新聞報刊 the Peak Hong Kong Primary Powers May 2014
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THE ARTS PRIMARY POWERS TOBIAS BERGER If you follow and invest in the burgeoning art scene in Hong Kong, Curator of M+ SHIRLEY almost inevitably, you’ll wind up in the company of these people, YABLONSKY who are helping to define the direction of art in the city. Director of Opera Gallery SIMON BIRCH TEXT RAYMOND MA, ANDREW DEMBINA & LIANA CAFOLLA SIN SIN MAN HK-based Artist PHOTOGRAPHY GARETH GAY ASSISTED BY PERRY TSE ART DIRECTION & GROOMING GRACE MA Owner of Sin Sin Fine Art LARS NITTVE SUNDARAM M+ Chief Curator TAGORE Owner of OSCAR HO HING-KAY REBECCA WEI Sundaram Tagore Director of President of Gallery Hong Kong LI YAN M.A. Programme in Christie’s Asia Director of Cultural Management at MICHAEL LYNCH the Chinese University CEO of West (excluding China) Lehmann of Hong Kong Kowloon Cultural Maupin District Authority ALICE MONG Executive Director of Asia Society FRANK Hong Kong Center VIGNERON Curator and Professor of CUHK Department of Fine Arts THE BOSSES THE PROVIDERS THE VOICES 64 THE PEAK P064-077_Feature_Art Primary Powers_OP3.indd 64 4/12/14 4:42 PM Feature_Art Primary Powers_Gatefold1.indd 12 4/10/14 12:05 AM Feature_Art Primary Powers_Gatefold2.indd 12 4/10/14 12:06 AM THE ARTS ALICE MONG EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Asia Society Hong Kong Center Before returning to Hong Kong in will start realising that it is cool,” “I AM NOT A 2012, Alice Mong spent a decade says the executive director of Asia COLLECTOR. in arguably the world’s cultural Society Hong Kong Center. “The capital, New York. Her experience money’s already here and people I AM AN ORDINARY in the city is probably why one are following it, but the ‘Eureka’ of her sincerest desires is for the moment will be when people CONSUMER OF ART. people of Asia – including Hong realise that these guys are not only THAT’S WHY Kong – to really “get” art. worth some money, but they’re The rapid creation of wealth actually not half bad.” I LOVE MUSEUMS - in recent decades across Asia, One important part of this is THEY ARE FREE especially in mainland China, infrastructure. “In a city like New has provided individuals with York, with institutions like the OR VERY CHEAP” the resources with which to Museum of Modern Art or the purchase art, and the art business Metropolitan Art Museum, even has exploded in the region. What a student with little or no money Mong hopes will come next is a can enjoy a night [out enjoying widespread broader appreciation art]. We don’t even have that yet in of art, from the grassroots level up. Hong Kong,” says Mong. “What I think is the next big In her last role, as director Commander of the British Empire things that hopefully contribute thing in art in Asia is that people of the Museum of Chinese in in recognition of his work turning to what will be the longer term America, Mong was instrumental MICHAEL LYNCH around some of the world’s most vision for the place,” Lynch says. in transforming the New York CEO recognisable cultural icons. While the booming art market has Chinatown institution into West Kowloon Cultural District Authority “The story around [WKCD] dominated the art sector in Hong a leading national museum has always been it’s not going Kong, one of the district’s chief dedicated to preserving the anywhere — I guess the challenge aims is to bring it to the masses, history and culture of Chinese for me was within a relatively short according to Lynch. people born and raised in the With over four decades of period of time to move it from inertia “One of the really important US. “I am not a collector. I am an experience in high-profile to action,” he says, noting recent parts of what we are doing is ordinary consumer of art. That’s roles — including being chief milestones include commencement getting a better balance between why I love museums – they are executive of the Sydney Opera of the design of the district’s park what is rampant commerce free or very cheap,” she says. House and London’s Southbank and the construction of a number and dedicated to giving people Mong says that the Centre, and serving as a director of key buildings, such as M+, the new an experience that they aren’t infrastructure for enjoyment of of the Australian Broadcasting museum of visual culture expected to necessary going to have to pay for, the arts in Hong Kong is slowly Corporation — Michael Lynch has open in the next three or four years. or is the preserve of only the rich coming together – with, for built a formidable international “We are building a collection of or informed. We want to make the example, the planned completion reputation. But the 64-year-old contemporary art which has never cultural experiences within West of M+ in the next few years. veteran art administrator says existed in this part of the region Kowloon accessible to everybody - “In five years, a lot can happen the enormity that is the West before. We are doing a whole lot of whether they are locals or tourists.” because the difference between Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) then and now is technology, and is, without doubt, his most “WE ARE DOING A WHOLE LOT also the volume of wealth being challenging project yet. created. Whether it’s the way art “You’ve got 16 years of difficult OF THINGS THAT HOPEFULLY is appreciated or sold, technology history on this project, including will fast track a lot of these false starts and everything else. It’s CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT WILL developments,” she says. by far my most difficult project,” BE THE LONGER TERM VISION says Lynch, who has been awarded an Order of Australia and a FOR [HONG KONG]” THE PEAK 65 Feature_Art Primary Powers_Gatefold4_OP2.indd 12 4/11/14 10:56 PM P064-077_Feature_Art Primary Powers_OP2.indd 65 4/11/14 10:03 PM THE ARTS With Hong Kong having emerged competition. New players who come as the central hub for art trading in are ‘new kids on the block’ and in Asia, international galleries and it will take years for them to build REBECCA WEI mainland auction houses have up the fundamentals, platforms, PRESIDENT been flocking into the city. You facilities and infrastructure. This Christie’s Asia (excluding China) might think, therefore, that leading takes years and years of hard work. I auction houses in Hong Kong are don’t think it’s easy to catch up with getting nervous about maintaining us,” says Wei, who was previously their historic dominance. Not so, at McKinsey & Co for 10 years. “IT’S A VERY HEALTHY according to Christie’s Rebecca Wei. Christie’s, which was founded in “We welcome the competition. We London in 1766, has had a presence ECOSYSTEM. THE think it’s healthy for the market. It in Hong Kong for 30 years. keeps us on our toes,” she says. And while Wei expects the GALLERIES ARE HERE Wei says the real drivers for market in Hong Kong will shift TO INCUBATE THE change for Christie’s have been towards private sales, she believes internal. “As a leading auction this will be driven by auction PRIMARY MARKET... house, we need to continue to houses, rather than the growth in innovate,” she says, adding that key galleries. She also sees a certain OUR PRIMARY ROLE initiatives have included industry synergy between the roles of AND MISSION IS STILL... MAGNUS RENFREW talent development and mass galleries on the one hand, and DIRECTOR ASIA market education. auction houses on the other. CONTINUOUSLY Art Basel “[Education] has almost “It’s a very healthy ecosystem. BUILDING RECORD become our second brand in The galleries are here to incubate Asia and we are doing more and the primary market, which is to PRICE FOR ARTISTS” more — not only by our specialist bring up new artists and to support Magnus Renfrew’s online biography probably one of the proudest held in May 2013. After playing a giving lectures but also having art their growth,” Wei says, adding mentions he was named by ART moments in his career so far. key role in putting Hong Kong on professional[s]... speaking at our that there may also be private sales + AUCTION magazine as one of “It doesn’t get much better the map as an international hub forums, panels, or at Alexandra directly from artists in the future. 15 individuals “without whom than that – to be involved in for modern and contemporary art House, at our new James Christie “[O]ur primary role and the art world would not spin on something from the very outset in Asia, Renfrew’s still got bigger Room,” she adds, referring to the mission is still... continuously its axis” in 2008. Since 2012, the and having a blank piece of paper in ambitions in mind. gallery in Hong Kong that opened building record price for artists. Hong Kong-based 38-year old has front of us, and five years later for “Certainly Art Basel’s earlier this year named after The mission is quite different been director for Asia and one of it to be acquired by the leading art acquisition was a real Christie’s founder. between auction houses and four members of the executive fair in the world,” Renfrew says. endorsement, not only of the “That’s something that’s more galleries and fundamentally, committee of world-renowned Art For the first ART HK Fair held foundations that we laid to date; challenging we’re facing rather than Christies is an auction house.” Basel.