Chinese Contemporary Art is Symbolic of a Changing Market
Ancient pictographs depict China as the Land of the Middle Kingdom, suspended half way between heaven and earth and blessed by splendid isolation from the rest of the world. In this century, this sprawling nation of 1.3 billion sits squarely in the real world, striving to find a place and a voice in a vast and rapidly-expanding global economic marketplace. In spite of its transition to new-found prosperity, China remains a country of stark contrasts. The language of wealth, materialism and a new-found lifestyle for a privileged few co-exists with the poverty and illiteracy of a far-flung and uninformed rural populous, divided, as it were, by language and centuries of isolation and ethnic conflict.
The hide-bound and myopic patriarchal leadership of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) regularly co-mingles with the rapidly-emerging intellectual and business communities of the urban centers of financial power and influence; each continues to view the other warily and with mutual distrust. Both factions of the political/social divide, however, reap the enhanced financial and political benefits that free trade policies offer. Additionally, more open access to unfiltered news, spawned by the technology of the Information Age, lurks in the background as an omnipresent threat to the reins of control customarily applied to the general population. In spite of this uneasy shift to social transparency for the power-elite, China continues to transition from economic oblivion; emerging as a major sphere-of-influence on the international playing field, far exceeding anything they could have envisioned for themselves—this once-remotest of lands– given a national legacy veiled in mystery, spaning five millennia.
China’s long history places a premium on tradition and old-world values. These principles of personal anonymity, isolationism and secrecy, loyalty to political dogma, ancestral worship and strong family values have served as both a mainstay and a barrier to progress over the years. Twentieth century politics in China has been dominated by leaders, like Mao Zedong, who have been able to effectively capitalize on these cultural norms: to control agricultural production, promote political loyalty and limit free-thinking. The decade-long Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) proved deadly for those who embraced remnants of the feudal past or proclaimed any modicum of liberal, artistic, religious or intellectual thought that did not tow the party line.
Following Mao’s death in 1976, there was a period of social and industrial experimentation under the direction of Deng Xiaoping, as he attempted to strengthen China’s standing in the world as an economic power. By the 1980s, China had earned “most favored nation” status with the U.S. and, with that, information, outside investment, retail brands and all forms of pop culture began to pour into the country. The establishment of Special Economic Zones in larger coastal cities, such as Hong Kong and Shanghai introduced the Chinese to Western economic opportunities and to the development of a new concept—an emerging middle class created by successful business ventures. With the government’s response to the student protests in Tiananmen Square in 1992, much of the creative energy within the artistic community went underground. What followed was a decade of government-sponsored crackdowns and a return to old-school, “Great Wall” isolationism. This only appeared to end during the period leading up to the arrival of the Summer Olympics in Bejjing in 2008 and the emergence of China’s new face as a manufacturer and exporter of goods in the global marketplace in the early years of this new century. The West, and particularly the United States, eagerly sought out the limitless supply of cheap labor and production capacity that China now offered; as the recipients of this largess withing the PRC quickly moved to embrace the once-forbidden capitalistic market model.
So, what accounts for the rapid emergence of a new generation of artists, living and working in a country that, for all intents and purposes, has a reputation for not supporting or even welcoming creative or independent expression? Furthermore: if contemporary Chinese art is being so fiercely sought after in today’s market, how is it that this market trend arrived so abruptly and without the usual early warning signs that accompany any significant sea-change in the insular and self-informed world of fine art?
For the answers to those complex questions, I went to Lillian and Jeff Lum, owners of the Greenwich, Connecticut-based, Art Touch Collection. There, I learned that contemporary Chinese art is as varied as its Western counterpart and, like that more familiar model, has its highly-visible personalities, auction house favorites and celebrities. But also, like the Euro/American scene, there are many Chinese, Taiwanese and other Asian artists who are laboring quietly in the vineyards, producing credible and beautiful work.
Lillian explains that, “It is remarkable that a body of such experimental work can be turned out by a group of artists whose formal training has such traditional roots. The art academies and universities continue to teach traditional Chinese methods, including brush painting, calligraphy and print making. These methods were, by their nature, expressionless, uniform in their composition and guided by strict rules. The political climate in the late 70s was just open enough, however, to allow a handful of young post-Mao artists to experiment with techniques and themes that were informed by Western ideas at the time. Thematically, they remained fundamentally Chinese, but the work began to challenge old ideas of authority, identity and tradition.”
“Historically, Chinese artists produced work and gave it away to friends, family and members of the royal order,” Lillian says, “but in the modern world, with increased attention for ‘things Chinese’, these artists found a modestly enthusiastic market for what they were producing.” A number of shows were planned and mounted in the 80s, but most were shut down by the State after just a few days or weeks. The events of Tiananmen Square in 1992 brought the public display of experimental art to an abrupt end. But colonies of artists continued the debate and produced work that found a modest and cautious audience in the country, itself.
It was the Shanghai Biennale in 2000 that once again opened the doors to the world for the experimental art community in China. Following that event, and fueled by a robust global economy and China’s prominent role in that resurgence, contemporary Chinese artists were increasingly legitimized through international shows, major auction house activity and collector interest.
“The difficulty comes in how to benchmark this work,” explains Lum. “With such a rapid expansion in interest and perceived value for the work of these artists, it is hard to know if it will be sustainable. The model for sale of art in China, itself, relies little on standard outlets such as galleries and dealers, except in the largest cities. In too many cases it is possible to buy art directly from the artist—leaving little or no ongoing track record of consistent valuation. Also, the Chinese auction houses are not carefully controlled, so sale prices can be artificially manipulated by private arrangements between the artist and the house, or by outside buyers who ultimately represent the interests of the artist,”
“A steep ramp-up in pricing probably means that the artist is not ‘bankable’ in the long run. That is why it is important to collect Chinese artists with an eye toward established market presence in the West, consistent output over time and quality,” says Lum. “The market has its favorites and there is a group called, The Four Kings, consisting of ZHANG Xiaogang, YNE Minjun, CAI Guo-Qiang and WANG Guangyi. They will continue to command high prices in Western galleries and auctions, at least for a while. Beyond that, there are many Chinese artists turning out meaningful work that is worth owning.”
But, in the long run, important segments of a rapidly-growing Chinese artistic community are exhibiting the willingness and ability to bring a carefully-considered body of work to the marketplace and have it stand on its own against the best that Western markets have to offer. In recent comments at Columbia University, by world-renowned artist Xu Bing, he stated that innovation stands on equal footing with tradition in Chinese artistry. “Like the mythical Phoenix of legend, China and Chinese art will rise from the ashes of our recent past and take its place in Western consciousness,” he declared with a broad smile.
by Richard Friswell, Editor-in-Chief
To see more contemporary Chinese and Japanese art, go to: www.arttouchcollection.com
December 24, 2009 @ 5:45 am
What is the DSL collection?
The dsl Collection was created in 2005 and focuses on contemporary Chinese art. It is a private collection currently representing 90 of the leading Chinese avant-garde artists, most of whom have a major influence on the development of contemporary art in China today. Even though it focuses on the contemporary production of works of art of all media of a specific culture, the collection is not guided by the search for an ‘otherness’. It admits basic cultural similarities and dispositions and goes beyond the simplistic approach of looking for typical cultural signs and symbols.
The collection is not only significant on a personal level, but also on a larger scale. We start from a museum approach, which means that we are collecting a wide range of media including painting, sculpture, installation, video, and photography. Furthermore, the choice of works is not oriented on the trends of the market. To choose this kind of approach implies making the collection accessible for the public, as well as documenting the featured works.
The major tools to achieve these goals is the use of new technologies, such as the internet and interactive programs and supports, like for example electronic books. These tools provide the means to share the experience of contemporary culture and to make it more accessible and meaningful for a broader public.
How did we become interested in Chinese art?
Art is the mirror of a Society.
When my wife and I came to Shanghai for the first time in 2005, I felt that there was another logic existing here; something that speaks of a very schizophrenic attitude towards economic development. The city embodies a ceaseless pursuit of the “superhuman” that redefines traditional definitions of humanity, sustainability, scale, and speed. Somehow these feelings were very inspiring and we wanted to find art and artists that express the relationships between contemporary art production and society. We are also interested by the Chinese artists who are living outside mainland China, in Taiwan, for instance, and mainly in the Chinese Diaspora in Europe and the United States. These artists have played a decisive role in defining Chinese contemporary art to audience outside China.
One should also not forget that apart from having a 6000 (5,000?) year-old cultural history, China is the biggest cultural space in the world.
How is our collection different than other collections?
We never compare our collection with others because every collection is by nature unique. However, we follow strict personal guide lines in building our collection.
About Collecting, how do you approach it?
“Collecting,” is not “accumulating.” and it is not “investing.” It is acquiring objects that have some relation to each other and putting those objects into the kind of order that reflects the collector’s response to them. Each true collection achieves a personality beyond and apart from the sum of the objects. I feel also that diversity is one of the main strengths of a collection.
What role does the Collector play?
The Collector should not take centre stage himself and should let the art itself be at the centre of the collection. Artists should be given the maximum spotlight. My role, my real power is to make that happened (My role and my aim is to make this happen. Its what the curator Hans Ulrich Obrist calls “the fundamental invisibility.”
What is the the dsl Collection viewpoints?
– A museum approach
At first we looked at Chinese art according to our personal tastes, but we very soon realized that very few people were systematically collecting Chinese contemporary art, either in China or outside — neither institutions, nor individuals had a museum approach and even less so a university museum approach.
And why this kind of approach?
University museums are unlike other museums. They are not intended to have a powerhouse of masterworks on display, though some have their share of these. They are, before all else, teaching instruments intended for students and scholars to use in a hands-on way. As such, they often house objects that are considered of second- and third-tier value at auction but that fill out a deep and detailed account of cultural history. Intellectual adventure is privileged over box-office appeal.
– Education and entertainment
Entertainment and education have quite different intents, but they can be integrated to achieve both aims. Certainly the demand from younger people has shifted strongly to only paying attention if content is truly entertaining. Beyond that, Art is fundamentally about providing experiences. People today seek engaging and powerful experiences.
In such a large country, how do you choose your artists?
We try at the same time to acquire new works from emerging artists and maintaining interest in the works of China’s more established big names. We are always keen to find individuals who are interested to see where the prevailing boundaries lie, either in terms of content, of materials, of disciplines and how they can push these open; I respond most to art that has powerful links to both the times and the context in which it was created.
We think also that chinese contemporary art at the moment is in the process of breaking away from the Western art canon, which has sort of hit a dead end.
What is our focus?
In this New Age, a private collection is also about inspiring people.
Dsl collection would like to become a platform that is accessible to everybody from everywhere. A place where people can have exciting experiences, build their knowledge and actively participate. With the help of curators and critics we try to get the audience engaged and, consequently, move ideas forward and extend interest in Chinese contemporary art. We see the dsl collection as a place that provides experiences with content and also enables participatory experiences–with other people, both visitors and experts.
Consequently, apart from building the collection, dsl is carrying two strategies aimed at increasing and deepening participation and developing education.
Why is the internet platform interesting in our collection?
Having chosen a museum approach, we felt an obligation to make the works available to the public. The challenge of attracting audiences is hardly new.
We have to admit that many brick and mortar museums for the most part are kind of hidden jewels .They do not have great foot traffic and often they are unable to exhibit many of their important works at the same time.
That is why, as for showing the works we have decided upon, to primarily use technology by creating a website: dslcollection.org. Nevertheless, nothing will ever replace a direct contact between the audience and an artwork.
dsl collection has also adopted many of the internet tools to increase the audience. This is done by creating interactive and participatory forms of engagement and altering the traditional relationship between art and its audience. The online technology allows this flexibility. Our daughter Karen is more and more involved in the collection is focussing in particular on social networking tools like Twitter, Facebook and Second Life.
These latest online services are creating new, more interactive and participatory forms of engagement and altering the traditional relationship between art and its audience.
Does the internet platform play a larger role in China than in the West , and why?
The internet is important because It renders possible an ” EVERYBODY, EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME” experience!
This choice is even more important in the case of China where you currently have 300 million people connected and 100 million personal blogs.
Will there be a space to eventually view the collection?
We are working on the concept of a nomad collection that could go from China to Europe and the United States. Meanwhile many works are on loan to museums or biennales. We are of the principle that whenever an artist wants to have his work exhibited, it should always be made available. We would like to have the first exhibition of the collection in a museum in the United States
How will the collection evolve?
The collection is limited to a specific number of art works – about 150 pieces – that, as an entity, is open to constant redefinition. Openness, movement and communication are basic qualities we want to promote. Another important point: When we collect a work of art, you are essentially acquiring not just one work of art but a part in the artist’s entire body of work which is known as an oeuvre. It means that if this oeuvre evolves in a direction that is not the good one for us we decease the work.
We shall focus more and more on education by being ever more present in China in particular. In 2010 dsl collection will be in charge of an Art Management course at the Shanghai University.
Why is art important? What inspires us?
Art is a way to make our life better. It is not about inanimate objects, but about connecting to people. Thanks to this collection we discovered a great country with great people and a great culture
December 25, 2009 @ 5:03 am
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