Guide to Collecting Contemporary Art; Collectors, Chinese, Japanese

http://www.thecitizen.in/NewsDetail.aspx?Id=4373&A/Guide/to/Collecting/Contemporary/Art



NEW DELHI: Every time I encounter a piece of art I have a set reaction. I walk over to the artwork, tilt my head in this all-knowing manner and examine the piece. I then walk ten steps back, change the angle of my head, and stare at the work for another ten seconds. Then I let out a ponderous “hmmm” and walk to the next piece where I repeat the drill. The point of this little show is to avoid betraying my absolute ignorance of the subject at hand to everyone else in the room.

This little performance holds me in good stead (or so I think). Now here I will admit that it takes a lot of control to not let my eyes widen in horror and shock when I discover what most of these artworks in question are priced at. Instead, I continue with my “hmmm” and quickly look away.

If any of the above is familiar, I have good news. Actually, I have good news even if you are one of those rare few who actually knows why that carefully measured tilt of your head is essential in properly surveying an art piece. The Portret Project, a niche gallery concept located in New Delhi with a focus on portraiture as an art form, has released a guide titled “A Guide To Collecting Contemporary Art.”

In addition to providing tips that are useful to the budding collector, the guide is great reading for art abecedarians like myself, as it lays on critical information without dumbing it down.

The guide has been released to coincide with an upcoming show, titled “Twenty for Twenty| 11.7” x 16.5” for 20k.” The show falls in line with The Portret Project’s aim to “making the art of portraiture accessible, bringing to our audience a wide array of ‘portrets’ ranging from the traditional to the conceptual.”

The founder of The Portret Project, Sakhshi Mahajan, said, “The aim of this year long project is to make art accessible, approachable and friendly for younger collectors. The gallery is carrying out various curatorial projects and initiatives to engage our viewers in an interactive manner so that they develop a personal experience with art. The collectors guide along with the show will urge individuals to look and purchase contemporary art with greater discernment than they have before.”

The only curatorial agenda imposed on the works at this upcoming exhibit is the uniformity of size: 11.7 x 16.5 inches. The artworks are all priced at Rs. 20,000 -- allowing younger collectors access at the affordable pieces (and making sure that my eyes do not widen in surprise while I -- this time with a more knowing head tilt -- check out the works).

The complete guide can be found at: https://theportretproject.wordpress.com/

Excerpts are reproduced below:


WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY ART?

General Overview:

1. Contemporary art celebrates the creativity of the artists of the present.

2. Coined in the mid-20th century, it addresses what is most current, both stylistically and conceptually.

3. Working in a wide range of media, contemporary artists often reflect and present a take on amongst other things sociopolitical issues globally.

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Some contemporary Indian artists include Atul Dodiya, Anju Dodiya, Ravinder Reddy, Bharti Kher,Subodh Gupta, Jitish Kallat, Sheela Gowda, Shilpa Gupta, Anita Dube, Sudarshan Shetty, Ranbir Singh Kaleka, Gigi Scaria, GR Iranna, Dayanita Singh, Raqs Media Collective,Sheba Chhachhi, Hema Upadhyay and Alwar Balasubramaniam.

Contemporary Art Mediums:

Contemporary art includes painting, sculpture, photography,drawings, prints, time-based media and Installation & Site Specific work

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Check out the exhibition “Twenty for Twenty| 11.7” x 16.5” for 20k” at A 10/6 Vasant Vihar, New Delhi from the 8th – 22th of August 2015, from 11am- 7pm.

The artists showcasing at the show are V. Anamika , Prasannakumar N, Avijit Mukherjee, Naveen Kumar, Aishwaryan K, Venugopal VG, Sahaya Sharma, Pallav Chander, Umashankar V., Susmit Biswas, Ayesha Singh, Alpesh Dave, Pulkit Prajapati, Purvi Parmar, V. Anamika, Harshada Kerker, Jeet Pandya and Sagar Bhowmick .

The Portret Project Details:

Studio:
A 10/6, Vasant Vihar, Basement
New Delhi- 110057
(By appointment only)

For Appointments:
Call: +919871149911
sakhshi@theportetproject.com
www.theportretproject.com
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appeal of Chinese contemporary art


Yongwoo Lee, executive director of Shanghai Himalayas Museum, hopes to launch a distinctive biennale exhibition. Photo: Yongwoo LeeInterest in Chinese art has flourished during the past two decades.

Works by contemporary artists, including Zeng Fanzhi, now attract the highest prices at auction. Investors can take advice from experts at museums and leading contemporary art exhibitions, such as the Venice Biennale.

Yongwoo Lee, a South Korean, globally recognised art historian, critic and curator, has been executive director at the Shanghai Himalayas Museum, since May. He spoke to the South China Morning Post's Peggy Yuan

Why did you join a Chinese private museum?

It's far more appealing to be in an environment that I enjoy - where I feel I can "breathe" - than [consider] the national or geopolitical importance of my choice.

I think the dynamism of contemporary Chinese art today is interesting. Like a solution to a problem, the visual cultural scene of China is brimming with energy, pain and progress.
Exhibitions can be 'too curated' for the elite ... I'm firmly against the kind of attitude in some museums that believes its visitors need to be educated. Museum visitors should be people who love museums and are passionate to interact with the exhibits.
Yongwoo Lee

So I was very interested by the job offer and the opportunity to establish a biennale exhibition that will be distinctive compared with others.

What is going to be your strategy for developing the museum?

In the future, the public and private museums will coexist within a competitive and collaborative structure.

Over the years, Shanghai Himalayas Museum has held more international exhibitions than any other mainland institution.

I'd like to create a "gateway", which can connect with the international art scene and opens up the museum even more. I believe more museums like this are needed in China.

How did you help South Korea's contemporary art exhibition, the Gwangju Biennale, and Korean art become known internationally?

The Gwangju Biennale was able to establish itself very rapidly within the international art world because of its absolute openness. It is not limited only to those in the art industry, nor does it have any geographical or political restrictions.

From the start we boldly opened it up totally to art directors, curators and artists worldwide. We firmly believe that it is natural to offer a diverse make-up; of course, there are other professionals that think quite the opposite.

The Gwangju Biennale is a reflection of my personal view that the "Gwangju Spirit" - of breaking down barriers - should be deeply and broadly applied.

'Bathroom' by the acclaimed Chinese contemporary artist Zeng Fanzhi, which was sold at auction in Hong Kong by Christie's last year. Photo: David WongWill you promote the internationalisation of the Shanghai Himalayas Museum and Chinese contemporary art?

I do feel that is one of the reasons the Shanghai Himalayas Museum felt it needed me. Supporting contemporary Chinese art and artists is an extremely important duty for me.

Access to Chinese contemporary art until now has been quite limited for people overseas. But Chinese art will become more visible if more institutions proactively work together to promote it.

Does the government's strict censorship of contemporary Chinese art place restrictions on your work?

"Censorship" is a sensitive word, which is not often heard these days. So-called censorship occurs widely around the world. Although there may not be an official system of censorship, it occurs in many places, including the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America.

The Chinese censorship system has become institutionalised. Some might think it will intimidate cultural producers. But I'd like to discover the potential for alternatives because those restrictions focus on political aggression and excessive obscenities.

Of course, freedom and imagination are at the core of art creation, but the issue here is to discover workable alternatives.

What is the target audience for your art projects in China?

If an exhibition scares off its audience, then I feel there must be a problem. Exhibitions can be "too curated" for the elite or the art professionals and this puts others off.

I'm firmly against the kind of attitude in some museums that believes its visitors need to be educated. Museum visitors should be people who love museums and are passionate to interact with the exhibits.

I feel that for the time being, Chinese museums should adopt a strategy that welcomes more people to its exhibitions and displays.

The Kenya pavilion at this year's Venice Biennale would have been represented by a number of Chinese artists - rather than Kenyans - until a petition was launched against this. Why did the problem arise?

I was a member of the jury at this year's Venice Biennale and it was quite unfortunate that this misstep became an issue.

I think such mistakes arise because there is too much of result-driven mindset, and also a lack of understanding about how international culture operates. So I will try to take a lead to bridge these kinds of cultural gaps and misunderstandings in future.

Is it important to highlight the regional or cultural identity of Chinese contemporary art?

Discussion about aesthetical globalism and regionalism has come to a close. Globalism must be based on regionalism or it will be just an illusion.

Yes, there are different cultural identities in different regions and there may be many differences geopolitically, but these two cultural phenomena are not isolated, like remote islands: instead, they should converge yet also grow so that they are distinctive within a single context.

Chinese art must be independent, autonomous, and establish its own independent aesthetic form. It should stand like an aesthetic archipelago.

The reason why movements in the past, such as the Gatai group - a radical Japanese artistic group from the 1950s to early '70s - and Korea's 1970s to '90s Dansaekhwa monochrome painting, stood out in art history and became known globally was exactly because they had independent aesthetic form.

The identity of contemporary Chinese art from the 1990s is no different. I think it is wrong to try to imitate the context and form of Western art and consider it is an authority.

It is very important to find an original cultural and political perspective that has its own distinguished independent aesthetic form.
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Kagedo Japanese Art Develops Relationships With Younger Collectors Through Online Technologies
Jeff Cline of well-respected gallery, Kagedo Japanese art(www.kagedo.com), spoke with The Curator's Eye about his varied experiences as a dealer, his challenges reaching a younger international client-base and how he's adopted internet technologies to help his gallery continue to stay in touch with interested clients during the rapid internationalization of the art market.

Kagedo Japanese Art Begins in Seattle, Expands Through Shows And Word Of Mouth...

Jeff founded Kagedo Japanese art with his business partner, Bill Knospe, in Seattle over thirty years ago. He credits some of his gallery's early success to the time period, “We were blessed to have grown up at a special time in the history of Japanese art. Because of the War the art of 20th century Japan had largely been forgotten in the Western world. Americans, in particular, were fascinated by very old cultures and their art. At that time Japan was modernizing on an unprecedented scale. So it was an incredible opportunity.”

To continue to grow and expand, Jeff and Bill began to exhibit at major art shows including, the first Pacific Asia Show in Santa Monica and later the International Asian Art Fair in NYC. Jeff notes, “At those venues, and our Seattle gallery we began to make contacts with an incredible group of people interested in Japanese art and design. In the days before the web it was those people who became our 'word of mouth' network. Most business came from that network.”

...And Then Freed By Use Of The Internet, Moves From Seattle To Orcas Island To Create A Destination Experience.

Nowadays, with the advent of the internet, Kagedo Japanese art is able to connect with potential clients quickly and efficiently. Jeff says “with the web, the world is indeed at our doorstep. The internationalization of the art market has and is happening on an unprecedented scale.”

So after thirty years of having a Gallery space in Seattle, Jeff and Bill decided to move the gallery to the more removed location of Orcas Island, WA. There they reopened a new gallery space complete with extensive gardens, Japanese style guest rooms and, of course, high-end Japanese art. Jeff remembers, “Going back to my Japanese teachers, one repeatedly told me… 'remember, bees come to flowers. I must have heard that hundreds of times from him! Bill and I decided to see if we could create a destination experience for potential clients.”

Jeff Never Forgot The Teachings of Two Japanese Art Dealers -- Art Is About Human Relations.

Jeff was an exchange student living in Japan in 1973 and notes that he was quickly 'adopted' by two art dealers who became his teachers. Under their mentorship Jeff learned a very different perspective on selling art than one finds in most Western galleries. Jeff noted “Studying under my two Japanese teachers was not just about art. One of the rules that was beat into me was never buy a piece to make money.”

One day Jeff was called in to see one of his teachers. His teacher asked Jeff, “what do you think the art market is about?” Jeff recounted, “To me it seemed like a ludicrous question and none of my answers got him nodding his head. Eventually, he stopped me and said 'selling art is about human relations…about the incredible people who buy it and love it.' I pondered that for many years but of course he was right.”

Kagedo Leverages The Curator's Eye Because It Is The Online Platform That Fosters Relations Between Dealers and Collectors.

As a gallery that is located well off the beaten path, Kagedo must continually look to other avenues to find new potential clients and refresh their client list. Besides the traditional method of presenting at international art shows, Kagedo maintains an extensive website that is not only a sales platform but also a platform to educate clients and prospective clients about Japanese art.

But Kagedo also enlisted The Curator's Eye to broaden the reach of their online marketing efforts. Jeff describes “We are looking to The Curator's Eye to help us make more people aware of the incredible quality and opportunities available in Japanese art. The Curator’s Eye is the only online format that we have found with the capability to access those who want the best and want to know who the best dealers are. There is definitely a synergy that works with having our material next to material of similar quality.”

Developing Relationships With The Next Generation Of Collectors Requires Educating Them Online

Emphatically, Jeff explains, “Dealers who say young people are not interested in art are mistaken. Young people are no different than previous generations…they just access information differently....” But this different type of interaction should not preclude galleries from marketing to a younger audience. Galleries need to learn to access these younger clients in a different way. Jeff remarks, “The old model was that people go to a show or to a gallery but it is more likely these days for a gallery to meet them right on their portable devices.” It is clear that younger generations are much more receptive to marketing efforts via the internet, email and interactive websites than they are to the traditional methods of client acquisition of direct mailings, art shows and gallery visits. There is no reason that galleries should not follow the next generation of clients where those clients are.

Jeff recounted a recent engagement with a client, “I just met a Chinese client who accessed our site and contacted us. When I met him in person I had to rub my eyes…he was 28 years old! Not only that, but he wanted to buy something important that was in a high price range. I politely asked him if he really understood what he was buying and not only had he done his research but also had gone well beyond that. So, at that point it really sunk in that the key to marketing in the future is on the web.”

As internet technologies become more advanced, it becomes easier and more cost-efficient to educate a client base than it ever was pre-internet or even early internet. Art dealers/galleries who do not adopt these new ways of education and interaction will find it increasingly difficult to compete with galleries who are marketing more efficiently to the much broader audience over the web.

Kagedo Finds International Success with The Curator's Eye

Jeff notes, “What is important is that The Curator’s Eye is actually a format that works. It’s the equivalent of a international, high end art show on the web.” A major reason for why it works is that it forgoes the eCommerce model and focuses on fostering dealer – collector relationships by allowing dealers to more closely interact with clients who are seeking information.

Jeff says in conclusion, “We have sold pieces marketed through the Curator’s Eye, but even more importantly we have been able to start discussions with new clients who are interested in a particular area we specialize in. Who would have imagined that our most important sale came from Australia? The inquiries are incredible…Qatar, France, Germany, Australia and, of course, the United States to mention a few.”



Kagedo Japanese Art specializes in fine Japanese art, with a focus on the transition to modernism from the end of the 19th through the 20th century. Our interests range from the traditional to the contemporary and reflect over thirty years of connoisseurship and experience. The owners of Kagedo Japanese Art, Jeffery Cline and William Knospe, have published seven folio catalogues that explored an idiosyncratic path from the classical to the modern, including ceramics, lacquer, metalwork, furniture, stone and wood carving, studio basketry, sculpture, and painting. For More information, please visit www.kagedo.com.

The Curator’s Eye offers specialized, targeted online advertising and marketing services that help private dealers compete in a global art market. To view exceptional items for the distinguished private collector available from the top dealers across the globe, visit www.CuratorsEye.com.
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