Art Basel cancels Hong Kong fair over virus outbreak

Japanese artist Tatsuo Miyajima's light installation for Art Basel Hong Kong 2016 entitled 'Time Waterfall' is projected onto the facade of the International Commerce Centre (ICC) (centre) on the Kowloon waterfront. This year's Art Basel Hong Kong, one of the international art market's largest and most prestigious events, has been cancelled. Photo: AFP

Art Basel is to cancel its Hong Kong fair because of the coronavirus outbreak, it said Friday, scrapping one of the international art market's largest and most prestigious events.

The decision is fresh misery for Hong Kong, which has seen multiple major sporting and entertainment events pulled thanks to months of political unrest and now a growing health crisis.