Shanghai:Fair's fair: new artists on verge of 'discovery'
The most-anticipated arts events of the year are finally coming to fruition this week in Shanghai, giving investors with a keen eye for artistic value a chance to potentially cash in on some highly coveted artwork.
The 4th annual SH Contemporary fair is now on. It is showcasing the city's highly acclaimed avant-garde pieces until Tuesday. New director of the fair, Qin Siyuan, of British and Chinese descent, curated a special exhibit for the event titled "Discoveries", meant to question the very meaning of contemporary art.
New twists to this year's fair also include the removal of an age limit placed on participating artists. Qin said this is aimed at introducing more talented artists to the public. The fair also marks the start of its involvement with the Asian Pacific Collector Development Program, which is designed to attract more buyers from home and abroad. Qin added the program should be helpful, especially given that the slump in the global art market due to the economic recession is believed by many industry insiders to be coming to an end.
Meanwhile the 11th edition of the Shanghai Art Fair continues at Shanghai Mart this weekend. Displaying multiple genres and schools of art, traditional Chinese paintings top the list in popularity.
Investors are increasingly turning to these works as prices in the global art market have recently suffered while the Chinese art market remains a safer bet. Despite the fragile economy, prices of classical Chinese art have appreciated, according to Sotheby's Auction House, which made the judgment based on its preview show in Hong Kong last week.
Guo Qingxiang, director of Yuebaozhai, a private gallery, said Chinese contemporary art is becoming more fashionable among foreign investors who prefer cynical satirical artworks that mock Chinese mainstream ideology.
"Now the bubble has popped and we can see through it to art itself," he added.
The eARTS Festival marked its grand opening Thursday with two giant octopus structures at the Oriental Pearl Television Tower. Until Sept 20, the electronic art-focused event under the banner "System Updating", features multimedia works from the global electronic art scene's last 30 years. Some of these works are also part of the ongoing SH Contemporary Fair.
eARTS also incorporates a Sino-Belgian media art exhibition at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art from Sept 13 to Oct 11. The exhibit will move on to the BUDA Art Center in Belgium in November. A third exhibit held at the ddm warehouse will embrace all kinds of literature and documentaries on electronic arts. The educational exhibit is a worthwhile stop for those in need of some footnotes regarding its exhibit currently being shown at the Oriental Pearl Television Tower.
Zhang Kun