This is your biweekly members-only newsletter providing mission-critical analysis, insights, and exclusive intelligence on developments in Asia's art markets, with a focus on business opportunities and challenges. (If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe here). |
This is your biweekly members-only newsletter providing mission-critical analysis, insights, and exclusive intelligence on developments in Asia's art markets, with a focus on business opportunities and challenges. (If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe here). |
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Cathy Fan Editor-in-Chief for Artnet News China
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Vivienne Chow London Correspondent
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This week in The Asia Pivot: How will art fairs work in Asia? Emi Eu of Singapore’s STPI and S.E.A. Focus on shifting Asia’s market dynamics; the tea ceremony, per Yukimasa Ida; Art Week Tokyo’s inaugural AWT Focus; and much more—all in a 10-minute read (2,897 words). |
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Cathy Fan
Editor-in-Chief for Artnet News China |
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Vivienne Chow London Correspondent |
| This week in The Asia Pivot: How will art fairs work in Asia? Emi Eu of Singapore’s STPI and S.E.A. Focus on shifting Asia’s market dynamics; the tea ceremony, per Yukimasa Ida; Art Week Tokyo’s inaugural AWT Focus; and much more—all in a 10-minute read (2,897 words). |
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The Big Picture Re-Thinking The Art Fair |
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The Big Picture
Re-Thinking The Art Fair |
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In Japan, being late can be seen as rude and inconsiderate. But when it comes to being late for global art fair fever, the country may have done it right—and not just for local players but also the art market and art world at large.
Art fairs are not new to Japan. But art fairs that are gaining international momentum are. Considering the fact that the East Asian cultural powerhouse is also (still, as of now) the world’s third-biggest economy, and a cradle for some of the world’s best-known artists and creatives for decades, this seems counterintuitive. However, art fairs in Japan have traditionally targeted a local audience rather than drawing an art crowd from outside.
This is beginning to change with the expansion of Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK) and Art Week Tokyo (AWT) this year. The two young events—both in their third edition this year, held back-to-back this week in two of Japan’s most iconic cities—are carving a new path for not just the local contemporary art scene but also new alternatives to the traditional art-fair models.
ACK highlights the “collaboration” element. Japanese galleries act as hosts of international galleries, and each participating Japanese gallery in the main section must share a booth with the international gallery they are hosting. In this way they are required to collaborate on every level. International galleries may bring works that previously were rarely seen in Japan, while Japanese collectors are presented an opportunity to meet gallerists from all over the world whom they may not get to otherwise due to cultural and language barriers.
Participating galleries with a whole booth in the Kyoto Meetings section must stage a curated presentation of works that are related to Kyoto, either created there or inspired by the aesthetics of the ancient Japanese capital. It even collaborates with AWT, moving this year’s schedule forward so that international visitors can go to Kyoto and Tokyo in the same week.
Meanwhile, AWT, taking place in collaboration with Art Basel, brings visitors to galleries, institutions, and private collections in Tokyo. The event returns following last year’s success, partnering with 11 institutions and 39 galleries. It also launches the new AWT Focus, a curated selling platform at the Okura Museum of Art (see Last Pic, below, for more details) and a series of talks bringing together curators, academics, and artists. Sales aside, the AWT programs can be beneficial to those who want a crash course on Tokyo’s contemporary art scene and give local galleries that can’t afford to travel abroad all the time more visibility.
What’s special about AWT and ACK is that both events, backed by local authorities, are created by the local communities for the local communities. That is, they are curated and executed thoughtfully to fit the local contexts instead of simply importing big international names and imposing the western success formula on Asia.
The success of Art Basel Hong Kong, as well as its transformative impact on the city’s art market and cultural development over the past decade, has certainly inspired many other cities across the region. Almost every city wants an international art fair. But its success owes to a number of factors that are unique to Hong Kong’s circumstances, and it is unrealistic and impossible to replicate this elsewhere. An art fair on such a scale cannot exist everywhere. Besides, the fair organizers, comprised of a local team, have taken years to adapt the event to the local and regional contexts. Indeed, Art Basel is a Swiss brand, but Art Basel Hong Kong is embraced by regional players and has its own Asian DNA.
Besides, ever since Asia emerged from Covid, the art-fair roster in the region has become increasingly packed with the arrival of new fairs: Frieze Seoul, ART SG, and Tokyo Gendai, to name a few. Some gallerists (not just those from Asia) have told us that they find it harder and harder to keep up with the schedule, physically, logistically, and financially. The costs of shipping, booth fees, inflation, and interest rates have been on the rise, but sales during those handful of fair days are not guaranteed, particularly as the market is getting softer. Galleries will only become pickier about which fair they go to. The upcoming ART SG, for example, has just announced that they are expecting 115 galleries in their 2024 edition, nearly 30 percent down from 2023’s 160 galleries.
But now could be a time for Asia to experiment with various new models. Seoul-based art collector JaeMyung Noh will be inaugurating a new fair called ART OnO in the South Korean capital from April 18 to 21, 2024. By keeping the booth fees around 40 percent lower than other fairs in the country, he hopes to take the financial pressure off the galleries so that they can focus on bringing fresh works. Collaboration with other players and institutions is also on the table, in a bid to offer a different perspective of Seoul’s art scene to a curious international crowd.
The art fair landscape in Asia is destined to change, but it’s worth keeping an eye on where it goes—in the next couple of years especially.
–Vivienne Chow |
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In Japan, being late can be seen as rude and inconsiderate. But when it comes to being late for global art fair fever, the country may have done it right—and not just for local players but also the art market and art world at large.
Art fairs are not new to Japan. But art fairs that are gaining international momentum are. Considering the fact that the East Asian cultural powerhouse is also (still, as of now) the world’s third-biggest economy, and a cradle for some of the world’s best-known artists and creatives for decades, this seems counterintuitive. However, art fairs in Japan have traditionally targeted a local audience rather than drawing an art crowd from outside.
This is beginning to change with the expansion of Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK) and Art Week Tokyo (AWT) this year. The two young events—both in their third edition this year, held back-to-back this week in two of Japan’s most iconic cities—are carving a new path for not just the local contemporary art scene but also new alternatives to the traditional art-fair models.
ACK highlights the “collaboration” element. Japanese galleries act as hosts of international galleries, and each participating Japanese gallery in the main section must share a booth with the international gallery they are hosting. In this way they are required to collaborate on every level. International galleries may bring works that previously were rarely seen in Japan, while Japanese collectors are presented an opportunity to meet gallerists from all over the world whom they may not get to otherwise due to cultural and language barriers.
Participating galleries with a whole booth in the Kyoto Meetings section must stage a curated presentation of works that are related to Kyoto, either created there or inspired by the aesthetics of the ancient Japanese capital. It even collaborates with AWT, moving this year’s schedule forward so that international visitors can go to Kyoto and Tokyo in the same week.
Meanwhile, AWT, taking place in collaboration with Art Basel, brings visitors to galleries, institutions, and private collections in Tokyo. The event returns following last year’s success, partnering with 11 institutions and 39 galleries. It also launches the new AWT Focus, a curated selling platform at the Okura Museum of Art (see Last Pic, below, for more details) and a series of talks bringing together curators, academics, and artists. Sales aside, the AWT programs can be beneficial to those who want a crash course on Tokyo’s contemporary art scene and give local galleries that can’t afford to travel abroad all the time more visibility.
What’s special about AWT and ACK is that both events, backed by local authorities, are created by the local communities for the local communities. That is, they are curated and executed thoughtfully to fit the local contexts instead of simply importing big international names and imposing the western success formula on Asia.
The success of Art Basel Hong Kong, as well as its transformative impact on the city’s art market and cultural development over the past decade, has certainly inspired many other cities across the region. Almost every city wants an international art fair. But its success owes to a number of factors that are unique to Hong Kong’s circumstances, and it is unrealistic and impossible to replicate this elsewhere. An art fair on such a scale cannot exist everywhere. Besides, the fair organizers, comprised of a local team, have taken years to adapt the event to the local and regional contexts. Indeed, Art Basel is a Swiss brand, but Art Basel Hong Kong is embraced by regional players and has its own Asian DNA.
Besides, ever since Asia emerged from Covid, the art-fair roster in the region has become increasingly packed with the arrival of new fairs: Frieze Seoul, ART SG, and Tokyo Gendai, to name a few. Some gallerists (not just those from Asia) have told us that they find it harder and harder to keep up with the schedule, physically, logistically, and financially. The costs of shipping, booth fees, inflation, and interest rates have been on the rise, but sales during those handful of fair days are not guaranteed, particularly as the market is getting softer. Galleries will only become pickier about which fair they go to. The upcoming ART SG, for example, has just announced that they are expecting 115 galleries in their 2024 edition, nearly 30 percent down from 2023’s 160 galleries.
But now could be a time for Asia to experiment with various new models. Seoul-based art collector JaeMyung Noh will be inaugurating a new fair called ART OnO in the South Korean capital from April 18 to 21, 2024. By keeping the booth fees around 40 percent lower than other fairs in the country, he hopes to take the financial pressure off the galleries so that they can focus on bringing fresh works. Collaboration with other players and institutions is also on the table, in a bid to offer a different perspective of Seoul’s art scene to a curious international crowd.
The art fair landscape in Asia is destined to change, but it’s worth keeping an eye on where it goes—in the next couple of years especially.
–Vivienne Chow |
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State of Play The gateway to the pulse of the Asian market |
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Art Fairs
–Following success in London, New York, and Morocco, African art fair 1-54 will debut in Hong Kong with a March 2024 show at Christie’s to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong. If the project is successful, the fair will be held at full scale in 2025. (South China Morning Post)
–Art Jakarta 2023 will return on November 17 to 19 at JIExpo Kemayoran, a new venue for the fair. This year’s edition features 68 galleries from across Asia in its main section, and highlights 11 works in AJ Spot, a curated section taking over the public areas of the fairgrounds. (Artling, Press release)
–ART SG announced its return to Singapore for a sophomore edition in January 2024 with 115 galleries from 33 countries, nearly 30 percent down from January 2023’s 160 galleries. In addition to the usual suspects—blue-chip galleries such as Gagosian, White Cube, and Thaddaeus Ropac—the fair also welcomes 38 new exhibitors, including Kaikai Kiki Gallery from Tokyo and Taipei- and Beijing-based Asia Art Center. (Press release) Galleries
–The Beijing-headquartered Tang Contemporary Art will expand to London, its first outpost in the West. The gallery also has plans to establish its presence in New York in the coming year, according to Zheng Lin, who founded the gallery in 1997. Tang is among a growing trend of Asian galleries expanding in the West, primarily in London and New York. The gallery also has spaces in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, and Seoul. (The Korea Herald)
–Hong Kong-based Villepin Gallery will expand its presence in Seoul with Kang Myonghi’s solo exhibition opening on November 3, the gallery’s first show in the South Korean capital. (Press release) Institutions & Biennials
–Chinese artists Hu Weiyi, Jing Ao, Long Pan, Pu Yingwei, and Wang Jiacheng, all aged 35 or younger, have been named finalists of the UCCA Young Associates’ Choice Awards. Results will be announced at the UCCA Gala on November 6th during Shanghai Art Week. (Press Release)
–Organized by Power Station of Art, the 14th Shanghai Biennale titled “Cosmos Cinema” will feature 80 artists from around the world. It opens on November 9. The opening coincides with Shanghai Art Week, which also sees the return of the West Bund and ART021 fairs. (e-flux)
–Art from South Korea is getting a spotlight in the U.S. this fall. Following the earlier opening of “Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s” at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, “The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989” opens at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on October 21, showcasing 28 Korean artists born between 1960 and 1986. This is closely after the major exhibition. “Korea in Color: A Legacy of Auspicious Images” has just opened at the San Diego Museum of Art this week; the Metropolitan Museum of Art will present “Lineages: Korean Art at the Met”; “Perfectly Imperfect: Korean Buncheong Ceramics” will open on December 3 at the Denver Art Museum. (The New York Times)
–Rockbund Art Museum’s fall program under its new leadership will be open to the public on November 8, coinciding with Shanghai Art Week, featuring solo shows by the Indian-born Singaporean artist Shubigi Rao and the Guangzhou-based Chinese artist Tan Jing, as well as an immersive digital installation by the Argentinian-born, Barcelona-based Six N. Five, in collaboration with TR Lab. (Press release)
–Two major museum shows are opening in Singapore this month. National Gallery Singapore opens new exhibition “Tropical: Stories from Southeast Asia and Latin America,” running from November 18 to March 24, 2024, and billed as the first large-scale museum show to examine artistic expression from the regions in a comparative approach. Singapore Art Museum will stage “Ho Tze Nyen: Time & the Tiger,” a mid-career survey exhibition of homegrown talent Ho Tze Nyen, from November 24 to March 3, 2024. (Press release)
–The 24th edition Biennale of Sydney, in Australia, has announced its artists list, locations, and initial programing for its upcoming 2024 iteration titled “Ten Thousand Suns.” Led by artistic directors Cosmin Costinaș and Inti Guerrero, the show will feature 88 artists and collectives from 47 countries. It will run from March 9 to June 10, 2024 across six main locations. (Press release) Auctions
–Reprising his role as an art auction guest curator, Taiwanese pop star and collector Jay Chou will collaborate with Christie’s for “Post-Millennium Evening Sale curated by Jay Chou,” which will take place in Hong Kong on November 28 as part of the annual autumn auction week (November 24 to December 2). (Press Release)
People
–The inaugural Hong Kong Art Collecting Survey continues to accept responses to its online questionnaire until November 5. Spearheaded by Christina Bartosch from Recollect, Ella Bridgland of Studio Ella, Kevin Poon of WOAW Gallery, and Damian Chandler of Brunswick Arts, the survey aims to study the art collecting trends in Hong Kong, gaining insights into the preferences, behaviors, and market trends among collectors in Hong Kong. Findings will be publicized in early December. (Hong Kong – Art Collecting Survey)
–Art collector and K-pop star G-Dragon has been banned from leaving South Korea following allegations of illegal drug use, which he has denied. The star is also the subject of a sculpture by Gwon Osang featured at the exhibition “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” at V&A in London. (Korea JoongAng Daily)
– Artist Martha Atienza from the Philippines is among the 18 artists receiving the Soros Arts Fellowships from the Open Society Foundations. The 2023 fellowships center around the theme of “Art, Land, and Public Memory” and Atienza will develop “Tigpanalipod (The Protectors),” a collaborative project with the fishing and farming communities on Bantayan island. (AP, Press release).
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State of Play The gateway to the pulse of the Asian market |
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Art Fairs
–Following success in London, New York, and Morocco, African art fair 1-54 will debut in Hong Kong with a March 2024 show at Christie’s to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong. If the project is successful, the fair will be held at full scale in 2025. (South China Morning Post)
–Art Jakarta 2023 will return on November 17 to 19 at JIExpo Kemayoran, a new venue for the fair. This year’s edition features 68 galleries from across Asia in its main section, and highlights 11 works in AJ Spot, a curated section taking over the public areas of the fairgrounds. (Artling, Press release)
–ART SG announced its return to Singapore for a sophomore edition in January 2024 with 115 galleries from 33 countries, nearly 30 percent down from January 2023’s 160 galleries. In addition to the usual suspects—blue-chip galleries such as Gagosian, White Cube, and Thaddaeus Ropac—the fair also welcomes 38 new exhibitors, including Kaikai Kiki Gallery from Tokyo and Taipei- and Beijing-based Asia Art Center. (Press release) Galleries
–The Beijing-headquartered Tang Contemporary Art will expand to London, its first outpost in the West. The gallery also has plans to establish its presence in New York in the coming year, according to Zheng Lin, who founded the gallery in 1997. Tang is among a growing trend of Asian galleries expanding in the West, primarily in London and New York. The gallery also has spaces in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, and Seoul. (The Korea Herald)
–Hong Kong-based Villepin Gallery will expand its presence in Seoul with Kang Myonghi’s solo exhibition opening on November 3, the gallery’s first show in the South Korean capital. (Press release) Institutions & Biennials
–Chinese artists Hu Weiyi, Jing Ao, Long Pan, Pu Yingwei, and Wang Jiacheng, all aged 35 or younger, have been named finalists of the UCCA Young Associates’ Choice Awards. Results will be announced at the UCCA Gala on November 6th during Shanghai Art Week. (Press Release)
–Organized by Power Station of Art, the 14th Shanghai Biennale titled “Cosmos Cinema” will feature 80 artists from around the world. It opens on November 9. The opening coincides with Shanghai Art Week, which also sees the return of the West Bund and ART021 fairs. (e-flux)
–Art from South Korea is getting a spotlight in the U.S. this fall. Following the earlier opening of “Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s” at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, “The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989” opens at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on October 21, showcasing 28 Korean artists born between 1960 and 1986. This is closely after the major exhibition. “Korea in Color: A Legacy of Auspicious Images” has just opened at the San Diego Museum of Art this week; the Metropolitan Museum of Art will present “Lineages: Korean Art at the Met”; “Perfectly Imperfect: Korean Buncheong Ceramics” will open on December 3 at the Denver Art Museum. (The New York Times)
–Rockbund Art Museum’s fall program under its new leadership will be open to the public on November 8, coinciding with Shanghai Art Week, featuring solo shows by the Indian-born Singaporean artist Shubigi Rao and the Guangzhou-based Chinese artist Tan Jing, as well as an immersive digital installation by the Argentinian-born, Barcelona-based Six N. Five, in collaboration with TR Lab. (Press release)
–Two major museum shows are opening in Singapore this month. National Gallery Singapore opens new exhibition “Tropical: Stories from Southeast Asia and Latin America,” running from November 18 to March 24, 2024, and billed as the first large-scale museum show to examine artistic expression from the regions in a comparative approach. Singapore Art Museum will stage “Ho Tze Nyen: Time & the Tiger,” a mid-career survey exhibition of homegrown talent Ho Tze Nyen, from November 24 to March 3, 2024. (Press release)
–The 24th edition Biennale of Sydney, in Australia, has announced its artists list, locations, and initial programing for its upcoming 2024 iteration titled “Ten Thousand Suns.” Led by artistic directors Cosmin Costinaș and Inti Guerrero, the show will feature 88 artists and collectives from 47 countries. It will run from March 9 to June 10, 2024 across six main locations. (Press release) Auctions
–Reprising his role as an art auction guest curator, Taiwanese pop star and collector Jay Chou will collaborate with Christie’s for “Post-Millennium Evening Sale curated by Jay Chou,” which will take place in Hong Kong on November 28 as part of the annual autumn auction week (November 24 to December 2). (Press Release) People
–The inaugural Hong Kong Art Collecting Survey continues to accept responses to its online questionnaire until November 5. Spearheaded by Christina Bartosch from Recollect, Ella Bridgland of Studio Ella, Kevin Poon of WOAW Gallery, and Damian Chandler of Brunswick Arts, the survey aims to study the art collecting trends in Hong Kong, gaining insights into the preferences, behaviors, and market trends among collectors in Hong Kong. Findings will be publicized in early December. (Hong Kong – Art Collecting Survey)
–Art collector and K-pop star G-Dragon has been banned from leaving South Korea following allegations of illegal drug use, which he has denied. The star is also the subject of a sculpture by Gwon Osang featured at the exhibition “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” at V&A in London. (Korea JoongAng Daily)
– Artist Martha Atienza from the Philippines is among the 18 artists receiving the Soros Arts Fellowships from the Open Society Foundations. The 2023 fellowships center around the theme of “Art, Land, and Public Memory” and Atienza will develop “Tigpanalipod (The Protectors),” a collaborative project with the fishing and farming communities on Bantayan island. (AP, Press release).
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| Emi Eu, Executive Director, STPI-Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore |
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As the dynamics of the Asian art markets are shifting, cultivating a sustainable art ecosystem is urgently needed in this part of the world, says Emi Eu
We have been hearing a lot about how Asian collectors are increasingly interested in international artists and acquiring their works from international galleries, art fairs, and auctions, prompting western galleries to open outposts in the region. But this is just one part of a bigger picture.
When I attended the opening of Kim Beom’s solo exhibition at Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul earlier this summer, I was struck by how knowledgeable Korean people are about their artists and their artistic careers. He’s certainly not the most visible artist in any art market, but the enthusiasm of the local crowd, be they art lovers or collectors, was extraordinary.
A similar kind of enthusiasm towards homegrown artists and local art histories is bubbling in other countries in Asia as well in recent years. In Vietnam, for example, we witnessed how works by Vietnamese modern masters have been very much in demand locally, and the popularity of and support for Indonesian artists in Indonesia has been very strong and continues to grow. Singaporeans are also trying to claim back their own heritage, snapping up works by their very own masters at auctions.
As people in different parts of Asia are re-examining their countries’ contemporary art heritage against the backdrop of the proliferation of different types of art-buying since the onset of the pandemic, we should pause and reconsider the narratives of the Asian art market.
Places like China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and even Singapore have long histories of art collecting and connoisseurship, but they don’t necessarily focus on contemporary art, which is still something relatively new to this part of the world. Indeed, we have seen a lot more interest from people as young as in their 30s during the Covid years of art market explosion. Still, the ways of art buying have become so much more fragmented, with some buyers looking merely at the investment value of art. And you can’t expect a contemporary art industry to prosper and sustain long term just because in one year some people decide to buy many artworks.
Art isn’t just about commerce. We need a sustainable art ecosystem for contemporary art to flourish. We need artists, museums, galleries, critics, reviewers, buyers, and collectors, to name a few. All these parties must be present and work together in a very harmonious and workable way to make this ecosystem sustainable. Some places like Japan and South Korea are more advanced in cultivating such an ecosystem, but other places such as Singapore are not quite there yet.
And among these main elements of a healthy art ecosystem, living artists who are still actively working are the most important. You need art and artists of a certain caliber in order to keep the ecosystem sustainable. But the question is, our tastes—what we deem “good”—may not align with those of the Western press, and even when they do, the art and artists may not get much attention from them. Those great artists may not be covered in Western outlets—and, for now, that attention is quite useful in boosting emerging artists and art markets. I am hopeful that this will change for the better, because the world is getting smaller and more connected—information travels across the globe faster and more efficiently. It’s just going to take time.
– As told to Vivienne Chow
Emi Eu is the executive director of the STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore, and project director of S.E.A. Focus. STPI is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year with the publication of a book titled Print/Paper Unlimited. "Lee Bul: Prints," the final instalment of this 21st anniversary celebration, opens on November 4 and runs through December 23.
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Emi Eu, Executive Director, STPI-Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore |
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As the dynamics of the Asian art markets are shifting, cultivating a sustainable art ecosystem is urgently needed in this part of the world, says Emi Eu
We have been hearing a lot about how Asian collectors are increasingly interested in international artists and acquiring their works from international galleries, art fairs, and auctions, prompting western galleries to open outposts in the region. But this is just one part of a bigger picture.
When I attended the opening of Kim Beom’s solo exhibition at Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul earlier this summer, I was struck by how knowledgeable Korean people are about their artists and their artistic careers. He’s certainly not the most visible artist in any art market, but the enthusiasm of the local crowd, be they art lovers or collectors, was extraordinary.
A similar kind of enthusiasm towards homegrown artists and local art histories is bubbling in other countries in Asia as well in recent years. In Vietnam, for example, we witnessed how works by Vietnamese modern masters have been very much in demand locally, and the popularity of and support for Indonesian artists in Indonesia has been very strong and continues to grow. Singaporeans are also trying to claim back their own heritage, snapping up works by their very own masters at auctions.
As people in different parts of Asia are re-examining their countries’ contemporary art heritage against the backdrop of the proliferation of different types of art-buying since the onset of the pandemic, we should pause and reconsider the narratives of the Asian art market.
Places like China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and even Singapore have long histories of art collecting and connoisseurship, but they don’t necessarily focus on contemporary art, which is still something relatively new to this part of the world. Indeed, we have seen a lot more interest from people as young as in their 30s during the Covid years of art market explosion. Still, the ways of art buying have become so much more fragmented, with some buyers looking merely at the investment value of art. And you can’t expect a contemporary art industry to prosper and sustain long term just because in one year some people decide to buy many artworks.
Art isn’t just about commerce. We need a sustainable art ecosystem for contemporary art to flourish. We need artists, museums, galleries, critics, reviewers, buyers, and collectors, to name a few. All these parties must be present and work together in a very harmonious and workable way to make this ecosystem sustainable. Some places like Japan and South Korea are more advanced in cultivating such an ecosystem, but other places such as Singapore are not quite there yet.
And among these main elements of a healthy art ecosystem, living artists who are still actively working are the most important. You need art and artists of a certain caliber in order to keep the ecosystem sustainable. But the question is, our tastes—what we deem “good”—may not align with those of the Western press, and even when they do, the art and artists may not get much attention from them. Those great artists may not be covered in Western outlets—and, for now, that attention is quite useful in boosting emerging artists and art markets.
I am hopeful that this will change for the better, because the world is getting smaller and more connected—information travels across the globe faster and more efficiently. It’s just going to take time.
– As told to Vivienne Chow
Emi Eu is the executive director of the STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore and project director of S.E.A. Focus. STPI is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year with the publication of a book titled Print/Paper Unlimited. "Lee Bul: Prints," the final instalment of this 21st anniversary celebration, opens on November 4 and runs through December 23.
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Talentspotter Yukimasa Ida |
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Yukimasa Ida, Pregnant Woman (2021), on view at Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in Japan. Photo: Vivienne Chow. |
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Who: Yukimasa Ida (b. 1990, Tottori, Japan)
Based in: Tokyo, Japan
Galleries: Mariane Ibrahim Gallery and Villepin Gallery
Auction record: Picasso (2019), oil on canvas. Sold for 55 million Yen ($408,764) at SBI Art Auction on March 11, 2023.
Why we care: This Millennial painter’s art may not be everyone’s cup of tea but he’s certainly a name to watch, especially in the context of the art market. Billed as the message-bearer of the Japanese traditional philosophy of “ichi-go ichi-e” (translates to "once in a lifetime”), which originated in the history of the tea ceremony, Ida’s art practice is deeply entwined with the landscapes of his hometown of Tottoria. He works between abstraction and realism as a painter, focused primarily on portraiture. Ida trains himself to paint quickly and sometimes reinvents conventional painting techniques. He was included in Jay Chou and Sotheby’s collaborative sale in 2021, where he set an artist record at the time. Five works by Ida were sold at an SBI sale on October 27 and 28.
Up next/ On going: “Panta Rhei—For as long as the world turns” is Ida’s first solo show with a major institution in Japan. The show opened at Yonago City Museum of Art in his native Tottori before traveling to the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in Kyoto this summer. It runs through December 23. |
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Talentspotter Yukimasa Ida |
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Yukimasa Ida, Pregnant Woman (2021), on view at Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in Japan. Photo: Vivienne Chow. |
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Who: Yukimasa Ida (b. 1990, Tottori, Japan) Based in: Tokyo, Japan
Galleries: Mariane Ibrahim Gallery and Villepin Gallery
Auction record: Picasso (2019), oil on canvas. Sold for 55 million Yen ($408,764) at SBI Art Auction on March 11, 2023.
Why we care: This Millennial painter’s art may not be everyone’s cup of tea but he’s certainly a name to watch, especially in the context of the art market. Billed as the message-bearer of the Japanese traditional philosophy of “ichi-go ichi-e” (translates to "once in a lifetime”), which originated in the history of the tea ceremony, Ida’s art practice is deeply entwined with the landscapes of his hometown of Tottoria. He works between abstraction and realism as a painter, focused primarily on portraiture. Ida trains himself to paint quickly and sometimes reinvents conventional painting techniques. He was included in Jay Chou and Sotheby’s collaborative sale in 2021, where he set an artist record at the time. Five works by Ida were sold at an SBI sale on October 27 and 28.
Up next/ On going: “Panta Rhei—For as long as the world turns” is Ida’s first solo show with a major institution in Japan. The show opened at Yonago City Museum of Art in his native Tottori before traveling to the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in Kyoto this summer. It runs through December 23.
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Installation view of AWT Focus at Art Week Tokyo. Photo by Vivienne Chow. |
Art Week Tokyo returns for a third and expanded edition this week with the inaugural AWT Focus, a curated sales platform at the Okura Museum of Art in Tokyo, one of Japan’s first private museums, founded in 1917. Curated by Kenjiro Hosaka, director of the Shiga Museum of Art, Otsu, the exhibition is titled “Worlds in Balance: Art in Japan from the Postwar to the Present." It spans three floors and assembles more than 100 works by 64 Japanese and Japan-based artists. The show is divided into 12 sections addressing different concepts, era, materials, and techniques. On view above from left to right: Rieko Otake, Call (2023), Tomio Koyama Gallery; Mariko Matsushita, My Body I Try to Return To (2021), Ken Nakahashi; Masato Mori, Waiting to eat Japanese’s Shanghainese-Crab (2019), Nazuka Underground.
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Installation view of AWT Focus at Art Week Tokyo. Photo by Vivienne Chow. |
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Art Week Tokyo returns for a third and expanded edition this week with the inaugural AWT Focus, a curated sales platform at the Okura Museum of Art in Tokyo, one of Japan’s first private museums, founded in 1917. Curated by Kenjiro Hosaka, director of the Shiga Museum of Art, Otsu, the exhibition is titled “Worlds in Balance: Art in Japan from the Postwar to the Present." It spans three floors and assembles more than 100 works by 64 Japanese and Japan-based artists. The show is divided into 12 sections addressing different concepts, era, materials, and techniques. On view above from left to right: Rieko Otake, Call (2023), Tomio Koyama Gallery; Mariko Matsushita, My Body I Try to Return To (2021), Ken Nakahashi; Masato Mori, Waiting to eat Japanese’s Shanghainese-Crab (2019), Nazuka Underground.
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Thanks for joining us for The Asia Pivot See you next time |
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Header Image: Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK) 2023. Courtesy of ACK, photo by Moriya Yuki. |
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Thank you for joining us for The Asia Pivot See you next time
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Header Image: Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK) 2023. Courtesy of ACK, photo by Moriya Yuki. |
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This email was sent to dchandler@brunswickgroup.com by Artnet Worldwide Corporation.
373 Park Avenue South, 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA |
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This email was sent to dchandler@brunswickgroup.com by Artnet Worldwide Corporation. 373 Park Avenue South, 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA |
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