Contemporary Arts in China - Essay Example

CONTEMPORARY ARTS IN CHINA By: Course: Tutor: University: December 4th, 2015, 2015 RECENT MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN ART GALLERY AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN CHINA Abstract The contemporary art in China is by far the strongest growing marketplace globally over the last 8 years (metmuseum.org, 2015). China arts emerged on the world market on from the mid- 2000s and it has for sure shaped the global art industry(metmuseum.org, 2015). China arts has been viewed by many artists as the most important growing market in history, this is attributed to both the size of the domestic sales made and the impact driven by its consumers globally. Chinese Arts has made significant gains in the worldwide art market for decades; it has established both institutional and private collectors. Since its inception, Chinese arts have made profits that come from its boom sales hence making it the leading art and antique market globally. The United States and other nation are now languishing behind the Republic of China when it comes to issues of arts marketplace. Introduction The expansion of modern art in China from mid 1970s onwards has been largely attributed by a combination of factors; the establishment of a modern art as a locus of social critique during the cultural liberation that was happening throughout the world and the widening of education in art industry (Sullivan, 2008, p. 124). In recent years, China has largely contributed to production of artistic work of its people (Sullivan, 2008, p. 124). There has been a significant growth mainly in the commercial art sector in the Republic of China; there are a large number of galleries, art districts and auction houses. This paper seeks to analyze the recent developments in art gallery and museum infrastructure in the Republic of China. It also seeks to give an explanation of how the developments connect with the global art and museum industry. While the global auction market has remained highly concentrated, mainland China has also been affected where the top notch houses accounted for a majority of 58% of the sales made in 2013(metmuseum.org, 2015). The art market in China seems to contrast with other main markets internationally. For instance, markets such as the United States and the United Kingdom have seen the private sales dominating the market through the gallery sector. On the other hand, China auction sales have primarily been the main source of growth accounting for close to 69% of the total share of the market(metmuseum.org, 2015). The remaining 31% of sales are made by galleries which primarily deal with contemporary arts, sales directly from artists and private dealers(metmuseum.org, 2015). Change in the art sector in China has remained constant over a number of years (Wang & valjakka, 2015, p. 142). Shanghai is seen as a first rising challenger of Beijing’s domination of art mecca of the Republic of China. This has been made possible by the government of Shanghai which has embraced policy and tax reforms that will swiftly facilitate the art transactions and the exchange of goods. Economists have placed China’s Art market in upward trend of growth (Wang & Valjakka, 2015, p. 143). Art has turned out to be an increasingly important part in the lives of people in the Republic of China. For instance, Beijing’s 798 Art work has turned out to be a tourist attraction which is second to the Tiananmen Square (Adam, 2015). Statistics has shown that Yuz Museum reached its maximum visitor capacity not so long after its grand inception (Adam, 2015). Other Museum like Wang Wei Long has been visited by over 8000 tourists (Adam, 2015). The availability of malls like K11 art mall has made the museum sector to have quality which has made artistic exhibition available to the general public and world at large. China’s power and influence of auction houses in the art market has significantly impacted the western world. The success of influence has been attributed by the consistence of the sources of information and platforms for discussions on matters that relate to the quality and value: this has been viewed as contrast to the west because the network galleries, experts and the consultants are developed in the outsidecorridors of the auction sector(metmuseum.org, 2015). The significance of Mainland China as the main center for domestic sales for art has remained to be a relatively new phenomenon, however, the Chinese Arts and Antiques has had important roles in the worldwide art market for decades(metmuseum.org, 2015). Very important Chinese artworks have been showcased in several major museums around the world and there have been generations after another that have stood to be very important private collectors(metmuseum.org, 2015). To meet this demand, Global galleries and auction houses have featured the Chinese contemporary artworks in their sales, close to 280 auction house featured in the Sales involving Chinese artworks(metmuseum.org, 2015). Since the world market was contracted in 2009, there has been a persistent feature of art sales globally and a very strong polarization of the market(metmuseum.org, 2015). China’s contemporary arts have performed well and has for years accounted for an ever increasing larger share of the market(metmuseum.org, 2015). In mainland China, the market has somehow remained balanced, the highest priced artworks account for a smaller share of the value than in markets like the United States(metmuseum.org, 2015). Statistics show that mainland China contemporary art works accounted for a small fraction in relation to the number of transactions (Adam, 2015). The modernity in art industry in China is a rare breed of foreign exhibition that ventures across and beyond the main centers of Shanghai and China. For instance, Beijing’s general public and press exhibited a high interest in the World art Museum. China art has slowly opened up foreign art work over the decades and more people in China are getting increasingly interested in other nation’s art and culture (Andrews, 2012, p. 107). The Chinese people are also getting interested in its history and the merging of ethnic groups and the development procedures of the western culture in the past years (Adams, 2015). It is not something new to see other western nations seizing up the opportunity of tapping up the curiosity of the Chinese culture. Beijing World art Museum has incorporated itself as one of the city’s imposing monument and has hosted a lot of exhibition from other western nations such as Spain, Italy, Mexico and the United States (Andrews, 2012, p. 155). This has made it possible for the Chinese government to build Museums each week and this has had a role in it becoming a major player in art infrastructure worldwide (Metmuseum.org, 2015). The rise in art industry in China has also changed the leadership hierarchy which has become more concentrated on culture (Metmuseum.org, 2015).The government of China has seized up the opportunity of making the structural difference in the west become a turning point of making the Chinese contemporary artworks renowned internationally. This has made the Chinese art industry work with other international museums like the British Museums. The Republic of China has also made the international society to think of culture as a compelling product that the international community needs. China is also providing competition and statistics show that China’s museums were the most visited in the world and attracted an approximate 7.45 individuals, this is an increase of 38.7%. Particularly, Zhejiang and Hangzhou Museums were the most visited where by the visits rose by remarkable margins of 75% (Metmuseum.org, 2015). Over the last few years, fine art has dominated the Decorative art industry in the global auction market in the past years; this is in terms of the aggregate sales and the quoted prices(metmuseum.org, 2015). Contemporary and post-war art has become the leading industry in the world today and it has been boosted by the high prices that have been achieved through auction(metmuseum.org, 2015). The major driver of the cultural boom is the growth of the middle class which has remained to be an increasing domestic demand for cultural activities that were once a boom for many western nations (Adam, 2015). Art in Asia has for long been seen as a case of money but in China the vice is different. The Chinese Museum embraces critical credentials in art which has made it as a selling point. The rising income has helped in driving art collection and viewing. This has made it possible for an increase in domestic demand for cultural activities that were previously out of reach in many nations. The trend in China is not that different from that of the western world. China’s institutional art collections of modern day were in a way amassed in part by the 18th Century rich buyers (Wang& Valjakka, 2015, p. 148). The explosion of the market in China has seen Billions of consumers released into the market and there has been a significant increase in numbers of individuals with a disposable amount of income (Wiseman& Liu, 2011, p. 147). The new infrastructure is being formed which is a clear symbol of wealth particularly in China. The entry of China in art market today signifies a new beginning and it shows that China is really making strides to achieve a sustainable economy. Another reason for culture boom is the ambition of China’s cities to enhance its worldwide profile. Culture is very important to the identity and it appeals as a destination for most individuals to live, work and travel in. This has shown why the government of China stretches its capabilities in trying to flex its cultural superiority through its major cities. China has shown a cultural catch up at play and has seen the west as being progressive which has positively helped the country richly grow in the art and museum industry. In China, there is certainly a strong idea of what places such as Rome and Paris are, and it is very clear that China want to replicate that, they have been successful in doing it better and making things big which has earned them a worldwide standing and recognition by the western world (Wang et al, 2015, p. 145).However, China’s push has really raised a completely different kind of controversy; its motivations are not all about politics and arts. Its promotion of culture is about presenting the globe with a better face (Zhou, 2007, p. 99). The world has a lot of negativism about China; they claim that China want to give a positive twist on what it is currently doing, to make individuals forget about the clampdowns on different individual groups (Zhou, 2007, p. 100). As evident from current proceedings in art and museum industry in China, there has been a strong centralized policy push from government that seeks to promote culture (Adam, 2015). The transition of China is dissimilar to what actually happened in the western world after the Second World War, many scholars argue on how organic and the development of the West in art and culture was (Zhou, 2007, p. 124). After, the Second World War, many developing nations such as America and Britain were deliberately pursuing programs that were promoting soft power and cultural promotion in relation to contemporary art and above all the proliferation of museums (Zhou, 2007, p. 135). China has tried to tackle poverty challenge in its nation and this has helped in eradicating questions that may be raised in regard to the wisdom of spending government funds on cultural initiatives. Unlike China, other nations in the world have a problem on the opportunity costs; money that is not spent on healthcare or sanitation is the same amount of money that is spent on cultural institutions (Wiseman& Liu, 2011, p. 103). However, economists have not understood the relevance of culture and havemade scholars to have a thought of economic argument that promotes arts (Wiseman& Liu, 2011, p. 106). As the emerging markets in China have made it possible to meet the people’s basic needs, the development of art has entirely taken a new twist and looked upon the education sector and how it empowers humanity potential. The arts have much to offer and they have created a platform for the emergence of brand new forms of creativity that fuel the identity and the growth of the economy. China’s investment in arts and culture is one way of diversifying resources that are purely reliant on an economy that creates new attractions for tourists. It is also a way of attracting professionals that are needed to bring creativity and innovation to newly built cities. It focuses on the economy returns on cultural investment, this has attributed culture as an element that offers the population a political say and most importantly a crucial part in the development process (Andrews, 2012, p. 182). Scholars have argued that if China tries to have a creative economy, they will then be in a position to have monetary benefits such as cultural and individual expression which empowers individuals and provides them with space for political and social benefits which will give them a voice (Andrews, 2012, p. 177). Another question that the people of China need to ask themselves is the emerging culture boom that concerns its sustainability: will the individuals continue to visit the Museums, or will their desires wear off? Many of China’s new art galleries are finding it hard to attract both the visitors and contents, with visitors moving on to the next art gallery as quick as they arrived (Metmuseum.org, 2015). China has powerful marketing tools that can really hold on to its customers in the contemporary art galleries but it should consider sustainability that should take them on board. A number of published writings in China have presented a searching history of art in the contemporary Chinese art (Metmuseum.org, 2015). The developments of art that are put forth by these published writings have had an implicit and explicit resistance to the non-Chinese perspectives. In the modern period, the communist party in China has tried to co-opt the artistic production and above all the display of soft power through a carefully organized diplomacy which is seen as part of indigenous creative industry (Wang & Valjakka, 2015, p. 151). The cultural industries are identified as one of the key areas to development. It particularly highlights the development of national priority and the development of Museums. The plan has highlighted that every region should atleast have a comprehensive Museum and there should be an establishment of a hundred and fifty first level national Museums (Metmuseum.org, 2015). The people of China should therefore not run away with the idea of arts infrastructure development which revolves around private and public investment. State control in China is more obstructive than the western world, for instance, applications for public funding and art industry are in a way friendly with no way of becoming less obstructive (Adam, 2015). The results in China have been mixed and the economic model has been shaped pretty well. The development has been brought about by the state of the market that has delivered dividends and brought about success which has really helped in popularizing the idea that state owned corporations should have a large role in the economy. Many business individuals in the world have admired the efficiency of both the public and private sector (Adam, 2015). The investment in art industry in China has given many African countries an economic boost. The art industry in China has also seen its economic model become inseparable from a political model. On the other hand, China’s hard power in line with cash has become certainly increasing, however, it has carelessly used power in a manner that is not appropriate and this has prompted many not to envy its cultural practices (Wang & Valjakka, 2015, p. 153). China has really taken a broader and consequential move that may deem its efforts of being regarded as an influencing Republic in the world of arts. China will soon become hamstrung by its contemporary art that for sure has little appeal globally. Its music has very few fans globally and the youth from China tend to prefer music from Hong Kong and America (Zhou, 2007, p. 153). To most economists, Chinese Art and Culture is being held up to undo the mechanized production and consumption (Adams, 2015). The arts should provide elation while at the same time avoiding any commercial interests that may come forth. The cultural works of the people may be able to compete with the driven out for the attention of individuals. The main question that will be asked by stakeholders is if the cultural works will be able to maintain an environment that creates innovation (Metmuseum.org, 2015). Plagiarism and copycat has also been seen as a spawn of China’s interesting home grown movements and innovations (Adam, 2015). All stakeholders in the art and creative industry should expect a tough task ahead if they navigate through hard times. Restoring China to its cultural glory that apparently lies within their imagination is important if the recent developments are anything to go by. In summation, market research has shown that Hollywood films are more effective in promotion of China’s public initiatives than China’s films (Metmuseum.org, 2015). On the other hand, the rapid development of the film market in China where Hollywood can no longer have a larger profit margin that have had enormous marketing budgets and enormous production has become a major turning point for stakeholders in the art industry (Wang & Valjakka, 2015, p. 153). The Chinese films have also remained political and the socialization of the young to have the understanding and acknowledgement of the role of state in promotion of the interest of the Republic of China. The building of art collections to private Museums in China is being regarded as one of the fastest growing nation in art industry. They have expanded their roles to an extent that have included almost everything from strategizing of educational framework to shortlisting of architects that desire to enter the art industry(metmuseum.org, 2015). China is becoming renowned in the art industry but it should consider promoting their culture first before promoting other nation’s culture in their museums. References Adam, G. (2015). Cash registers ring the changes for China’s art market. [Online] Bbc.com. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130528-art-in-china-down-but-not-out [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015]. Andrews, J. F., & Shen, K. (2012). The art of modern China. Berkeley, University of California Press. Metmuseum.org, (2015). China: Through the Looking Glass | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [online] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/press- room/exhibitions/2015/china-through-the-looking-glass [Accessed 14 Oct. 2015]. Sullivan, M. (2008). The arts of China. Berkeley: University of California Press. Wang, M. and Valjakka, M. (2015). Urbanized interfaces: Visual arts in Chinese cities. China Information, 29(2), pp.139-153. Wiseman, M. B., & Liu, Y. (2011). Subversive strategies in contemporary Chinese art. Leiden, Brill. Zhou, X. (2007). Young rebels in contemporary Chinese cinema. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. Read More

The significance of Mainland China as the main center for domestic sales for art has remained to be a relatively new phenomenon, however, the Chinese Arts and Antiques has had important roles in the worldwide art market for decades(metmuseum.org, 2015). Very important Chinese artworks have been showcased in several major museums around the world and there have been generations after another that have stood to be very important private collectors(metmuseum.org, 2015). To meet this demand, Global galleries and auction houses have featured the Chinese contemporary artworks in their sales, close to 280 auction house featured in the Sales involving Chinese artworks(metmuseum.org, 2015).

Since the world market was contracted in 2009, there has been a persistent feature of art sales globally and a very strong polarization of the market(metmuseum.org, 2015). China’s contemporary arts have performed well and has for years accounted for an ever increasing larger share of the market(metmuseum.org, 2015). In mainland China, the market has somehow remained balanced, the highest priced artworks account for a smaller share of the value than in markets like the United States(metmuseum.org, 2015).

Statistics show that mainland China contemporary art works accounted for a small fraction in relation to the number of transactions (Adam, 2015). The modernity in art industry in China is a rare breed of foreign exhibition that ventures across and beyond the main centers of Shanghai and China. For instance, Beijing’s general public and press exhibited a high interest in the World art Museum. China art has slowly opened up foreign art work over the decades and more people in China are getting increasingly interested in other nation’s art and culture (Andrews, 2012, p. 107). The Chinese people are also getting interested in its history and the merging of ethnic groups and the development procedures of the western culture in the past years (Adams, 2015).

It is not something new to see other western nations seizing up the opportunity of tapping up the curiosity of the Chinese culture. Beijing World art Museum has incorporated itself as one of the city’s imposing monument and has hosted a lot of exhibition from other western nations such as Spain, Italy, Mexico and the United States (Andrews, 2012, p. 155). This has made it possible for the Chinese government to build Museums each week and this has had a role in it becoming a major player in art infrastructure worldwide (Metmuseum.org, 2015).

The rise in art industry in China has also changed the leadership hierarchy which has become more concentrated on culture (Metmuseum.org, 2015).The government of China has seized up the opportunity of making the structural difference in the west become a turning point of making the Chinese contemporary artworks renowned internationally. This has made the Chinese art industry work with other international museums like the British Museums. The Republic of China has also made the international society to think of culture as a compelling product that the international community needs.

China is also providing competition and statistics show that China’s museums were the most visited in the world and attracted an approximate 7.45 individuals, this is an increase of 38.7%. Particularly, Zhejiang and Hangzhou Museums were the most visited where by the visits rose by remarkable margins of 75% (Metmuseum.org, 2015). Over the last few years, fine art has dominated the Decorative art industry in the global auction market in the past years; this is in terms of the aggregate sales and the quoted prices(metmuseum.org, 2015).

Contemporary and post-war art has become the leading industry in the world today and it has been boosted by the high prices that have been achieved through auction(metmuseum.org, 2015). The major driver of the cultural boom is the growth of the middle class which has remained to be an increasing domestic demand for cultural activities that were once a boom for many western nations (Adam, 2015).

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