fluktor -|||- study - office - newsletter October 22, 2005

NYT, October 20, 2005
Christie's Going, Going to China to Hold Auctions
By CAROL VOGEL

Determined to be the first Western auction house to capitalize firsthand on China's booming art market, Christie's has signed an agreement to conduct auctions in Beijing, company officials said. And to meet Chinese government restrictions on foreign businesses holding auctions on their own, it has teamed up with a newly formed Beijing auction house called Forever.

Under the agreement, settled this week, Christie's will license its name, provide experts and oversee the entire auction process, from the acquisition of works for sale to the printing and design of the catalog. Its first sale - 450 examples of modern and contemporary Chinese art - is scheduled for Nov. 3 at the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing and is expected to bring $10 million.

"It's important for us to put down stakes and let people know we've arrived," said Edward Dolman, Christie's chief executive. "This is a huge market and we're building on the tremendous sales in Hong Kong."

In May and June, Mr. Dolman said, Christie's sales in Hong Kong totaled nearly $130 million and attracted 4,500 people a day. They came to view everything from classic Chinese ceramics and jade jewelry to modern and contemporary painting.

The number of moneyed collectors in China is growing as fortunes are being made in construction, technology, manufacturing, real estate and other industries. According to figures published by China's 10 leading auction houses, sales have risen from less than $100 million in 2000 to about $1 billion in 2005.

China is not a new territory for either Sotheby's or Christie's. Both auction houses opened offices in Shanghai in 1994 to identify property to sell and to contact prospective buyers. Two years later, Christie's opened an office in Beijing. Sotheby's has had a representative there for the past year. As for Hong Kong, Sotheby's has been holding sales in the former British colony since 1973, and Christie's since 1986.

Year by year, the number of Asians buying at auction is increasing. Executives at Sotheby's report that in 2004 its Asian clients spent more than $275 million at its salesrooms around the world, up from just over $100 million in 2003.

Asian artworks are also becoming more popular and expensive. In July, Christie's set a record for an Asian artwork at auction when a London dealer bought a 14th-century blue-and-white jar for $27.7 million.

Now Christie's and Sotheby's are focusing on how best to capitalize on the Chinese market. But while Christie's has entered an agreement with a Chinese partner in Beijing, Sotheby's is taking a more cautious approach. "We're putting out feelers and will be watching Christie's closely to see what we can learn," said Henry Howard-Sneyd, managing director of Sotheby's in Asia and Australia. "But since holding auctions in China has to be done through intermediaries, we will see how things develop."

Mr. Howard-Sneyd, who is based in Hong Kong, added that the company's staffing throughout Asia was increasing by 15 percent to 20 percent. "The Chinese love fine wines, jewelry, Western furniture, 19th-century paintings as well as contemporary Chinese art," he said.

Chinese contemporary art is one of the fastest-growing segments of this market, attracting buyers from around the world. Sotheby's is planning to hold its first sale of contemporary Chinese art in March, during Asia Week in New York. Xiaoming Zhang, the expert in charge of the sale, comes to Sotheby's from the Guggenheim Museum, where she helped organize its giant show "China: 5,000 Years" in 1998. She was later part of a Guggenheim team exploring possible satellite programs around the world. Ms. Zhang is now traveling through China looking for property to sell.

"It's not easy," she said in a telephone interview. "The demand is far greater than the supply."

Chinese contemporary artists generally fall into two categories: in the first group are those whose style is based on traditional Chinese images and forms, like ink-wash landscapes, harking back to the 17th and 18th centuries. One example is Wu Guanzhong, who produced "White Poplar Woods," a modern twist on a densely painted forest that is expected to sell for $770,000 to $900,000 at Forever/Christie's next month. Another is the artist Lin Fengmian, who studied in France and has painted scenes like "Opera Figures," a scroll estimated to fetch $154,800 to $232,300 next month in Beijing.

The second category consists of an important group of Chinese artists whose work is based in Pop and conceptual art and who have a wide international following. Sotheby's plans to sell their work in New York in March. This group includes the conceptual artist Huang Yongping, the subject of a retrospective at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis on view through Jan. 15.

The group also includes Zhang Huan, a Chinese-born artist who lives in New York, where he has shown at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Deitch Projects in SoHo and elsewhere. Perhaps the most celebrated of them all is Cai Guo-Qiang, known to New Yorkers for beaming a rainbow over the East River three years ago for the opening of the Museum of Modern Art's temporary exhibition space in Queens, as well as for "Light Cycle," a pyrotechnic display that lighted up the sky above Central Park for its 150th anniversary. Over the summer Mr. Cai was also the curator of the Venice Biennale's first official Chinese pavilion, sponsored in large part by the Chinese government.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/arts/design/20emer.html?8hpib

***************************

IHT, Oct 20, 2005
Storming art's Great Wall

slideshow:
[image] Determined to be the first Western auction house to capitalize on China's booming art market, Christie's has signed an agreement to conduct auctions in Beijing, company officials said.
Wu Guanzhong's "White Poplar Woods," will be among the 45 works of modern and contemporary Chinese art for sale on Nov. 3 at the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing. It is expected to sell for $770,000 to $900,000.
[image] To meet Chinese government restrictions on foreign businesses' holding auctions on their own, Christie's has teamed up with a newly formed Beijing auction house called Forever. Under the agreement Christie's will license its name, provide experts and oversee the entire auction process. Its first sale is expected to bring in $10 million.
Lin Fengmian's "Opera Figures." Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper.
[image] Chinese contemporary art is one of the fastest-growing segments of this market, attracting buyers from around the world.
Zhang Daqian's "Summer Mountain in Switzerland." Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper.
[image] Lin Fengmian's "Four Beauties." Scroll, mountged and framed, ink and colour on paper.
[image] Fu Baoshi's "Sound of the Bell Tower." Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper.

http://www.iht.com/slideshows/2005/10/20/asia/web.1020bid.php

***************************

news-antique.com, Oct 20, 2005
FOREVER / CHRISTIE’S ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL SALE IN BEIJING
Christie's has announced its exciting new auction venture in China, one of the -- if not the -- leading emerging markets in the art world today.

The Full Story:

For Immediate Release
20 October 2005
Contact: He Hongchao (Forever, Beijing) +86.1380.1111.700
Andrée Corroon (Christie’s New York) +1.212.636.2680
Victoria Cheung (Christie’s Hong Kong) +852.2978.9924

FOREVER / CHRISTIE’S ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL SALE IN BEIJING

Forever, the newly-established Beijing-based auction house, in conjunction with Christie’s, has announced an inaugural sale of Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings. The auction will take place on 3 November 2005 at The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing and will offer over 450 works of art. Public viewing will take place from 31 October – 2 November 2005.

A strong selection of paintings will be offered in the sale including White Poplar Woods (estimate: RMB6,000,000-7,000,000 / US$770,000-900,000) and The Hometown of Shakespeare (estimate: RMB3,000,000-4,000,000 / US$380,000-510,000) both by Wu Guanzhong (born 1919). Additional works include Horse Riding by Huang Zhou (1925-1997) (estimate: RMB3,000-,000-4,000,000 / US$385,000-510,000) and Four Beauties by Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) (estimate: RMB2,800,000- 3,500,000 / US$361,300-451,600). Other artists whose work will be presented include Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), Fu Baoshi (1904-1965) and Qi Baishi (1863-1957). The sale is estimated to realize in excess of US$10 million.

“Having recognized the history and credibility of Christie’s as the leading auction house of Asian Art in the world, Forever will apply the same level of professionalism and auction standards to its activities,” commented Ms. An Li Ping, Forever’s Managing Director.

“Christie’s, supporting this vision and recognizing the great potential of the market in China, has agreed to lend its name to this exciting auction event. We are delighted to enable Forever to operate within an international marketplace and to help ensure they operate in China with the highest level of auction practice. We have entered into this agreement confident that Forever will apply the same professional care throughout its activities as Christie’s,” said Edward Dolman, Chief Executive Officer, Christie’s International.

Forever is a newly incorporated auction house based in Beijing. Ms. An Li Ping recognizes the strength and size of the Chinese art auction market and aim to make Forever one of the leading fine art auction houses in China.

Christie’s are the world’s leading fine art auction house as well as international leaders in the Asian Art category and more specifically the Chinese art market. Christie’s regular auction sales schedule takes place in Hong Kong, New York and London with additional sales of Asian art in Amsterdam and Paris. Christie’s sold the most expensive Asian Work of Art ever in July 2005 when an exceptionally rare and important blue and white jar, Yuan Dynasty, 14th century, realized £15,688,000 /US$27,700,100 / €22,731,912.

Christie’s were the first auction house to establish a representative office in China in April 1994 in Shanghai, and in April 1996, Christie’s Beijing representative office was inaugurated.
# # #

http://news-antique.com/?id=564&keys=christies-forever-beijing

__________________

with kind regards,

Matthias Arnold
(Art-Eastasia list)

http://www.chinaresource.org
http://www.fluktor.de

__________________________________________

An archive of this list as well as an subscribe/unsubscribe facility is
available at:
http://listserv.uni-heidelberg.de/archives/art-eastasia.html
For postings earlier than 2005-02-23 please go to:
http://www.fluktor.de/study/office/newsletter.htm


	October 22, 2005: [achtung! kunst] market : Christie's in Beijing: Forever.

	NYT, October 20, 2005 Christie's Going, Going to China to Hold Auctions By CAROL VOGEL Determined to be the first Western auction house to capitalize firsthand on China's booming art market, Christie's has signed an agreement to conduct auctions in Beijing, company officials said. And to meet Chinese government restrictions on foreign businesses holding auctions on their own, it has teamed up with a newly formed Beijing auction house called Forever. Under the agreement, settled this week, Christie's will license its name, provide experts and oversee the entire auction process, from the acquisition of works for sale to the printing and design of the catalog. Its first sale - 450 examples of modern and contemporary Chinese art - is scheduled for Nov. 3 at the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing and is expected to bring $10 million. "It's important for us to put down stakes and let people know we've arrived," said Edward Dolman, Christie's chief executive. "This is a huge market and we're building on the tremendous sales in Hong Kong." In May and June, Mr. Dolman said, Christie's sales in Hong Kong totaled nearly $130 million and attracted 4,500 people a day. They came to view everything from classic Chinese ceramics and jade jewelry to modern and contemporary painting. The number of moneyed collectors in China is growing as fortunes are being made in construction, technology, manufacturing, real estate and other industries. According to figures published by China's 10 leading auction houses, sales have risen from less than $100 million in 2000 to about $1 billion in 2005. China is not a new territory for either Sotheby's or Christie's. Both auction houses opened offices in Shanghai in 1994 to identify property to sell and to contact prospective buyers. Two years later, Christie's opened an office in Beijing. Sotheby's has had a representative there for the past year. As for Hong Kong, Sotheby's has been holding sales in the former British colony since 1973, and Christie's since 1986. Year by year, the number of Asians buying at auction is increasing. Executives at Sotheby's report that in 2004 its Asian clients spent more than $275 million at its salesrooms around the world, up from just over $100 million in 2003. Asian artworks are also becoming more popular and expensive. In July, Christie's set a record for an Asian artwork at auction when a London dealer bought a 14th-century blue-and-white jar for $27.7 million. Now Christie's and Sotheby's are focusing on how best to capitalize on the Chinese market. But while Christie's has entered an agreement with a Chinese partner in Beijing, Sotheby's is taking a more cautious approach. "We're putting out feelers and will be watching Christie's closely to see what we can learn," said Henry Howard-Sneyd, managing director of Sotheby's in Asia and Australia. "But since holding auctions in China has to be done through intermediaries, we will see how things develop." Mr. Howard-Sneyd, who is based in Hong Kong, added that the company's staffing throughout Asia was increasing by 15 percent to 20 percent. "The Chinese love fine wines, jewelry, Western furniture, 19th-century paintings as well as contemporary Chinese art," he said. Chinese contemporary art is one of the fastest-growing segments of this market, attracting buyers from around the world. Sotheby's is planning to hold its first sale of contemporary Chinese art in March, during Asia Week in New York. Xiaoming Zhang, the expert in charge of the sale, comes to Sotheby's from the Guggenheim Museum, where she helped organize its giant show "China: 5,000 Years" in 1998. She was later part of a Guggenheim team exploring possible satellite programs around the world. Ms. Zhang is now traveling through China looking for property to sell. "It's not easy," she said in a telephone interview. "The demand is far greater than the supply." Chinese contemporary artists generally fall into two categories: in the first group are those whose style is based on traditional Chinese images and forms, like ink-wash landscapes, harking back to the 17th and 18th centuries. One example is Wu Guanzhong, who produced "White Poplar Woods," a modern twist on a densely painted forest that is expected to sell for $770,000 to $900,000 at Forever/Christie's next month. Another is the artist Lin Fengmian, who studied in France and has painted scenes like "Opera Figures," a scroll estimated to fetch $154,800 to $232,300 next month in Beijing. The second category consists of an important group of Chinese artists whose work is based in Pop and conceptual art and who have a wide international following. Sotheby's plans to sell their work in New York in March. This group includes the conceptual artist Huang Yongping, the subject of a retrospective at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis on view through Jan. 15. The group also includes Zhang Huan, a Chinese-born artist who lives in New York, where he has shown at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Deitch Projects in SoHo and elsewhere. Perhaps the most celebrated of them all is Cai Guo-Qiang, known to New Yorkers for beaming a rainbow over the East River three years ago for the opening of the Museum of Modern Art's temporary exhibition space in Queens, as well as for "Light Cycle," a pyrotechnic display that lighted up the sky above Central Park for its 150th anniversary. Over the summer Mr. Cai was also the curator of the Venice Biennale's first official Chinese pavilion, sponsored in large part by the Chinese government. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/arts/design/20emer.html?8hpib ************************* IHT, Oct 20, 2005 Storming art's Great Wall slideshow: [image] Determined to be the first Western auction house to capitalize on China's booming art market, Christie's has signed an agreement to conduct auctions in Beijing, company officials said. Wu Guanzhong's "White Poplar Woods," will be among the 45 works of modern and contemporary Chinese art for sale on Nov. 3 at the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing. It is expected to sell for $770,000 to $900,000. [image] To meet Chinese government restrictions on foreign businesses' holding auctions on their own, Christie's has teamed up with a newly formed Beijing auction house called Forever. Under the agreement Christie's will license its name, provide experts and oversee the entire auction process. Its first sale is expected to bring in $10 million. Lin Fengmian's "Opera Figures." Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper. [image] Chinese contemporary art is one of the fastest-growing segments of this market, attracting buyers from around the world. Zhang Daqian's "Summer Mountain in Switzerland." Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper. [image] Lin Fengmian's "Four Beauties." Scroll, mountged and framed, ink and colour on paper. [image] Fu Baoshi's "Sound of the Bell Tower." Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper. http://www.iht.com/slideshows/2005/10/20/asia/web.1020bid.php ************************* news-antique.com, Oct 20, 2005 FOREVER / CHRISTIE’S ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL SALE IN BEIJING Christie's has announced its exciting new auction venture in China, one of the -- if not the -- leading emerging markets in the art world today. The Full Story: For Immediate Release 20 October 2005 Contact: He Hongchao (Forever, Beijing) +86.1380.1111.700 Andrée Corroon (Christie’s New York) +1.212.636.2680 Victoria Cheung (Christie’s Hong Kong) +852.2978.9924 FOREVER / CHRISTIE’S ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL SALE IN BEIJING Forever, the newly-established Beijing-based auction house, in conjunction with Christie’s, has announced an inaugural sale of Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings. The auction will take place on 3 November 2005 at The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing and will offer over 450 works of art. Public viewing will take place from 31 October – 2 November 2005. A strong selection of paintings will be offered in the sale including White Poplar Woods (estimate: RMB6,000,000-7,000,000 / US$770,000-900,000) and The Hometown of Shakespeare (estimate: RMB3,000,000-4,000,000 / US$380,000-510,000) both by Wu Guanzhong (born 1919). Additional works include Horse Riding by Huang Zhou (1925-1997) (estimate: RMB3,000-,000-4,000,000 / US$385,000-510,000) and Four Beauties by Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) (estimate: RMB2,800,000- 3,500,000 / US$361,300-451,600). Other artists whose work will be presented include Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), Fu Baoshi (1904-1965) and Qi Baishi (1863-1957). The sale is estimated to realize in excess of US$10 million. “Having recognized the history and credibility of Christie’s as the leading auction house of Asian Art in the world, Forever will apply the same level of professionalism and auction standards to its activities,” commented Ms. An Li Ping, Forever’s Managing Director. “Christie’s, supporting this vision and recognizing the great potential of the market in China, has agreed to lend its name to this exciting auction event. We are delighted to enable Forever to operate within an international marketplace and to help ensure they operate in China with the highest level of auction practice. We have entered into this agreement confident that Forever will apply the same professional care throughout its activities as Christie’s,” said Edward Dolman, Chief Executive Officer, Christie’s International. Forever is a newly incorporated auction house based in Beijing. Ms. An Li Ping recognizes the strength and size of the Chinese art auction market and aim to make Forever one of the leading fine art auction houses in China. Christie’s are the world’s leading fine art auction house as well as international leaders in the Asian Art category and more specifically the Chinese art market. Christie’s regular auction sales schedule takes place in Hong Kong, New York and London with additional sales of Asian art in Amsterdam and Paris. Christie’s sold the most expensive Asian Work of Art ever in July 2005 when an exceptionally rare and important blue and white jar, Yuan Dynasty, 14th century, realized £15,688,000 /US$27,700,100 / €22,731,912. Christie’s were the first auction house to establish a representative office in China in April 1994 in Shanghai, and in April 1996, Christie’s Beijing representative office was inaugurated. # # # http://news-antique.com/?id=564&keys=christies-forever-beijing __________________ with kind regards, Matthias Arnold (Art-Eastasia list) http://www.chinaresource.org http://www.fluktor.de __________________________________________ An archive of this list as well as an subscribe/unsubscribe facility is available at: http://listserv.uni-heidelberg.de/archives/art-eastasia.html For postings earlier than 2005-02-23 please go to: http://www.fluktor.de/study/office/newsletter.htm