Asia's biggest exhibition of modern and contemporary art brought together 239 galleries from 35 countries and territories in Hong Kong, which has emerged as the region's top art trading hub. Organizers of Art Basel Hong Kong, which closed Saturday, shrugged off concerns about whether China's slowdown and a shaky world economy are dampening global art demand.

"Maybe I think collectors will ask a lot more questions before they agree to a sale, but I think ... it just feels like everyone is very excited about the art world," said Adeline Ooi, Art Basel's Asia director. The show is an offshoot of the annual contemporary art fair in Basel, Switzerland.

The show began in 2008 as ART HK and was bought three years ago by the same group that runs the Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach fairs. It's the biggest of a week of art-related events in Hong Kong that has attracted celebrities and billionaires from around the world.

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Text from the AP news story, AP PHOTOS: Art and art lovers blend together in Hong Kong, by Kin Cheung.

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