Zero 10, a digital art-theme exhibition area featuring 14 exhibitors, made its Asian debut on March 27 at the three-day Art Basel Hong Kong this year. The event drew 91,500 visitors, but scepticism towards digital art and AI use remains.
Harvey Rayner, 51, an English artist for Art Blocks, writes code and algorithms to let people generate their own digital artwork on the computer and in print.
“This type of digital artwork is not yet widely acceptable,” said Rayner.
Joan Chen, 24, an exhibitor of Art Blocks, said some buyers may not have been exposed to digital artworks before, but they find participating in the creation of digital art a novel experience.
Lydia Lee, 37, visited Rayner’s exhibition area and asked for the story behind the digital art piece creation.
“I believe the collection value of digital artworks lies in the public’s interaction with them,” said Lee. “It is only valuable if one fully participates and understands the creative logic behind it.”
“We’re really interested in educating and showing people here what generative art is,” said Rayner.
According to the Art Market Report 2026 by Arts Economics, digital art is one of the most popular purchases among high-net-worth individuals.
In the early sales of digital works at Art Basel Hong Kong this year, seven artworks priced over US$10,000 have been successfully sold.
Joshua Chan, a 36-year-old visitor, said digital art is a new trend in the art world, but he finds it difficult to assess its value because of AI development.
“I think the general public will be attracted by the interesting interactive installations in Zero 10,” he said. “But it still takes time for people to truly appreciate and accept new forms of art.”
“Everyone may use AI to generate unique works. This is not something that only artists can do in the future,” he added.
J Marcus Weekley, 50, a university teacher, said people prefer to collect paintings painted by the real person artist because they are more emotionally resonant and humane.
Sophia Wong, 19, has visited Art Basel in Hong Kong twice and is delighted to have a dedicated area showcasing these interesting digital arts this year.
“Digital artworks in the Zero 10 exhibition are appealing to me,” said Wong. “But I do not think I will purchase artworks there.”
This year’s Art Basel Hong Kong marks the second edition of the Zero 10, following its debut at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2025.
According to Art Basel officials, the next Zero 10 programme will be exhibited at Art Basel in Switzerland in June 2026.
《The Young Reporter》
The Young Reporter (TYR) started as a newspaper in 1969. Today, it is published across multiple media platforms and updated constantly to bring the latest news and analyses to its readers.
Edible art fair debuts in Hong Kong with mixed reactions
Singapore’s dining shake-up: How a wave of foreign brands is reshaping the food scene
Comments