Vincent de Sarthe and Gabby Usinger, co-owners of de Sarthe Gallery, report back from Art Basel Hong Kong.
Vincent de Sarthe and Gabby Usinger in front of Mak2’s “Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy” installation at Art Basel Hong Kong’s Encounters show
With his deep-rooted family history in the art business, Scottsdale-based Vincent de Sarthe, co-owner of de Sarthe Gallery (desarthe.com), brings a wealth of experience to the table. “It started back in the ’80s in San Francisco, where my father had a gallery,” says de Sarthe, who now runs the business with his partner, Gabby Usinger. Following an L.A. outpost, de Sarthe Gallery opened in Hong Kong and Beijing, establishing its presence on the Chinese contemporary scene.
Lov-Lov’s Everything is Unreal Until It’s Not show included video art.
The gallery’s involvement in Art Basel Hong Kong has been instrumental in shaping its identity on an international scale. “Art Basel is more than just an art fair; it’s a cultural phenomenon,” de Sarthe says. “It is like our Super Bowl. It’s the ultimate platform to showcase our artists and engage with a global audience of collectors and enthusiasts.”
Like Art Basel in Switzerland and Miami, Art Basel Hong Kong presents the art world’s top talent, with galleries from 40 countries and territories worldwide this year. The 2024 fair grew substantially to include 242 international galleries, up 65 exhibitors from 2023.
Zhong Wei, “Two People Stay Somewhere Unnamed”
For the 2024 fair, de Sarthe Gallery presented new work from several of its artists, including a large-scale installation by Hong Kong-based conceptual artist Mak2 for the Encounters exhibition. The immersive, site-specific piece, titled “Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy,” connects two Art Basel booths top to bottom, a first at the fair. “It’s a complete commentary on the art world and how she imagines it’ll be 200 years from now,” says de Sarthe, who notes that other pieces by Mak2 appeared in the show.
Lov-Lov “Shines Brilliantly, Shines Miragely;” another view of Lov-Lov’s Everything is Unreal Until It’s Not show
In addition to Mak2, works by Chan Ka Kiu, Lov-Lov, Lu Xinjian and more were displayed. While all pieces are unique and different, themes exploring AI and humanity at large permeated de Sarthe’s booth and the fair overall. Being that the show is in China, certain restrictions are in place, but that doesn’t hamper creativity. “It forces artists to take a higher bird’s eye view on social issues,” says Usinger. “I’m happy to see them explore questions about society and where we’re all going. How do we keep our humanity and our soul and our decision-making as people and artists?” Other themes de Sarthe and Usinger noticed focused on humanity’s purpose, decay and the future.
The gallery’s booth included works by Zhong Wei, Lov-Lov, Chan Ka-Kiu, Zhong Wei, Mak2 and more.
Back home in Scottsdale, the duo is preparing for a residency with artist Brian Bracken this summer, followed by a show of his work. “We started residencies in Hong Kong because a lot of artists don’t have big studios or any space whatsoever,” says de Sarthe. “They allow people to come in and see the process of an artist and see this living, breathing thing that they’re doing.”
The gallery’s booth included works by Zhong Wei, Lov-Lov, Chan Ka-Kiu, Zhong Wei, Mak2 and more.
Beyond that, de Sarthe and Usinger, who recently got engaged, plan to continue getting inspired at local galleries and museums like SMoCA and the Phoenix Art Museum. “We especially love [SMoCA’s] James Turrell sunrise events,” Usinger shares. “You can sit there as the sun comes up, which is really beautiful.” They try to attend at least one art happening each week. “We like to involve ourselves in the community and keep aware of everything that’s going on,” de Sarthe adds.
The couple remains committed to creating a supportive environment where artists feel empowered to push boundaries, explore new ideas and remain optimistic about the future of the art world, specifically in the Scottsdale area. “The more you attend these events, the more people will put them on,” says de Sarthe. “We’ve already seen the scene grow a lot in Arizona.”
In The Know
VINCENT DE SARTHE AND GABBY USINGER REVEAL THEIR HONG KONG HOT SPOTS.
STAY
Central Side
The Upper House, thehousecollective.com
St. Regis Hong Kong, marriott.com
Kowloon Side
Rosewood Hong Kong, rosewoodhotels.com
DINE
Ando, andohk.com
Louise, louise.hk
Madame Fu, madamefu.com.hk
PLAY
Lan Kwai Fong (LKF), discoverhongkong.com
SHOP
Central Side Pacific Place, pacificplace.com.hk *Joyce & Harvey Nichols are Musts
Kowloon Side K11 Art Mall, hk.k11.com
EXPLORE
Asia Society Hong Kong, asiasociety.org
Hong Kong Museum of Art, hk.art.museum
K11 Musea, k11musea.com
M+, mplus.org.hk
Southside Saturday, southsidesaturday.com
