ART REPORT daring and experimental of the local galleries. It introduces new artists from other Asian countries as well as encouraging Hong Kong artists to use the huge space to spread their wings and experiment with many forms of media and new curatorial ideas. Newcomer Gallery 3812 that opened last year offers over 7,000 sq. ft. in Aberdeen and displays a wide variety of artists and art practices. Calvin Hui, one of the owners, is also involved with new contemporary spaces on the mezzanine floor of the Harbour View Renaissance Hotel on the east side of the HK Convention and Exhibition Centre, featuring Fabrik -- a wide-ranging, eclectic gallery -- and spaces for several more. Also near Aberdeen at Ap Lei Chau is FEAST Projects, a new-media oriented gallery owned by Philippe Koutouzis who is presenting in May a very exciting convergence performance piece with Rashaad Newsome, an artist from New York whose work covers a multitude of styles such as collage, video, and performance as well as blending hip-hop and heraldry. Newsome consistently explores non-traditional forms of language and expression such as vogue dancing. Contemporary by Angela Li features large-scale photography and experimental artists from Chongqing, and is offering a show by American Tony Oursler in May. Anna Ning, gallery owner and art agent, lets her own taste dictate the exhibition of 20th Century Chinese artists that she favours such as San Yu, Wu Guangzhong, and Zao Wou-ki, and contemporary Chinese artists such as Jing Kewen. Hesitant sellers and buyers Ning said, “I feel that my clients are holding back a bit. The sellers are waiting for the right price, but so are the buyers. If the market softens a little, the buyers will pounce. But there is a case of the jitters about the overall picture of the world economy, at least right now.” These HK galleries are gaining worldwide recognition. Internationally focussed 2P Gallery is run by Pui Pui To who says, “My gallery has made it into the final cut in Art Basel’s LISTE this year. It’s the first HK gallery that has ever made it into this selection, competing against 300 applicants from emerging galleries 32 HONG KONG BUSINESS | APRIL 2012
Wolf Valley by Ai Xuan
“People still feel safer buying art in HK than in China”
around the world, and there are only 10 new slots available per year. Art in Hong Kong is thriving.” More and more young Hong Kong Chinese students are attending art schools at several local universities; mid-career HK artists are gaining global recognition, and independent curators and art agents are popping up from overseas. The feverish art action also attracts dodgy “art consultants,” who are more like salespeople who have left jobs in finance and are hungry to cash in on the art bonanza in Hong Kong by pretending to know something about Chinese contemporary art. Some have less than sterling credentials and are leaving a few shady stories in their wake. HK vs China’s art scene Yet people still feel safer buying art in HK than in China where, according to one art agent in Shanghai, there have been problems about
payment for goods at auctions, manipulation of the market prices of certain artists and categories of art, buying back of consignments by artists to ramp their published prices, and buying artworks at auction for high prices that end up in the offices of important officials, whether real or not. International corporations are coming to the party with awards and prizes. Although many banks, insurance companies, and other big players have hedged their bets for decades by creating corporate art collections, they now want to be seen supporting the arts. Hong Kong again is the venue of choice for the display of sponsorships or the winners of the awards by the Sovereign Foundation, Societe General, Deutsche Bank, and others. The art is out there and Hong Kong is small and efficient enough to allow collectors and art lovers to experience some of the best from around the world with relative ease.