PHILLIPS AUCTION HOUSE AND CAPELLA HOTEL GROUP LAUNCH GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP “LIVING ART”
An Exceptional Work by Chinese Abstract Master Zao Wou-Ki in Phillips’ Modern & Contemporary Art Hong Kong Evening Sale, Complemented by a Bespoke Capella Curates Experience
To Be Unveiled During an Exclusive Preview at Capella Taipei Alongside Paintings by Leading Modern and Contemporary Artists, Including Gerhard Richter, Yayoi Kusama, and Kazuo Shiraga
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Zao Wou-Ki Sans titre (La Théière), 1951 oil on canvas, 54 x 65 cm. Estimate: HK$10,000,000-15,000,000/US$1,280,000 - 1,920,000 |
Hong Kong - 11 September 2026 – During Hong Kong Art Week this March, Phillips and Capella Hotel Group debuted their Living Art partnership. This Fall, the collaboration enters its next chapter with the offering of an exceptional work by Chinese abstract master Zao Wou-Ki in Phillips' Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale in Hong Kong on 30 September. Complementing the acquisition, the successful bidder will receive an exclusive invitation to Capella Taipei, for a suite stay elevated by a Capella Curates experience created entirely around them — an experience as singular as the work of art itself.
Ahead of the sale, the painting will be unveiled at Capella Taipei as part of an intimate private preview showcasing highlights from Phillips' upcoming Hong Kong auctions. The Living Art partnership will then continue to Shanghai during Art Week this November, with a specially curated exhibition presented by Phillips at Capella Shanghai, further extending the dialogue between exceptional art, collecting, and cultural experiences across Asia.
Dina Zhang, Head of Modern & Contemporary Art, China, Phillips, said: "We are honoured to collaborate with Capella Hotel Group in bringing the Living Art philosophy to life through a series of thoughtfully curated experiences. This September, our partnership is particularly meaningful, as it centers on an exceptional work by Zao Wou-Ki, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. By combining the acquisition of this remarkable painting with a bespoke Capella Curates experience and an exclusive preview at Capella’s newest property in Asia, we are creating special opportunities for collectors to engage with art in deeply personal and memorable ways."
Roland Fasel, President, Capella Hotel Group, says, “As a custodian of the destination, each Capella hotel seeks to reveal its character through meaningful, curated experiences. Capella Curates, our signature programming, brings this philosophy to life— connecting guests more deeply with the people, traditions and cultural stories that shape each destination to create a more personal and lasting understanding of place. Art has always been part of how we express that in our hospitality: something to be lived in, returned to, and carried with you long after you've checked out. Our partnership with Phillips gives that philosophy a deeper expression.”
Zao Wou-Ki's Sans titre (La Théière)
Zao Wou-Ki's Sans titre (La Théière) (1951), painted in the year of the artist’s transformative encounter with the work of German artist Paul Klee, captures the emergence of the visual language that would later establish him as one of the 20th century's most celebrated abstract painters. While the still-life motifs of a teapot, vase, and flowers remain discernible, they are already infused with the calligraphic vitality, spatial freedom, and poetic abstraction that would become the hallmarks of his mature practice. Serving as a remarkable synthesis of Western modernism and Chinese artistic traditions, the work reveals Zao's unique ability to bridge cultures, drawing upon the structural lessons of European avant-garde painting while retaining the spirit and philosophy of classical Chinese ink painting.
Its exceptional art historical significance is matched by outstanding provenance and exhibition credentials. Acquired directly from the artist by the renowned American publisher Harry N. Abrams and Nina Abrams, the painting remained within the Abrams family for more than half a century before entering an important Asian private collection. It was featured in Zao's first New York exhibition at Cadby-Birch Gallery in 1952, one of the earliest introductions of the artist's work to American audiences, and later included in the influential exhibition School of Paris 1959: The Internationals at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, where Zao was presented alongside leading figures of the postwar European avant-garde.
Capella's Living Art Philosophy
Designed by André Fu Studio as Taipei's "modern mansion," Capella Taipei opened in April 2025 above the tree-lined boulevards of the Songshan district, offering sweeping views of the Taipei 101 skyline and the city's surrounding hills. Since opening, the hotel has earned recognition including "Best New Opening" at the Wallpaper* Design Awards, with daily cultural programming led by its in-house Culturists connecting guests to the people, craft, and stories of the city.
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Capella Taipei |
Across Capella, collaborations with local artists, artisans and craftspeople help shape the story and identity of each property. Art is not treated simply as decoration, but as part of the guest journey — transforming hospitality spaces into cultural experiences and giving each hotel a distinctive sense of place, emotional resonance and cultural depth.
This philosophy forms the foundation of Living Art. Capella hotels can be experienced almost as living galleries, where art, architecture, craftsmanship and storytelling come together to shape atmosphere and a guest’s relationship with the destination.
The partnership with Phillips, inspired by the Living Art philosophy, will continue this November at Capella Shanghai during Art Week, alongside the Capella Curates Conversation Series hosted at Phillips' Asia headquarters in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District. Together, these initiatives celebrate a partnership that reflects the growing convergence of art, culture, and hospitality, creating meaningful experiences that engage collectors, connoisseurs, and global audiences alike.
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Phillips Modern & Contemporary Art Hong Kong Evening Sale: 30 September
Public Viewing: 21-30 September, 11:00-19:00
Location: Phillips Asia Headquarters, GF, WKCDA Tower, West Kowloon Cultural District, No. 8 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong