Brilliantly, she is on hand this week to steer us through the must sees and dos of our imminent Hong Kong art fair. Here are her top picks of what to visit during Hong Kong Art Basel, 2013.

The Gallery: Para/Site, Hong Kong’s non profit Art Space presents their exhibition A Journal of the Plague Year: Fear, ghosts, rebels. SARS, Leslie and the Hong Kong story. Tracing Hong Kong history and events since 2003, it contains works by Ai Wei Wei, Firenze Lai and Ming Wong among others.  www.para-site.org

The Debate:  Intelligence Squared Asia’s debate, “The Market is the Best Judge of Art’s Quality,” will be at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Friday 24 May, 6.30-8.00pm. www.intelligencesquaredasia.com

The Show:  Leung Chi Wo’s show Bright Light has Much the Same Effect as Ice is at the 2P Contemporary Gallery, 17 May – 11 June 2013, opening reception on Thursday, 23 May 2013 from 5pm – 8.30pm  www.2p-gallery.com

The Place: Hong Kong’s hottest new member’s club Duddell’s opens with the exhibition Face to Face, a show curated by Amelie von Wedel and Pernilla Holmes, exhibiting emerging and established artists from around the world that represents a rethinking of the traditional gentleman’s club friendly genre of portraiture. Duddell’s, 3F – 4F, 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong

The Party:  The Absolut Art Bar by Adrian Wong sees the Absolut Art Bureau collaborate with Hong Kong based artist Adrian to transform the basement of the Fringe Club in Central, Hong Kong into the place to go for your Art week cocktail pick me ups…      Absolut Art Bureau at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wun Dun: An Art Bar Installation by Adrian Wong 22–25 May

PIctures: Art Basel HK, Yana Peel, Intelligence Squared Asia, Ming Wong as part of Para/Site’s exhibition, Photo: Carlos Vasquez 2012, picture courtesy of the artist and the gallery, Leung Chi Wo as part of 2P Gallery’s show

Tuesday 24th May
ART HK 11 unofficially began with my hosting an intimate gathering for German photographer Candida Hofer, in my apartment, below her brilliant Napoli library print.

Candida is an artist I have long admired, and it was a dream fulfilled to talk to her and hear her stories and inspirations, while also meeting her husband Herbert Berkert, a professor of internet law. They were such an interesting couple, their minds paradigms of rarefied, classic tradition and avant garde thought. They, together with friends and the charms of gallery owners Ben Brown, Louisa Guinness and meine vernichten Paul Kasmin, made for a lively and memorable evening.

Wednesday 25th May
The official Art Fair opening, although it was at first hard to see the art through the social frenzy. Occupying the vast Convention Center was an impressive spectrum of international galleries and artists. I snapped “Ben and the Bush.” an iphoto of the dealer beneath one of his Helmut Newton works, and the Jeff Koons BMW which had a grand presence next to the Murakamis and the Japanese artist himself (not LV clad). With Art Basel’s purchase of the fair, Hong Kong will join the international art schedule – so looking forward to February 2012 already…

Thursday 26th May
The evening started off at Christie’s spring auction highlights, featuring great contemporary artists Zeng Fanzhi, Ju Ming, and Zhang Xiaogang. It was a very established presentation compared to the next event – a conceptual wedding banquet hosted by Outset, to benefit Para/Site, a conceptual art non-profit. The event was held in a dim, noisy, run-down and slightly squalid authentic Chinese banquet hall. During the many courses, we become spectators and participants in the performance. Artists paid homage to the wedding couple by curating and presenting gifts of art in the form of poetry, song, paintings and performance throughout the evening.

Before ending the evening, I took the 5 minute walk to The Space gallery, owned by my fiery friend Mandy d’Abo. The party inside celebrated Sir Peter Blake, known as the godfather of British pop art, who designed those familiar album covers for The Beatles, among many other things.

Friday 27th May
On my way to the Intelligence Squared debate, I stopped by On Pedder to meet Tom Binns who was at the center of his own jewelry exhibit and party. Inspired by bioluminescent marine life and aquariums, Tom incorporated glow-in-the-dark aspects into the jewelry pieces, and presented them in a large black cube constructed in the middle of the store. Funny he is a bit rugged in appearance in contrast to such delicate work.

Later at the Intelligent Squared event, photographer David La Chapelle and art expert Simon de Pury debated Singaporean multimedia artist Ming Wong and British art commentator Stephen Bayley on the topic “Art Must be Beautiful.” Ming Wong performed his supposition, “Art is truth,” by methodically stripping off his cheongsam and women’s support garments to reveal a modest little pair of Y fronts.

Saturday 28th May
Finally, the Peels closing party from 7:30 til late, or early as it turned out. 12 hours of sea air, culture and sin, and a “Where is Ai Wei Wei” T-shirt parting gift. Far from the 80’s RELAX (Don’t Do It), these were sobering words of truth (or beauty, or art?) to end an intoxicating week.

Yana Peel has a brilliant ability to gather people together around interesting ideas, hence Intelligence Squared Asia (IQ2) – her own interpretation of ‘intellectual entertainment’. These lively, topical debates are frequently sold-out well in advance. No ticket? Log on to the IQ2 site to view the video.

Philanthropy is paramount to Yana’s innovative Outset Contemporary Art Fund, as co-founder she connects private funding and public arts to bring an often elitist medium to a wider audience, promoting modern art for the masses. An active advocate of the arts, Yana also chairs Para/Site, a Hong Kong non-profit arts organization, and sits on various boards including the Tate International Council, Victoria Foundation and the British Fashion Council, for whom she is a worthy ambassador of British fashion, and young designers in Asia.

Just a final note of admiration for Yana; Art for Baby, the best-selling book featuring work by contemporary artists was produced by Yana in the weeks immediately following the birth of her second child. With four children of my own, this post-partum productivity really humbles me. Needless to say the book also donated its profits to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

Art patron, philanthropist, author, mom and muse – I just don’t know how she does it…

KOTUR: Name your desert island essentials?
Yana Peel: Ipod mixed by mimi brown, The New Yorker and cashew nuts

K: How would your female friends describe your style?
Y: Individual, for better or for worse

K: What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
Y: The sheepskin in which i emigrated from russia, aged 3

K: Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
Y: Starred Chanel disco jumpsuit that my daughter is one day destined to love… or loathe

K: What do you never leave home without?
Y: My conscience

KOTUR: Hot date night with your husband, what do you wear?
Y: Alaia and lip gloss

K: When home alone, what do you wear?
Y: My bluetooth earpiece and a facemask by Rodial

K: What do you wear to bed?
Y: Depends who is asking

KOTUR: You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Yana Peel: Self-consciousness

K: How old is too old for a mini?
Y: As soon as you start asking the question, it’ s too late

K: Have you ever worn anything you are now embarrassed by?
Y: Without doubt, but life is a journey not a destination

K: How high is too high a heel?
Y: Never, when your husband is 2 meters tall

K: What is your most recent purchase?
Y: Mary Katrantzou – for me, and the Victoria and Albert museum

K: What quality do you most admire in a person?
Y: Dignity. And a wicked sense of humor…

Thank you Yana Peel