support and commitment to the local art community by featuring an immersive installation by Hong Kong artist Chan Wai Lap that reflects the city's vibrant culture. The Art Basel and UBS Global Collecting Survey 2025 emphasized how collecting behaviors are evolving in Asia and beyond, driven by new tastes and approaches, and this new work commissioned by UBS reflects the changing ways collectors engage with art. We believe in using contemporary art to bring together ideas, inspiration and perspectives, enriching lives and fostering deeper connections among audiences and artists alike.”