Membership is open to firms established in Hong Kong engaged in the sale of all forms of visual arts and is restricted to those invited and vetted by the Board of Directors.
In order to qualify for membership, a gallery will need an established reputation for professionalism among its peers, must make a contribution to the richness of the art community in Hong Kong by offering works of high aesthetic quality and presenting worthwhile exhibitions, and must be willing to proactively contribute to the associations goals.
- Integrity of business practice and ethical behaviour
- Scholarship and expertise in given field of expertise
- Exhibition history, quality of past and current programmes, artist stable and publications produced
- Minimum of two years trading as an art gallery and have a permanent exhibition space in Hong Kong
- Founding Member
- Member (Full voting right)
- Associated Member (Galleries with fewer than 2 years in operation will enjoy all benefits from the association but no voting rights until they become full Members)
- Founding members of the Association can nominate new galleries for consideration by writing a letter to the Board. The gallery will need to submit an application that will be evaluated by the Membership Committee based on the eligibility criteria listed above. For further information please send an email to membership@hk-aga.org.
One of the key objectives of the Hong Kong Art Gallery Association is to help further best practices among its members. As such we expect that the Association’s members will conduct themselves with the highest standards of connoisseurship, scholarship and ethical practices and uphold the prestige and credibility conferred by the Association.
Upon becoming members to the Association member’s pledge
- that they are professional and responsible gallerists and assume complete responsibility for the authenticity of the works they sell
- that they are experienced and knowledgeable in the types of art they offer for sale so that purchasers may buy from HKAGA members with confidence and good faith
- to conduct their business professionally, fairly, with integrity and with the courtesy and respect due to clients, artists, staff, colleagues and the general public
When dealing with clients, members will
- accurately describe all artworks and provide, upon selling an artwork, a written invoice and/or certificate of authenticity containing its detailed description
- reassure the client, through this documentation, that the Member has conducted, to the best of their ability, the necessary due diligence to ensure that the work is the authentic work of the artist and that clear and unencumbered title is passed to the buyer
When dealing with artists, members will
- act professionally and respect the agreed terms of representation
- act responsibly in handling, packing, shipping and storage of the artist’s artworks
In order to support market integrity in Hong Kong, members will
- give fair and impartial judgement when providing an opinion relating to competitors or their art work, and deal with their fellow members and other participants in the art market in such honourable manner with which they themselves would like to be dealt
- never knowingly buy, sell or exhibit stolen works of art, and cooperate, according to local laws, with authorities in their efforts to identify, locate and recover stolen works
- not participate in transactions which, to the best of their knowledge, can result in money-laundering operations
- abide by fair practices and truth in advertising
