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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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 |
| Vivienne Chow London Correspondent |
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This week in The Asia Pivot: Asian curators make inroads in the West, Patrick Sun on his trailblazing LGBTQ art collection, Xinyan Zhang’s philosophically rich paintings, and more—all in a 9-minute read (2,610 words). |
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Cathy Fan
Editor-in-Chief for Artnet News China |
| Vivienne Chow London Correspondent |
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This week in The Asia Pivot: Asian curators make inroads in the West, Patrick Sun on his trailblazing LGBTQ art collection, Xinyan Zhang’s philosophically rich paintings, and more—all in a 9-minute read (2,610 words). |
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The Big Picture
Asian Curators in the West: A Changing Landscape |
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The Big Picture
Asian Curators in the West: A Changing Landscape |
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Over the past decade, it has not been uncommon for institutions in some parts of Asia to hire Western curators for senior positions. However, it has been far more challenging for Asian curators to break into the Western art world. Finally, though, there are signs that is changing.
Historically in the West, museums with an Asian focus and encyclopedic museums with an Asian department have tended to be the ones hiring curators of Asian descent. A classic example: Two years ago, Lesley Ma became the inaugural Ming Chu Hsu and Daniel Xu Associate Curator of Asian Art in the department of modern and contemporary art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The appointment attracted considerable attention in Ma’s native Taiwan, since she is the eldest daughter of former president Ma Ying-jeou. (In many Asian families, it’s worth noting, art has traditionally not been emphasized since it is viewed as a less-stable, less-lucrative career path.)
Curatorial positions at public institutions, particularly prestigious ones, often depend on financial endowments or sponsorships, and Asian patrons have been active in providing funding lately, playing a role in diversifying museum staffs in the West.
In 2016, Hong Kong’s K11 Art Foundation, founded by top collector Adrian Cheng, partnered with the Centre Pompidou for three years, and Yung Ma, who had been at M+ in Hong Kong, was hired as a curator in the Paris museum’s contemporary and prospective creation department. Next, Ma joined the Hayward Gallery in London as a senior curator.
In 2015, the Guggenheim Museum appointed two China-born curators, Hou Hanru, who was the artistic director of Rome's National Museum MAXXI at the time, and Weng Xiaoyu, as consulting curator and associate curator, respectively, for its Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative. (The foundation is based in Hong Kong.) In 2021, Weng became the lead curator of modern and contemporary art at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. Hou left his Rome position in 2023 after a decade.
Abby Chen, a Chinese American who is currently the head of contemporary art and senior associate curator at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, is one of the few high-ranking curators of Chinese descent at a U.S. museum. She also organized the Taiwanese artist Yuan Goang-Ming’s show, “Everyday War,” in Venice, an official collateral event of the 60th Venice Biennale.
It is currently rare for curators from mainland China to be appointed to major positions in the U.S. Increasingly tense U.S.-China relations are part of the story, as are the decrease in substantial donations from mainland Chinese corporations and individuals.
In contrast, Korean companies, patrons, and philanthropic groups have been making high-profile moves at Western museums. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art just established an endowed curatorial position for Korean art and culture, thanks to a matching gift from the Korea Foundation, and tapped Hwang Sun-woo to fill it. The foundation also established an endowed position at the Met last year.
Just this year, there have been a number of high-profile appointments of Asian curators at Western museums. Tate Modern appointed Alvin Li as curator of international art and Hera Chan as adjunct curator of Asia-Pacific. The appointments of the Chinese curators were supported by the Asymmetry Art Foundation, founded by London-based Chinese art patron Yan Du.
In June, Xue Tan, previously the senior curator of Tai Kwun Contemporary in Hong Kong, joined the Haus der Kunst in Munich as its chief curator. In late August, South Korean-born art historian Joan Kee will step into her new role as the next director of New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts after being a scholar in residence at the Museum of Modern Art. Osaka-born Yasufumi Nakamori, who served as senior curator of international art at Tate Modern in London, joined Asia Society in New York in 2023 as its museum director and vice president of arts and culture.
In the private sector, Xin Wang, who was born in China and who served as the chief curator for Beijing’s Today Art Museum, recently joined Pace as its curatorial director. Arsenal Contemporary Art, a Canadian art center with an outpost in New York’s Tribeca area, also hired Gao Yuan as its curatorial associate.
The increasing visibility and influence of Asian curators in Western institutions signals a broader, positive shift toward greater diversity and inclusivity. Over time, such appointments will surely enrich the global art narrative, paving the way for a more interconnected and culturally nuanced understanding of contemporary art. —Cathy Fan and Vivienne Chow |
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Over the past decade, it has not been uncommon for institutions in some parts of Asia to hire Western curators for senior positions. However, it has been far more challenging for Asian curators to break into the Western art world. Finally, though, there are signs that is changing.
Historically in the West, museums with an Asian focus and encyclopedic museums with an Asian department have tended to be the ones hiring curators of Asian descent. A classic example: Two years ago, Lesley Ma became the inaugural Ming Chu Hsu and Daniel Xu Associate Curator of Asian Art in the department of modern and contemporary art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The appointment attracted considerable attention in Ma’s native Taiwan, since she is the eldest daughter of former president Ma Ying-jeou. (In many Asian families, it’s worth noting, art has traditionally not been emphasized since it is viewed as a less-stable, less-lucrative career path.)
Curatorial positions at public institutions, particularly prestigious ones, often depend on financial endowments or sponsorships, and Asian patrons have been active in providing funding lately, playing a role in diversifying museum staffs in the West.
In 2016, Hong Kong’s K11 Art Foundation, founded by top collector Adrian Cheng, partnered with the Centre Pompidou for three years, and Yung Ma, who had been at M+ in Hong Kong, was hired as a curator in the Paris museum’s contemporary and prospective creation department. Next, Ma joined the Hayward Gallery in London as a senior curator.
In 2015, the Guggenheim Museum appointed two China-born curators, Hou Hanru, who was the artistic director of Rome's National Museum MAXXI at the time, and Weng Xiaoyu, as consulting curator and associate curator, respectively, for its Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative. (The foundation is based in Hong Kong.) In 2021, Weng became the lead curator of modern and contemporary art at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. Hou left his Rome position in 2023 after a decade.
Abby Chen, a Chinese American who is currently the head of contemporary art and senior associate curator at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, is one of the few high-ranking curators of Chinese descent at a U.S. museum. She also organized the Taiwanese artist Yuan Goang-Ming’s show, “Everyday War,” in Venice, an official collateral event of the 60th Venice Biennale.
It is currently rare for curators from mainland China to be appointed to major positions in the U.S. Increasingly tense U.S.-China relations are part of the story, as are the decrease in substantial donations from mainland Chinese corporations and individuals.
In contrast, Korean companies, patrons, and philanthropic groups have been making high-profile moves at Western museums. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art just established an endowed curatorial position for Korean art and culture, thanks to a matching gift from the Korea Foundation, and tapped Hwang Sun-woo to fill it. The foundation also established an endowed position at the Met last year.
Just this year, there have been a number of high-profile appointments at Western institutions. Tate Modern appointed Alvin Li as curator of international art and Hera Chan as adjunct curator of Asia-Pacific. The appointments of the Chinese curators were supported by the Asymmetry Art Foundation, founded by London-based Chinese art patron Yan Du.
In June, Xue Tan, previously the senior curator of Tai Kwun Contemporary in Hong Kong, joined the Haus der Kunst in Munich as its chief curator. In late August, South Korean-born art historian Joan Kee will step into her new role as the next director of New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts after being a scholar in residence at the Museum of Modern Art. Osaka-born Yasufumi Nakamori, who served as senior curator of international art at Tate Modern in London, joined Asia Society in New York in 2023 as its museum director and vice president of arts and culture.
In the private sector, Xin Wang, who was born in China and who served as the chief curator for Beijing’s Today Art Museum, recently joined Pace as its curatorial director. Arsenal Contemporary Art, a Canadian art center with an outpost in New York’s Tribeca area, also hired Gao Yuan as its curatorial associate.
The increasing visibility and influence of Asian curators in Western institutions signals a broader, positive shift toward greater diversity and inclusivity. Over time, such appointments will surely enrich the global art narrative, paving the way for a more interconnected and culturally nuanced understanding of contemporary art. —Cathy Fan and Vivienne Chow |
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The View From...
Patrick Sun |
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The pioneering Hong Kong collector and founder of the Sunpride Foundation looks back at his 10-year journey championing LGBTQIA+-themed art from the region, and explains why pushing the boundaries of Asia’s art scene is important for its future.
I have been in this industry for 10 years, and I often ask myself if I have done enough. But in retrospect, the three “Spectrosynthesis” exhibitions we have staged across Asia under the banner of the Sunpride Foundation—in 2017 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei, as the first LGBTQ-themed museum show in Asia, in 2019 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, and in 2022 at Tai Kwun in Hong Kong—were pioneering shows in the region.
I always brace myself for attacks or criticisms, but so far, we have been very lucky. These exhibitions, showcasing our collection and new commissions of LGBTQIA+-themed works by artists from the region, as well as loans from artists, other institutions and collections, have been very well received. Maybe we are riding on the general wave of more acceptance, at least toward the queer community in this part of the world. But I always believe that change does not come from one person or one event. It is a concerted effort. So, what we do is a small way of contributing to this general movement.
We will continue with our mission, which will keep me occupied for the next five to six years as we are planning for the fourth and fifth iterations of our “Spectrosynthesis” exhibitions. They will take place in Asia. I am also honored when institutions from America and Europe show interest in bringing our exhibition there.
Changes are also prevalent in Asia’s art-collecting culture. Local collectors and museums are expanding their focus from art from the region to more international art, which is only natural, considering the number of art fairs we have in the region. International galleries’ presence in the region also has an impact on local collectors. Some curators have told me that institutions are branching out to collecting more contemporary works, instead of just focusing on the big names.
There is greater emphasis on young, emerging artists, which I think is very healthy. For example, three years ago, I joined the M+ Council for New Art, which focuses on artists aged 40 or below. Throughout this time, I noticed that M+ has been making a huge effort to support these younger artists.
Another trend I am pleased to see is the improvement of the overall presentation of Asian artists in the West—looking at Asian aesthetics from an Asian perspective, rather than trying to define it with a Western lens. More attention has been paid to ink art, too. The notable presence of Asian artists at the Venice Biennale this year is remarkable. I had the privilege to participate as a donor for Isaac Chong Wai’s presentation of Falling Reversely at the Arsenale. It was a wonderful experience. Joshua Serafin, also featured in the main exhibition at the Arsenale, was involved in all three of the “Spectrosynthesis” exhibitions.
I also notice the significant transformation of the narratives in queer art from Asia. Artists from an older generation, such as Sadao Hasegawa (1945–99) from Japan, focused on homoerotic art, such as images of the male body. Works by artists from those days are more introspective. Today, artists look at broader contemporary topics, addressing social and political issues in a conceptual manner. Isaac’s Venice piece, for example, was inspired by Asian hate, and the work he presented at our show in Hong Kong was about distance in human relationships.
Indeed, art also serves as an important lens to a culture or society for those from the outside. The focus on the exhibition in Hong Kong, for example, was not only from the queer community. People were worried about how Hong Kong has changed since the social incidents in 2019. But I believe many of them are pleasantly surprised to see a show with this challenging theme hosted in the city. In fact, there has been progress in Hong Kong’s efforts to accommodate the LGBTQIA+ community, such as allowing people in same-sex relationships to use dependent visas and receive subsidized-housing benefits. Other places, such as Taiwan and Thailand, now recognize same-sex marriages. The world does not change overnight. We can take one little step at a time.
—As told to Vivienne Chow
Born in Hong Kong, Patrick Sun is a real estate developer and has been collecting art since 1988. In 2014, he founded the nonprofit Sunpride Foundation, which aims to "foster a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world” for the LGBTQIA+ community across Asia through art. The foundation now has about 300 works in its collection. |
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The View From...
Patrick Sun |
The pioneering Hong Kong collector and founder of the Sunpride Foundation looks back at his 10-year journey championing LGBTQIA+-themed art from the region, and explains why pushing the boundaries of Asia’s art scene is important for its future. |
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I have been in this industry for 10 years, and I often ask myself if I have done enough. But in retrospect, the three “Spectrosynthesis” exhibitions we have staged across Asia under the banner of the Sunpride Foundation—in 2017 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei, as the first LGBTQ-themed museum show in Asia, in 2019 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, and in 2022 at Tai Kwun in Hong Kong—were pioneering shows in the region.
I always brace myself for attacks or criticisms, but so far, we have been very lucky. These exhibitions, showcasing our collection and new commissions of LGBTQIA+-themed works by artists from the region, as well as loans from artists, other institutions and collections, have been very well received. Maybe we are riding on the general wave of more acceptance, at least toward the queer community in this part of the world. But I always believe that change does not come from one person or one event. It is a concerted effort. So, what we do is a small way of contributing to this general movement.
We will continue with our mission, which will keep me occupied for the next five to six years as we are planning for the fourth and fifth iterations of our “Spectrosynthesis” exhibitions. They will take place in Asia. I am also honored when institutions from America and Europe show interest in bringing our exhibition there.
Changes are also prevalent in Asia’s art-collecting culture. Local collectors and museums are expanding their focus from art from the region to more international art, which is only natural, considering the number of art fairs we have in the region. International galleries’ presence in the region also has an impact on local collectors. Some curators have told me that institutions are branching out to collecting more contemporary works, instead of just focusing on the big names.
There is greater emphasis on young, emerging artists, which I think is very healthy. For example, three years ago, I joined the M+ Council for New Art, which focuses on artists aged 40 or below. Throughout this time, I noticed that M+ has been making a huge effort to support these younger artists.
Another trend I am pleased to see is the improvement of the overall presentation of Asian artists in the West—looking at Asian aesthetics from an Asian perspective, rather than trying to define it with a Western lens. More attention has been paid to ink art, too. The notable presence of Asian artists at the Venice Biennale this year is remarkable. I had the privilege to participate as a donor for Isaac Chong Wai’s presentation of Falling Reversely at the Arsenale. It was a wonderful experience. Joshua Serafin, also featured in the main exhibition at the Arsenale, was involved in all three of the “Spectrosynthesis” exhibitions.
I also notice the significant transformation of the narratives in queer art from Asia. Artists from an older generation, such as Sadao Hasegawa (1945–99) from Japan, focused on homoerotic art, such as images of the male body. Works by artists from those days are more introspective. Today, artists look at broader contemporary topics, addressing social and political issues in a conceptual manner. Isaac’s Venice piece, for example, was inspired by Asian hate, and the work he presented at our show in Hong Kong was about distance in human relationships.
Indeed, art also serves as an important lens to a culture or society for those from the outside. The focus on the exhibition in Hong Kong, for example, was not only from the queer community. People were worried about how Hong Kong has changed since the social incidents in 2019. But I believe many of them are pleasantly surprised to see a show with this challenging theme hosted in the city. In fact, there has been progress in Hong Kong’s efforts to accommodate the LGBTQIA+ community, such as allowing people in same-sex relationships to use dependent visas and receive subsidized-housing benefits. Other places, such as Taiwan and Thailand, now recognize same-sex marriages. The world does not change overnight. We can take one little step at a time.
— As told to Vivienne Chow
Born in Hong Kong, Patrick Sun is a real estate developer and has been collecting art since 1988. In 2014, he founded the nonprofit Sunpride Foundation, which aims to "foster a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world” for the LGBTQIA+ community across Asia through art. The foundation now has about 300 works in its collection. |
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State of Play
The gateway to the pulse of the Asian market |
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Art Fairs
– After canceling its New York edition, Photofairs is set to launch a new fair in Hong Kong, coinciding with the city's Art Week. The event will take place from March 26 to 30, 2025, at the Central Harbourfront. (Artnet News)
– Frieze Seoul, which runs September 4–7 this year, will present a program dedicated to performance art. Titled “신·경(神經): Nerve or Divine Pathway,” it will feature five performances by seven Korean artists. (Artnet News) – The Melbourne Art Fair named Melissa Loughnan as its new fair director. (Art Collector Magazine) Galleries
– This fall, Nunu Fine Art New York will launch Project Space: Asian Voices, a dedicated space for art from Asia and the Asian diaspora in the basement of its Manhattan location. Nunu will open its fall season on September 6 with a group exhibition, “In the Moment,” featuring six artists from Taiwan. (Press release) – David Zwirner will present a special exhibition, “Elizabeth Peyton: Daystar Hakuro,” at the historic Ryosokuin Temple in Kyoto from September 8 to 24. The show will feature a selection of paintings and works on paper by the artist. (Press release) Institutions and Biennials
– Hartwig Fischerk, the former British Museum director who resigned last summer, has been appointed the founding director of a world culture museum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, set to open in 2026. (Artnews) – The West Bund Museum in Shanghai has introduced a “Cultural Researcher” initiative, a program supported by the French fashion house Chanel. Its first project, “Shanghai Sounds,” will aim to document and preserve the city’s unique cultural heritage. (Artnet News)
– Five curators from South Asia—Kehkasha Sabah (Bangladesh), Anuj Malhotra (India), Bunu Dhungana (Nepal), Sarah Rajper (Pakistan), and Sandev Handy (Sri Lanka), have been selected to take part in the inaugural “Art Exchange: Moving Image,” a curatorial partnership between the U.K.’s Art South Asia Project and LUX, a nonprofit that supports artists working with moving images. Backed by the British Council, the initiative will see the five curators create exhibition in their respective home countries, drawing inspiration from moving-image works in the British Council Visual Arts Collection. (Press release)
– The British Museum will stage “Silk Roads,” a major exhibition that will look at the famed historic trade route linking East and West, diving into the intricate networks connecting the culture and people across Asia, Africa, and Europe. The show will open on September 26 and conclude February 23, 2025. (Press release) – Hong Kong’s cash-strapped West Kowloon Cultural District has been given the green light by local authorities to sell land it owns to shore up its finances. (South China Morning Post)
– South Korea’s culture ministry is presenting a media-art exhibition, “Decoding Korea,” at the Grand Palais Immersif in Paris, coinciding with the Olympics. The show runs from July 26 through August 25. (Press release)
Auctions
– Ahead of the inauguration of its new Asia headquarters at the Henderson in Hong Kong in September, Christie’s has revealed the key lots of its first sales there. The debut live sales on September 26 will include 19 Chinese ceramic works spanning the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties from the collection assembled by the renowned late collector Au Bak Ling. Presale estimates are yet to be finalized. The house will also offer Zao Wou-Ki's abstract canvas work 05.06.80 – Triptyque (1980) with a presale estimate of $10 million to $15 million (HK$78 million to HK$128 million). Fresh to auction, it has been in the same family collection for four decades and will appear in the house’s 20th-/21st-century evening sale on opening day.
– Meanwhile, Christie’s reported a steep drop in auction totals for the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, though sales of Asian art/world art were a rare bright spot, reaching $217 million, up by 20 percent. (Artnet News, Press releases) People/ Brand
– Titled “Long Tail Halo,” Korean artist Lee Bul will mark the debut of The Genesis Facade Commission, a five-year partnership between Genesis Art Initiatives and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It will be unveiled on September 12 and run through May 27, 2025. Established by Genesis, a luxury vehicle division of South Korean motor giant Hyundai, Genesis Art Initiatives will also partner with Tate Modern in London for "The Genesis Exhibition: Do Ho Suh," opening in May 2025. (Press release)
– Luxury house Gucci is to debut a “Gucci Cultural Month” initiative, which aims to pay tribute to the heritage of Korean culture by spotlighting artists who “have elevated local arts and the Korean influence on a global scale.” (WWD)
– Marina Abramović will have her first museum solo exhibition in China. Titled “Transforming Energy,” the show will run from October 10 to February 28, 2025, at the Modern Art Museum Shanghai (MAM). (Press release)
– Ellie Buttrose, the curator of the Golden Lion-winning Australia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, featuring Archie Moore’s installation “kith and kin,” has been named curator of the 2026 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA). (Australian Arts Review)
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State of Play The gateway to the pulse of the Asian market |
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Art Fairs
– After canceling its New York edition, Photofairs is set to launch a new fair in Hong Kong, coinciding with the city's Art Week. The event will take place from March 26 to 30, 2025, at the Central Harbourfront. (Artnet News)
– Frieze Seoul, which runs September 4–7 this year, will present a program dedicated to performance art. Titled “신·경(神經): Nerve or Divine Pathway,” it will feature five performances by seven Korean artists. (Artnet News)
– The Melbourne Art Fair named Melissa Loughnan as its new fair director. (Art Collector Magazine) Galleries
– This fall, Nunu Fine Art New York will launch Project Space: Asian Voices, a dedicated space for art from Asia and the Asian diaspora in the basement of its Manhattan location. Nunu will open its fall season on September 6 with a group exhibition, “In the Moment,” featuring six artists from Taiwan. (Press release) – David Zwirner will present a special exhibition, “Elizabeth Peyton: Daystar Hakuro,” at the historic Ryosokuin Temple in Kyoto from September 8 to 24. The show will feature a selection of paintings and works on paper by the artist. (Press release)
Institutions and Biennials
– Hartwig Fischerk, the former British Museum director who resigned last summer, has been appointed the founding director of a world culture museum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, set to open in 2026. (Artnews)
– The West Bund Museum in Shanghai has introduced a “Cultural Researcher” initiative, a program supported by the French fashion house Chanel. Its first project, “Shanghai Sounds,” will aim to document and preserve the city’s unique cultural heritage. (Artnet News)
– Five curators from South Asia—Kehkasha Sabah (Bangladesh), Anuj Malhotra (India), Bunu Dhungana (Nepal), Sarah Rajper (Pakistan), and Sandev Handy (Sri Lanka), have been selected to take part in the inaugural “Art Exchange: Moving Image,” a curatorial partnership between the U.K.’s Art South Asia Project and LUX, a nonprofit that supports artists working with moving images. Backed by the British Council, the initiative will see the five curators create exhibition in their respective home countries, drawing inspiration from moving-image works in the British Council Visual Arts Collection. (Press release)
– The British Museum will stage “Silk Roads,” a major exhibition that will look at the famed historic trade route linking East and West, diving into the intricate networks connecting the culture and people across Asia, Africa, and Europe. The show will open on September 26 and conclude February 23, 2025. (Press release) – Hong Kong’s cash-strapped West Kowloon Cultural District has been given the green light by local authorities to sell land it owns to shore up its finances. (South China Morning Post)
– South Korea’s culture ministry is presenting a media-art exhibition, “Decoding Korea,” at the Grand Palais Immersif in Paris, coinciding with the Olympics. The show runs from July 26 through August 25. (Press release)
Auctions
– Ahead of the inauguration of its new Asia headquarters at the Henderson in Hong Kong in September, Christie’s has revealed the key lots of its first sales there. The debut live sales on September 26 will include 19 Chinese ceramic works spanning the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties from the collection assembled by the renowned late collector Au Bak Ling. Presale estimates are yet to be finalized. The house will also offer Zao Wou-Ki's abstract canvas work 05.06.80 – Triptyque (1980) with a presale estimate of $10 million to $15 million (HK$78 million to HK$128 million). Fresh to auction, it has been in the same family collection for four decades and will appear in the house’s 20th-/21st-century evening sale on opening day.
– Meanwhile, Christie’s reported a steep drop in auction totals for the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, though sales of Asian art/world art were a rare bright spot, reaching $217 million, up by 20 percent. (Artnet News, Press releases) People / Brand
– Titled “Long Tail Halo,” Korean artist Lee Bul will mark the debut of The Genesis Facade Commission, a five-year partnership between Genesis Art Initiatives and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It will be unveiled on September 12 and run through May 27, 2025. Established by Genesis, a luxury vehicle division of South Korean motor giant Hyundai, Genesis Art Initiatives will also partner with Tate Modern in London for "The Genesis Exhibition: Do Ho Suh," opening in May 2025. (Press release)
– Luxury house Gucci is to debut a “Gucci Cultural Month” initiative, which aims to pay tribute to the heritage of Korean culture by spotlighting artists who “have elevated local arts and the Korean influence on a global scale.” (WWD)
– Marina Abramović will have her first museum solo exhibition in China. Titled “Transforming Energy,” the show will run from October 10 to February 28, 2025, at the Modern Art Museum Shanghai (MAM). (Press release)
– Ellie Buttrose, the curator of the Golden Lion-winning Australia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, featuring Archie Moore’s installation “kith and kin,” has been named curator of the 2026 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA). (Australian Arts Review)
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Talentspotter Xinyan Zhang |
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Xinyan Zhang, Double-Breathing No.1, 2023. Courtesy the artist and Upsilon Gallery
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Who: Xinyan Zhang (b. 1991, Shenzhen, China) Based in: Berlin, Germany
Gallery: Upsilon Gallery (New York, London) and De Sarthe Gallery (Scottsdale, Arizona, and Hong Kong).
Why we care: Blending Western post-expressionism with traditional Chinese painting, Xinyan Zhang’s hybrid techniques explore common experiences and human vulnerabilities. Zhang is influenced by Confucianism and Nietzsche, and her work delves into life’s value and frailty, uncovering the dark side of human nature. From a female perspective, her recent works interpret current social and cultural phenomena, posing the question: “Are there truly insurmountable obstacles in life?” Reflecting on recent wars, she uses black soil to create grave-like shapes, covered with liquid wax that flows downward, resembling melting glaciers. Ignited white cotton ropes cause the wax to melt, evoking the fragility of the people—and their resilience.
Zhang has exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions at the De Sarthe Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona (2024), and Hong Kong (2023), the Bauschaustelle Düsseldorf e.V (2022) and the Women's Museum Bonn (2022) in Germany, and elsewhere. She has been nominated for several prizes in Germany, including the 7th Eb-Dietzsch Art Award, the Förderpreis Jung + Gegenständlich 2022 Art Award in Bodenseekreis, the Bottrop Art Award, and the Baustelle Schaustelle Art Award in Düsseldorf.
Up next: Zhang is presenting her solo exhibition, “Transfer to Tomorrow,” at New York’s Upsilon Gallery through August 29. Her work is also featured in a group show at Pain Gallery in Milan, on view until July 31.
—Cathy Fan |
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Talentspotter
Xinyan Zhang |
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Xinyan Zhang, Double-Breathing No.1, 2023. Courtesy the artist and Upsilon Gallery |
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Who: Xinyan Zhang (b. 1991, Shenzhen, China)
Based in: Berlin, Germany Gallery: Upsilon Gallery (New York, London) and De Sarthe Gallery (Scottsdale, Arizona, and Hong Kong).
Why we care: Blending Western post-expressionism with traditional Chinese painting, Xinyan Zhang’s hybrid techniques explore common experiences and human vulnerabilities. Zhang is influenced by Confucianism and Nietzsche, and her work delves into life’s value and frailty, uncovering the dark side of human nature. From a female perspective, her recent works interpret current social and cultural phenomena, posing the question: “Are there truly insurmountable obstacles in life?” Reflecting on recent wars, she uses black soil to create grave-like shapes, covered with liquid wax that flows downward, resembling melting glaciers. Ignited white cotton ropes cause the wax to melt, evoking the fragility of the people—and their resilience.
Zhang has exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions at the De Sarthe Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona (2024), and Hong Kong (2023), the Bauschaustelle Düsseldorf e.V (2022) and the Women's Museum Bonn (2022) in Germany, and elsewhere. She has been nominated for several prizes in Germany, including the 7th Eb-Dietzsch Art Award, the Förderpreis Jung + Gegenständlich 2022 Art Award in Bodenseekreis, the Bottrop Art Award, and the Baustelle Schaustelle Art Award in Düsseldorf.
Up next: Zhang is presenting her solo exhibition, “Transfer to Tomorrow,” at New York’s Upsilon Gallery through August 29. Her work is also featured in a group show at Pain Gallery in Milan, on view until July 31. —Cathy Fan |
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Thanks for joining us for The Asia Pivot. See you next time. |
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Header image: Exterior façade, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (Washington, DC). Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. |
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Thank you for joining us for The Asia Pivot.
See you next time. |
Header image: Exterior façade, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (Washington, DC). Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. |
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This email was sent to vchow@artnet.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 vchow@artnet.com by Artnet Worldwide Corporation.
373 Park Avenue South, 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA |
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