The busy months of October and November for the art world have been an opportunity to witness the omnipresence of a new wave of young and influential collectors from China. Whether it was in London for Frieze, in Paris for FIAC and the opening of the Inside China, an exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo led by art patron Adrian Cheng (34, Chairman of the K11 Art Foundation, who just made his entry to the ArtReview Power 100 List), or in New York for the exhibition of Chinese artist Wang Jianwei at the Guggenheim Museum, this new group of Chinese collectors was very much in focus.
This week, many of them are meeting again in Shanghai, for the second edition of Art021, an art fair founded itself by two young collectors, and already attracting international names such as Marian Goodman, White Cube, and Perrotin, as well as leading galleries from China.
“Meet China’s New Power Collectors” is a three-part focus series, exploring who are these new collectors and what does their emergence mean for the international art scene.
In this first part, three leading figures of this generation are sharing with us their approach on collecting, their vision, and long term strategies. They are Kelly Ying, Lin Han, and Chong Zhou.
Kelly Ying (KY)
I don’t think you can truly collect art without being involved in the other aspects of the industry
Young and active collector from Shanghai. Originally working in the fashion industry, Ying is now focusing entirely on art. She is the co-founder of Art021, and the wife of collector David Chau (Zhou Dawei), 29, who is himself much involved in the art scene in China, supporting galleries and other cultural institutions.
Chong Zhou (CZ)
Art collecting is 50% of my career
25, graduated with a degree of art history from UCLA. He is a second-generation collector, and made his first art purchase art in 2010. His family runs a large pharmaceutical group. Zhou is based in Shanghai, where he also owns a restaurant, “Macasa”, displaying his art.
Lin Han (LH)
We are breaking or revising a lot of boundaries
27, studied animation design at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom. His first art purchase was a Zeng Fanzhi painting in 2013, which was the cover of Sotheby’s 40th anniversary day auction. Since then, he has opened the first private art museum in Beijing’s 798 Art District, the M Woods Museum, featuring more than 200 works. Lin is based in Beijing.
What motivated you to start collecting?
CZ: My family has been influential in this decision. They started collecting in 2001, a very early time for local Chinese collectors to buy contemporary art. My motivation today is to find and acquire influential young artists, including names like Sun Xun, Yang Yongliang, Gao Lei, Shi Zhiying, etc. I believe I have a strong sense of duty towards their development, since I am myself born in 1989. Trying to discover the next important artists is also motivating me, just like my family did in their time. . . .
TRIPOLI, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) — Unidentified men have hid a historic statue of Omar Al-Mukhtar, a historic figure, in the Libyan capital Tripoli, an official in the Libyan Antiquities Authority announced on Sunday.
Omar Al-Mukhtar is a hero and the leader of the Libyan resistance against the Italian regime for 20 years in the 1920’s and 30’s. The statue was placed in front of the headquarters of the municipal council of Al-Maya region on the coastal road west of Tripoli.
“The archaeological statue disappeared in mysterious circumstances similar to the circumstances in which another archaeological statue, known the gazelle statue, one of the most important historical monuments located in downtown Tripoli, disappeared.” said the official, who requested anonymity.
The statue, known in Tripoli as gazelle statue, it is a small fountain with a statue of nude woman holding a deer. The fountain was designed by the Italian artist Angelo Vanity in early 1930s during the Italian occupation of Libya.
“The statue was uprooted from its place by an unknown group in early hours of Tuesday, most likely because of the nudity features of the statue, which are rejected for religious reasons.” Witnesses told Xinhua.
Several similar threats were issued earlier. In October, the statue was targeted by an RPG missile, causing damage. In 2012, Islamist militants threatened to remove it.
On the other hand, an explosion on last Monday destroyed a historic shrine in the Libyan capital. The shrine, located next to a mosque, is over 700 years old and is officially registered within the Libyan monuments.
Libya is a country rich in cultural and human heritage of Greek and Roman civilizations. However, the country has been unstable since the overthrow of former Muammar Gaddafi regime in 2011.
The capital and several other Libyan cities witnessed similar attacks targeting religious monuments and shrines by Islamist groups described by the Libyan authorities as extremists.
Three years since it was discovered during excavations on an ancient cemetery, a rare bronze Roman cockerel has been given a permanent home.
The 2nd century figurine is believed to be one of only nine ever found in the Roman Empire, and is part of a new exhibition at the Corinium Museum in the Cirencester.
Other finds on display include a hoard of almost 1,500 Roman coins, and the perfectly preserved vase it was found in.
This bronze and enamel cockerel was found in a child’s grave in Roman Cirencester in 2011 – and has been painstakingly restored. It is now on display at the Corinium Museum
Archaeologists made the discoveries three years ago while excavating a western cemetery at the former Bridges Garage site on Tetbury Road in Cirencester – or Corinium as it was known when it was the second largest town in Roman Britain.
The bronze and enamel cockerel was said to have been placed in the grave of the two-year-old Roman girl by her parents, and experts believe it was used to ask the Gods to protect her.
They also believe the expensive gift was placed in the grave to ease their daughter’s transition into the ‘next world’.
‘It is the most significant Roman cemetery investigation in the town since the early 1970s,’ said a spokesman for the town’s Corinium Museum.
‘The cockerel found underneath the former Bridge’s Garage site – now St James’s Place – is one of only nine known cockerel figurines from the Roman world, and is the only example with its tail intact.
‘Displayed with the cockerel are an exceptional example of a Roman flagon and a selection of jewellery which include beads and bracelets found in a richly furnished child’s grave.
‘These are high status objects, which give a fascinating insight into the people of Corinium.
Neil Holbrook, Chief Executive of Cotswold Archaeology added: ‘The cockerel is the most spectacular find from more than 60 Roman burials excavated at this site.
‘It was excavated from the grave of young child and was placed close to its head. Interestingly a very similar item was found in Cologne in Germany and it looks like they both could have come from the same workshop based in Britain.’
The Tetbury Hoard, also on display at the museum, contain 1,437 silver and copper-alloy 3rd century Roman coins.
‘The hoard is the museum’s first Roman Coin Hoard and comes from a fascinating period of political upheaval across the Roman Empire,’ continued the museum’s spokesman.
‘It was a time of rapid succession of rulers and usurpers. The coins themselves tell this story.
‘Depictions and inscriptions represent 12 emperors from just a 16 year period.’
The child was buried wearing hobnailed shoes and was accompanied by a pottery feeding vessel and the remarkable enamelled bronze figurine of a cockerel.
The cockerel is 5-inches tall (12.5cm) and the breast, wings, eyes and ‘comb’ are inlaid with enamel, which now appears blue and green.
There is a separately moulded tail plate, also enamelled, with ‘openwork’ decoration. The beak is shown open, in the act of crowing.
| Caribb1. Nassau, Bahamas. Junkanoo Doll. 9 ½ “Junkanoo is a carnival-like parade that takes place in the Bahamas on December 26th and January 1st annually. The parade grew out of celebrations held by African slaves at Christmas time. Today, groups of paraders known as Junkanooers compete against each other for cash prizes. Groups range in size from 10 to 1000 people. All group members wear elaborate costumes made from strips of colorful crepe paper pasted onto cardboard that has been shaped into a variety of forms. Junkanoo is accompanied by music performed on traditional Junkanoo instruments such as cowbells, foghorns, whistles, conch shells and goatskin Goombay drums, as well as “modern” wind instruments such as trumpets, trombones and tubas.Given by Nina Wood (student). Nina was from Nassau and arranged for a personal tour guide on one our trips to Nassau. My husband, Bob, and I actually got a chance to see a parade. 1996 |  |
| Caribb2. St Thomas, Bahamas. Bahamas Girl. 2’ Stuffed cloth dolls with long legs, yarn hair with scarf, polka dotted top and flowered skirt. Given by Ruth Aten. 1995 |  |
| Caribb3. Matanzas, Cuba. Black Cuban Doll. 10” Stuffed black cloth doll with pearl earrings, blue and white plaid head wrap and dress with yellow rickrack trim and blue ruffles. Given by John McDowell (faculty). 2000 |  |
| Caribb4. Nassau, Bahamas. Straw Doll. 16” Woven straw doll with orange straw pom-poms on hat, dress and shoes. Doll was purchase in Nassau at the Straw Market. It was a popular souvenir doll. The famous Nassau Straw Market burned down shortly after this doll was purchased. Given by Ruth Aten from a trip to Nassau. 1995 |  |
| Caribb5. St. Maarten, Bahamas. Bahamas Lady. 12” Painted wood ball head on dowel frame with wood bead arms and stuffed body. Doll dressed to depict current fashion in St. Maarten with flowered print skirt and head wrap. Given by Ruth Aten from a trip to St. Maarten. 1995 |  |
The Cultured Muse 