A Thin-Skinned Government vs. an Overflowing Art Market

The New York Times reported yesterday that the Asia Society had been blind-sided by the Chinese governments slow-playing their hand on a loan of art from the Revolution, 1950-1970. With their spotless control of the Olympics, the Chinese goverment’s actions should come as no surprise even if one has to chuckle at the trick of reneging on a promised loan at the last minute to sabotage the exhibit:

Despite the Chinese government’s decision, Asia Society has decided to proceed with the show by seeking loans from private collectors.

The approach of the Olympics seemed to have been the deal breaker. “Initially, they said, ‘Any loans you want; no problem,’ ” said Vishakha N. Desai, the society’s president. “The closer it got to the Olympics, they changed their policy.” Read the rest of this entry »

Artforum Gives Us Scenes from the Gallery Opening

Artforum’s Philip Tinari filed this report (and took this picture of arrayed Pace Wildenstein worthies) from the opening of Pace’s new gallery in Beijing: Read the rest of this entry »

As the Olympic Games get set to open, there’s been more than a little coverage of the Chinese Contemporary Art scene. Holland Carter went in search of Mao and his meaning by going to Mao’s mausoleum. The travelogue covers a lot of intellectual and emotional territory but the subtext of the whole piece comes out when Carter sets up a quote from Ai Wei Wei: “the concoctions for the Olympics are only cosmetically different from official design. Both, in different ways, affirm the continuance of one-party rule, he says, and the repression that implies. ‘There is no New China,’ he concludes.” Read the rest of this entry »

Pace Wildenstein Opens in Beijing

The New York Sun covers Pace Wildenstein’s 22,000-sq.-foot gallery space opening with an interview. “The true art . . . of real significance is coming from China,” Arne Glimcher said. Read the rest of this entry »

With the Olympics Upon Us, Expect More Attention for Chinese Contemporary Art.

But with Sales Slowing and Prices Causing Consternation, Chinese Collectors are Looking for Other Ways to Value Their Art.

NPR offers this report on Chinese Contemporary art. But China’s top collector–Guan Yi–doesn’t think price is a useful way to value art. He’s got 800 pieces, a third of which are large installation works, and he’s planning a large museum in central Beijing to show them. Mr. Guan’s fascinating interview can be read here and here. But some excerpts will get you motivated: Read the rest of this entry »

Bloomberg covers Christie’s sales in depth finding weakness in the market for antiquities but Contemporary Asian art is still hot:

“Prices of Chinese contemporary artworks, especially those that contain the five elements: talent, humor, politics, color and `Chineseness,’ will continue to rise,” said Roderic Steinkamp, a New York-based dealer, in a May 26 interview. “We also have to watch out for the emergence of other Asian works.”

What to look out for next? Read the rest of this entry »

Christie’s Week of Sales in Hong Kong nets $310 million; 50 Lots sell for more than $1 million.

Christie’s holds a broad range of sales in Hong Kong from Watches to Ceramics to Contemporary art. The auction house’s highlights, records and market trends (as identified by their press office) after the jump

Read the rest of this entry »

There were worries about the aftermath of the earthquake (down) putting a damper on Christie’s Asian Contemporary art sale in Hong Kong this evening. They need not have worried. Zeng Fanzhi set a record of $9.4 million for a very large Diptych from his mask series (it was estimated in the $3.2 million range.) This is the highest price paid at auction for a work of Asian art. Already complaints are emerging about the unwarranted use of Tiananmen imagery as a way to attract Western buyers. More results when they come in.