Chinese Art Meets Foreign Galleries

by Yin Xing

Its hard not to mention foreign gal- leries when discussing contemporary Chinese art. Some even think the emergence of ‘contemporary Chinese art was marked by the first round of foreign artistic investment in China. In 2002， Tokyo Art Projects gallery became the first foreign gallery in Beijings 798 Art Zone. In 2007， Baron Guy Ullens brought Ullens Center for Contemporary Art （UCCA） to 798， becoming the flagship of the zone. That same year， modern Chinese art， like the countrys GDP， began stunning the world long before it was recognized by the domestic mainstream. Back then， according to the memory of Li Wenzi， a curator and one of the first art practitioners in 798， contemporary art and galleries remained an unknown arena to be explored in China.

Later， renowned international art orga- nizations such as Iberia Center for Contemporary Art and Galleria Continua opened branches in 798. Nowadays， enterprises with foreign ties make up 60 percent of 798s tenants， the standard trend in Chinas art circles. Foreign galleries promote modern Chinese arts emigration from the country， making auction history in the overseas market with work from Chinese artists like Zhang Xiaogang and Fang Lijun. Foreigners not only brought capital， art institutions and publicity platforms， but also international concepts of publicity and blueprints for art events for Chinese artists.

Most foreign galleries in China are young. “In their home countries， fresh faces cannot compete with established galleries，” remarks Wu Hong， chief editor of Atintern.net. “China， as an emerging market， has become a great place for growth. Even in their own countries， many galleries focus on Chinese or Asian art. They have profited handsomely in recent years from their early investments.”

Linda Gallery is one such success story. In 2007， with two galleries in Indonesia and Singapore respectively， it opened a third at 798. “Our customers are mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia，” explains Linda Ma， president of the Indonesia-based gallery. “I opened a gallery in China at the end of 2007 because I was certain about the potential of Chinese artists. At that time， the Chinese art market was not mature， but many overseas collectors were already showing great interest in Chinese artists work.”

Due to imposing presence of foreign galleries， their moves have become a weathervane for the Chinese art market. “If international art agencies are rushing into 798， it means the environment of modern Chinese art is greatly improving，” illustrates Xu Yong， founder of 798 Space. “If many foreign galleries are leaving China， it marks a setback for the Chinese art market and related policies. Entries and exits are heavily influenced by domestic economic and social development.”

Mature operation modes of foreign galleries became good examples for locals， but some insiders believe those influences are limited， and the government should be regulating the artistic market. Otherwise， some fundamental problems cannot be solved.

Although foreign art organizations help promote modern Chinese art， foreign agencies hardly cultivate Chinese collectors and fans – their clients are almost all foreign. Also， some foreign galleries have developed double standards， forcing Chinese artists to sign heavy-handed contracts to control their creation and distribution. Some artists are pressured to agree to outrageous demands in order to acquire a better platform for development.

Perhaps the most pressing problem is that due to the intervention of Western capital， the development of modern Chinese art over the past 30 years has been leaning towards Western values. Many Chinese artists intentionally cater to Western taste in order to get paid. The West focuses on work themed around “injury，” which resulted from historical political issues and the present social transition in China， according to Tao Qin， deputy secretary-general of Chinese Artists Association. “They pay more attention to Chinese politics rather than the art itself，” she adds. Indeed， the success of several globally famous modern Chinese artists was largely gained at the expense of the countrys image. Linda Ma， however， disagrees. “I dont think modern Chinese artists are pandering，” she rebuts.“They just convey their thoughts about life through their work.”