Sassy Mama’s Family-Friendly Guide to the Affordable Art Fair

Itching for a cultural family outing away from the humidity? From Friday, 22 May – Sunday, 24 May, treat your kids to an afternoon of creative exploration at the third annual Affordable Art Fair. Held at the Hong Kong Convention Exhibition Centre, browse the colourful contemporary artscape featuring thousands of prints, sculptures, paintings and photography pieces across 130 galleries. While you feast your eyes on potential art for your home (all under $100,000), your kids can channel their inner artist through a series of building, drawing and learning workshops listed below.

How to Get Tickets

This event is FREE for kids under 16 when accompanied by an adult. Otherwise, beat the door queues – and prices – with a 2 for 1 ticket offer on HK Ticketing through Thursday, 21 May. In keeping with the affordability theme, general admission is $150, and $80 for full-time students and senior citizens. DBS credit card holders can also enjoy an exclusive 10% discount upon buying an adult ticket.

Children’s Art Studio

Sponsored by The Sovereign Art Foundation, this workshop is an unbounded opportunity for kids to harness their creative edge through various mediums. Tots will have an absolute field day tagging the Sovereign Art Foundation graffiti wall, or tracing and drawing pictures on the Perspex wall, both far better alternatives than on your home furnishings! For a more ‘hands-on’ diversion, experience the feel of kinetic sand, a cutting-edge moldable material made from 98% sand and 2 parts magic. 

Gallery Speed Dating

Finding the right art piece is a lot like falling in love – you just know when it happens, and you can’t stop thinking about it. Discover your art world soulmate via an informative Gallery Speed Dating tour, displaying various art styles, mediums, and artists from 5 galleries. As the name suggests, this speedy 30-minute lesson satisfies the shortest of attention spans, ideal for bringing your little ones along.

Art Home

Because the size of your home should never limit the size of your art collection, this exhibit will inspire you and your family to artfully jazz up your humble abode. Collaborating with Home Journal and interior designer Candas Campos, Art Home features over 50 artworks – all under $10,000 – demonstrating how you can display your collection, big or small.

DBS Spark Corner

Art Loop presents a Fill in Love and Colour creative workshop, inviting artists of all ages to participate in a crowd-sourced art project. Kids will obsess over the colourful stickers, materials and drawing pencils available, whereby a different colour represents a different day of the fair to show its progression throughout the weekend.

Young Talent Hong Kong

Curated by Eric Leung Shiu Kee and in its third year, Young Talent Hong Kong provides a platform for up-and-coming talents to launch their careers. Featuring local artists displaying experimental pieces and new media video works, this innovative exhibition is sure to capture the budding imaginations of your young ones.

Food & Drink

No afternoon of art perusing would be complete without an indulgent break time, exclusively at Peroni Bar and Nespresso Cafe. As you relax and gather yourself for the next round of art touring, now’s the perfect time to deliberate over potential art buys!

Other Events

An expert-led series of talks and tours will take you on a journey through the contemporary art scene, some events suitable for all ages. Kids will love the interactive art displays, among them local artist Nina Pryde’s live painting demo using traditional Chinese inks. Be on the lookout for other talks aimed at nurturing the creative process in children, allowing them to appreciate and discover techniques and time going into making art.