Chinese affordable art fair AAC to launch Hong Kong edition

Posted on May 16, 2012


NEW CONTEMPORARY ART FAIRS HONG KONG

Chinese art company Affordable Art China Ltd (AAC) will launch an art fair in Hong Kong in 2013. As stated in a press release that was sent out to the media on 16 May 2012, the new fair will focus on emerging artists and sell contemporary art works at “accessible prices”.

'Tug of War' by Cao Xihui. One of the works on show at Affordable Art Beijing 2012.

'Tug of War' by Cao Xihui, one of the works on show at Affordable Art Beijing 2012.

From the release,

The company, led by Beijing‐based CEO Tom Pattinson, is in final stage talks with venues in Hong Kong and will be working with deluxewords, the publisher of Quintessentially Asia Magazine as its media partner for next year’s launch event. The title of the Hong Kong event will be announced shortly.


Affordable Art Beijing, a major annual art fair selling contemporary art, was launched by AAC in 2006. The first AAC Shanghai fair will be held later in 2012 and the Hong Kong event will premiere in the first half of 2013.


Tom Pattinson, CEO of Affordable Art China said: ‘The success of the events in mainland China has demonstrated the demand for accessible contemporary fine art in the region and Hong Kong is now a major focus for us as we launch our first event in this territory.’

The release goes on to say that AAC’s announcement has been ‘warmly received in Hong Kong’s art community, quoting local and international gallery representatives and artists.’

We do not participate in other art fairs in Hong Kong because they are too expensive and demand extremely high fees from exhibitors. It will be a very positive development to have an event that caters to emerging artists from all over Asia.

- Kyoko Fujita, Kumquat Gallery

Events that make art more accessible to new collectors and help emerging artists develop a following are crucial to the health and vigour of the artistic community. We welcome the launch of the Hong Kong event and hope that it helps to further develop the thriving Asian art market.

- Nikki Bell of British art-duo Langlands & Bell

I am extremely supportive of any initiative that brings artists and the public together. There are a huge number of people interested in the arts in Hong Kong and to offer more people a chance to be involved, to own and discover new work, is very positive for our culture here as a whole. Hong Kong’s apartment walls will rejoice.

- Hong Kong based photographer William Furniss

Numerous art fairs have been inaugurated in Hong Kong in the last few years. Examples include a new breed of hotel art fairs such as Hong Kong Contemporary, set to launch on 17 May 2012 at the The Park Lane Hotel, and Spoon Art Fair, which will run from 18 to 20 May 2012 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.

KN/HH

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Adequate professional talent for China’s expanding arts infrastructure? The New York Times

Posted on May 12, 2012


CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUMS PROFESSIONALS

The New York Times recently published an article on China’s rapid expansion in the arts and interaction with Western institutions. Despite this growth, China may still lack the professional talent and collection strength to support its new arts infrastructure.

Hunan Provincial Museum Director and Chinese Society of Museums Chairman Chen Jianming gives a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new construction project at the museum in 2011.

From the The New York Times,

Last year, 395 museums were built across China, according to Chen Jianming, a vice chairman of the Chinese Society of Museums and the director of the Hunan Provincial Museum. Many of these new museums were devoted to history, but in the years ahead, many more art museums are planned, he said.


But the new urgency for more and bigger museums may be coming too fast, Mr Chen added. There are not enough trained personnel to build collections and oversee educational programs, and some new museums will not have sufficiently high-standard collections, he said.

Is this an issue that will continue to dog Chinese art institutions, or will local museums and universities rise to the challenge? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment in the section below.

PR/KN/HH

Quality writing is essential for every art professional. Click here to express your interest in our online art journalism certificate programme. Summer intake application deadline: 4 June 2012.

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ART HK 12: Rolling media round up [UPDATED 22 May 2012]

Posted on May 12, 2012


HONG KONG ART FAIR NEWS COVERAGE

Bookmark this page! As we were in 2011, Art Radar is your go-to source for updates and information on 2012′s Hong Kong International Art Fair. Each day until well after the fair ends, we will cull the best of ART HK 12 coverage from news, blogs, video and Twitter and link to it all right here.

ART HK 12. Image via E-flux.

VIDEO Hong Kong Emerging as a Major Player on the Art Market – Dailymotion - 21 May 2012 – A video with several interviewees commenting on the fair’s integration into the Hong Kong art scene in general.

ART SALES ART HK Scores Record Attendance, But the Asian Market Still Proves Tough to Crack – ARTINFO - 21 May 2012 - ARTINFO reports that many big-name galleries bringing blue-chip work failed to sell at this year’s fair, largely due to a low number of collectors in attendance.

Hong Kong Art Fai Reels in the Million-Dollar Deals – The New York Times - 21 May 2012 - An excellent summary of the fair including several galleries’ sales experiences.

BLOG Heidi Kim: A Gallery Girl’s Art Fair Diary, Pt. 1 – The Huffington Post – 21 May 2012 – a “design, contemporary art and independent film enthusiast” from Hong Kong’s 10 Chancery Lane Gallery attends many events during the week of ART HK 12.

PHOTOS Hong Kong International Art Fair 2012 Recap - Hypebeast - 21 May 2012 - A collection of photos of the fair and works on display.

Hong Kong International Art Fair 2012: Huge number of visitors, “internati onalism,” and cat toys – Macau Daily Times - 21 May 2012 – An article asks interviews several attendees about their opinions on the artworks.

PHOTOS BLOG Hong Kong Art Fair @ 2012 – 21 May 2012 – A large number of photos taken at ART HK 12, including images from each of the fair’s exhibitor subsections.

CHINESE DEMAND Hong Kong art scene bubble to burst? – Calgary Times - 21 May 2012 – An article that calls into question the sustainability of the new Hong Kong galleries, citing the recent downturn in Chinese market confidence.

A jadeite pendant that sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong for USD 1.9 million in April 2012.

CHINESE DEMAND Chinese Collectors Will Keep Driving Sales – Bloomberg – 20 May 2012 - Though not directly related to the fair, this article discusses Sotheby’s Hong Kong strategy, which is still focused on mainland Chinese buyers.

BLOG Hong Kong Art Fair 2012 – 20 May 2012 – One blogger’s review of the fair and opinions on several of the works.

BLOG Hong Kong and the Art Fair 2012 – 20 May 2012 –  A wrap-up of the fair and several of its peripheral events by two artists. Includes some nice photographs as well.

PHOTOS Lasse-san’s Flikr Photostream – 20 May 2012 – A few dozen images taken at the fair.

Hong Kong: Asian Elite Flock to Art Fair – Nile International - 19 May 2012 – This article features quotes from several galleries on the fair and the importance of Hong Kong as a contemporary art destination.

The Art Market: Fair overload? – Financial Times – 19 May 2012 – Though impressed by the quality, diversity and size of ART HK, FT Editor-at-Large Georgina Adam ponders whether there are too many art fairs today.

Art HK 2012 Post-Colonial Contemporary Art - Artnet – 19 May 2012 – In this glowing review, Barbara Pollack rounds up her favorite booths and pushes back on the notion that ART HK is getting too “Western”.

CHINESE DEMAND Chinese desert Hong Kong market – Financial Times – 18 May 2012 - A slump in Chinese interest comes to a head at the Sotheby’s spring sale.

ART SALES Australian Galleries Clean Up at ART HK 2012 - ARTINFO - 18 May 2012 - ARTINFO looks specifically at the sales figures for Australian galleries, which were looking strong from the outset of the fair

Michael Lin, 'Untitled', 2012, mixed media. This site-specific installation for Taiwanese gallery Eslite was the winner of ARTINFO's "Best Way to Brighten up a Corner" award.

The Best of ART HK 2012, From a Zaha Hadid-Designed Booth to a Pack of Hairless Pets – ARTINFO - 18 May 2012 – A wrap-up of day two at the fair, that also includes ARTINFO‘s cheeky “Best of” list.

PHOTOS The Best of ART HK 2012 – ARTINFO - 18 May 2012 - A slideshow of top works from the fair.

Hong Kong in art bonanza – but will it last? – Reuters – 18 May 2012 – Though galleries are flocking to Hong Kong in droves, market analysts caution that growth, especially in the high-end market, may be entering a slowdown.

CHINESE DEMAND The Hong Kong International Art Fair: Broadening its reach – The Economist - 18 May 2012 – This article zooms in on what ART HK 12 means for Chinese collectors and the Chinese art market in general.

CHINESE DEMAND What Chinese collectors are really buying - The Art Newspaper - 17 May 2012 - An exhaustive report on where Chinese collectors’ interests lie in several auction categories, including Modern & Contemporary and Western art.

ART SALES The Next Global Art Powerhouse - The Wall Street Journal – 17 May 2012 – In addition to disclosing several high-price sales, this article also provides a demographic breakdown of the ART HK visitors so far.

PHOTOS Art HK ’12 Art Fair – First Look (Part 1), (Part 2) - Arrested Motion - 17 May 2012 – Many, many images taken during the opening days of the fair.

VIDEO Hong Kong International Art Fair Lures Wealthy Buyers – Bloomberg - 16 May 2012 – a video that includes an interview with Magnus Renfrew and talks about the financial strategy of galleries attending ART HK.

Chu Teh Chun, '313', 1969, oil on canvas. Sold by de Sarthe Gallery for USD 3 million.

ART SALES ART HK 2012 Ups Its Game, Drawing Museum-Quality Work and Logging Plenty of Sales – ARTINFO - 16 May 2012 – Many sales details from the opening night of the fair

ART SALES Lady Gaga Portrait, Hirst Lure Billionaires to Hong Kong – Bloomberg – 16 May 2012 – Find out what sold during the VIP preview.

Better, Not Bigger: Hong Kong Revs up for International Art Fair – The New York Times – 16 May 2012 – NYT goes into many details about the how of this year’s fair, which organisers hope will see a notable improvement in quality.

In Hong Kong, a Fair in Transition: A Guide to Art HK 2012 – The Wall Street Journal – 15 May 2012 –  Several comments from attending gallerists and a “What to See” slideshow.

Art fair gets better – China Daily – 13 May 2012 – ART HK Director Magnus Renfrew discusses some practical issues of fair management, as well as his hopes for this year’s fair.

The lure of the east – Financial Times – 12 May 2012 – Georgina Adam, who will be in attendance at ART HK, comments on how the Hong Kong art scene has dramatically evolved since the inaugural fair.

New Owners Get ART HK Supersonic – Time Out Hong Kong – 9 May 2012 – This article goes into some of the concerns that Hong Kong art lovers have with the Art Basel takeover, the main fear is that ART HK may risk losing some if its distinctiveness.

Art Basel Sheds Light on Its Asia Plans – The Wall Street Journal – 8 May 2012 - Art Basel Co-Directors Annette Schönholzer and Marc Spiegler go into detail about the recent rebranding of ART HK and Art Basel Miami Beach

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ART HK 12: What to do outside of the fair? Essential extra event list

Posted on May 12, 2012


HONG KONG GALLERY EXHIBITIONS CONTEMPORARY ART FORUMS 

ART HK 12 kicks off this Thursday, 17 May 2012, and will run through Sunday. Art Radar has rounded up some of the best concurrent art events happening around the city, so get your smartphone out, open up your calendar and start filling in those free hours.

Martin Wong, 'FDNY', 1998, acrylic on canvas. Image courtesy Galerie Buchholtz.

Para/Site | “太平天國/Taiping Tianguo, A History of Possible Encounters“ | Ongoing until 12 August 2012


This exhibition compares four ethnically Chinese artists, Ai Weiwei, Frog King Kwok, Tehching Hsieh, and Martin Wong, who have been influenced by four vastly different locations, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and San Francisco, respectively. The artists all lived in New York City during the 1980s, and the show aims to probe the “tenuous or even possibly non-existing connections” between them, an exploration of a culturally dynamic city and era that shaped all four artists’ future styles.

Opera Gallery | “Infinity in the Universe of Yayoi Kusama” | 15 May to 1 June 2012


Superstar Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama will have two major shows running alongside ART HK 12. This exhibition, opening first, brings together thirty works from 1978 up until 2011, including paintings, sculptures and limited edition silkscreen prints.

2P Contemporary Art | “Yuk King Tan + Chow Chun Fai: The Limit of Visibility“ | 15 May to 29 July, 2012, opening reception 17 May 2012, 4:30 to 8:30 pm


2P Contemporary Art gallery presents the first duo exhibition of works by Chinese-New Zealand artist Yuk King Tan and Hong Kong artist Chow Chun Fai. The show will include drawing, sculpture, photography, video and installation that creates a dialogue between the two artists’ practices.

Hanart TZ Gallery | “Yang Jiechang: King of Canton” | 15 May to 18 June 2012


Hanart TZ Gallery will host this solo show from Canton-born artist Yang Jiechang. Yang’s work is inspired by the rich historical legacy of the Pearl River Delta, from its ancient kings to its modern day economic flourishing.

Mobile M+ | “Mobile M+: Yau Ma Tei” | 15 May to 10 June, 2012


Though the building is not scheduled to open until late 2017, the M+ Museum of Visual Culture is organising a series of “nomadic” exhibitions in the run-up to inauguration. For “Yau Ma Tei”, the museum has invited seven Hong Kong-based artists to create pop-up installations around the Yau Ma Tei district, reflecting on and reinterpreting the city’s history through narrative and visual storytelling. Participating artist Yu Lik-wai will give a talk in Cantonese on 15 May 2012 at the Broadway Cinematheque, and there will be guided tours through the installation sites each weekend.

Jiang Zhi, 'Slight Smile, Shortcut Code', 2012, oil on canvas, part of the exhibition "Impure Light". Image courtesy Saamlung.

Saamlung Gallery | “Jiang Zhi: Impure Light” | Exhibition from 15 May to 16 June 2012, opening reception 16 May 2012, 2 to 5 pm


Saamlung Gallery is curating an exhibition of mid-career Chinese artist Jiang Zhi to run from 15 May to 16 June 2012. Jiang’s paintings explore the tension between naturalistic and technological perception in contemporary society. The exhibition at Saamlung will run in parallel with a solo show at the Times Museum in Guangzhou.

Asia Society Hong Kong | ‘The Future Will Be… China Edition’ book launch | 16 May 2012, 12 to 2 pm


Celebrated curator Hans Ulrich Obrist tries to answer the question, “What is the future of the art world?” Taking his own uncertainty as a starting point, Obrist will raise several possibilities in his new book series. For the inaugural edition, China, Obrist collected bilingual texts and contributions from over a hundred major figures in contemporary Chinese art. Obrist will be at the book’s opening at the Asia Society, which will also feature a discussion panel moderated by Asia Society Museum Director Melissa Chiu.

Peal Lam in front of Zhu Jinshi's work; Zhu Jinshi 朱金石 (b. 1954), '满江红 The River Full in Red', 2006, 布面油画 oil on canvas, 290 x 400 cm. Image courtesy Sutton PR Asia.

Pearl Lam Galleries | “Chinese Contemporary Abstract, 1980s until Present: MINDMAP” | 16 May to 20 July 2012


Making her return to the Hong Kong gallery scene, eminent collector Pearl Lam will open her new Pedder Building space with this inaugural exhibition on Wednesday 16 May 2012. The survey show, curated by notable academic Gao Minglu, brings together seven important contemporary Chinese artists.

Logo for Art East Island.

Art East Island 2012 | 17 to 20 May 2012


Art East Island is a group of galleries, artists and non-profits in Hong Kong’s Chai Wan art district that are hosting specially-curated exhibitions and artist studios during ART HK’s run. There will be shuttle buses between the convention centre and Art East Island every thirty minutes.

Lightbombs Contemporary | “Introducing: Lightbombs Contemporary“ | 17 to 20 May 2012


Founded in 2011, art advisory Lightbombs Contemporary brings together a dozen contemporary artists from the Philippines, Australia, New York and Hong Kong for their popup showroom.

Royal Academy of Arts | Artist Talk with Mariko Mori | 17 May 2012,  12 to 1 pm


Japanese artist Mariko Mori will be in conversation with Charles Saumarez Smith, Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Arts, and Richard Chang, Collector and Trustee of the Royal Academy Trust. They will discuss her work since her 2000 collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts in the context of Asian contemporary art as a whole.

Spoon Art Fair | 18 to 20 May 2012


With a focus on young and emerging artists, the Spoon Art Fair will run from 18 to 20 May 2012 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. The fair distinguishes itself by using hotel rooms as exhibition spaces, with the aim to “create an innovative art scene in Hong Kong while making art a part of, not separate from, life”.

KWAN Sheung Chi, 'Hong Kong', 2012, offset print, installation view. Part of the exhibition "100 Things, a Little Retrospective". Image courtesy Gallery Exit.

Gallery Exit | “KWAN Sheung Chi: 100 things, a little retrospective” | 18 May to 22 June, 2012, opening reception 18 May 2012, 6 to 8 pm


This solo exhibition is the second “retrospective” from KWAN Sheung Chi and will feature some of the Hong Kong artist’s most recent works. His first retrospective, a wry commentary on the identity of the artist and his relationship to the contemporary art world, was held at Gallery Exit when the artist was only 22.

Intelligence Squared Asia will host the debate "Contemporary Art Excludes the 99%".

Intelligence Squared | Debate: “Contemporary Art Excludes the 99%” | 18 May 2012, 6:30 pm


IQ2 Asia will sponsor a live debate on 18 May entitled “Contemporary Art Excludes the 99%”. Four leading art world figures will explore questions about just who the contemporary art world and its institutions are benefiting. The debate will be moderated by The Art Newspaper Editor-at-Large Georgina Adam.

FEAST Projects | FIVE | 18 May 2012, 7:30 to 9:30 pm


Hong Kong gallery FEAST Projects will open a second space on 18 May 2012. For the opening, they have invited American artist Rashaad Newsome to reprise his performance piece FIVE. The multimedia work, which first debuted in 2009, draws on the hip hop and vogue dance culture of New York in the 1990s. For his Hong Kong performance, Newsome will incorporate ancient Chinese string and percussion instruments accompanied by opera singer Stefanos Koroneos and rapper SCANZ. Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP.

Yayoi Kusama, 'Tulip with All My Love', 2010, fiberglass reinforced plastic, urethane paint, metal. Image Courtesy Ota Fine Arts; copyright Yayoi Kusama.

Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery | “YAYOI KUSAMA – Hong Kong Blooms in My Mind“ | 19 to 31 May 2012


The second Yayoi Kusama exhibition of the week. For the opening of their new gallery space, Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery will host a selling exhibition of nearly forty works by blue-chip contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama, encompassing her work from the 1950s to today. The show will also feature the monumental piece Tulip with All My Love, seen above, from 17 to 20 May in the lobby of One Pacific Place, Sotheby’s new location.

Do you know of any other key events that will be happening around Hong Kong during ART HK 12? Leave a comment below with your event suggestions.

PR/KN/HH

Click here to read our coverage of ART HK 12

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Related Topics: art in Hong Kong, art tourism, art fairs, gallery shows, lectures and talks

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Sydney Contemporary 2013: ART HK founder Tim Etchells’ newest fair venture

Posted on May 11, 2012


AUSTRALIA ART FAIRS EVENTS

According to an article posted in the Wire section of the website of Spear’s Wealth Management Survey (Spear’s WMS), ART HK founder Tim Etchells has launched Australia’s newest art fair, an international biennial event called Sydney Contemporary.

Art world luminaries kick off ART HK 11 (From left to right): David LaChapelle (iconic artist), Alistair Hicks (Deutsche Bank Collection Curator), Richard Chang (Advisory Board Member), Magnus Renfrew (Fair Director, ART HK 11) and Tim Etchells (Chief Executive, Asian Art Fairs Ltd). Image courtesy ART HK.

Art world luminaries kick off ART HK 11 (From left to right): David LaChapelle (iconic artist), Alistair Hicks (Deutsche Bank Collection Curator), Richard Chang (Advisory Board Member), Magnus Renfrew (Fair Director, ART HK 11) and Tim Etchells (Chief Executive, Asian Art Fairs Ltd). Image courtesy ART HK.

The event is scheduled to run from 12 to 14 April 2013 at the Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and is accepting registration from both local and international art galleries.

Click here to read the original article, titled Sydney Contemporary Biennale to be launched in April 2013, as published on the Spear’s WMS website.

Says Etchells,

Sydney Contemporary represents the first time this city has hosted a serious, high-end art fair. We expect it to play a significant role in helping to focus attention on the Sydney art scene in the same way that ART HK focused attention on Asian art.


The fair provides a vital new platform from which galleries, artists and collectors can deepen and grow networks and relationships both with local contacts and throughout the broader Asia Pacific region.


We are launching at a time when the market is rapidly changing and art fairs are a significant part of any gallery’s marketing strategy, by catering both to existing markets whilst also creating new ones. Sydney Contemporary will educate and excite the wider community about the work of contemporary artists by offering a dynamic program of events.

Australian visual arts specialist and curator Francesca Valmorbida has been named as Fair Director.

KN/HH

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Weekly jobs and opportunities | Taking a two week break

Posted on May 11, 2012


ART JOBS OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYMENT

Art Radar is holding off on our jobs and opportunities post this week and next to make room for ART HK 12 coverage. The page will be back Wednesday 30 May with five new listings.

Image by Flikr user naught_facility.

In the meantime you can visit our regularly updated Jobs page and peruse the numerous open positions listed.

Want a job in the arts but don’t have the experience? Click here to express your interest in our online art journalism certificate programme. Summer intake application deadline: 4 June 2012.

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Undiscovered Chinese photographers profiled in 88books’ hand-bound zines – resource alert

Posted on May 9, 2012


CONTEMPORARY CHINESE PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS YOUNG ARTISTS

Based in Vancouver, independent publisher 88books specialises in hand-bound zones profiling the work of up-and-coming young Chinese photographers. Founder Ho Tam released the first group of ten artists’ books in early 2012 and is working on a second series.

The ten books in 88books' first series. Printed and hand-bound in limited editions of 120. Image courtesy 88books

All of the artists’ books in the first series were conceived by photographers in China and then produced and distributed by 88books in Vancouver, Canada. Founder Ho Tam, a video artist and photographer himself, was inspired by the independent publishing and bookmaking scenes he found on a recent trip to Beijing. For the first series, Tam brought together a range of young and lesser-known photographers that reflect the diversity of creative practice in China today.

You can buy zines from 88books’ first series on their website here.

“As the country opens up, the artists are unravelling the influx of ideas and enjoying the openness in individual expression,” Tam says on the 88books website. “Without the burden of market concerns and enjoying the new found freedom, the younger generation often works against traditions and the mainstream, in search of their own language and personal take on art and life in China and beyond.”

Jiang Yue, from her zine photography series "Inessential", one of the ten in 88books' first series. Image courtesy 88books.

Tam believes that zines, shorthand for small-circulation and often self-published books or magazines, offer the potential for a new creative outlet for artists in China. As Tam told Art Radar,

I think most people, including myself, are very curious about what the artists have to say, and [what they] can say through their self-initiated publications. Artists’ books definitely offer an alternative outlet for creative freedom, perhaps reaching a different audience who may not readily enter an art gallery.

Tam has been making books for over twenty years.

Despite its gradual acceptance into the mainstream, Tam believes photography is still relatively unknown compared to other media in the Chinese art world. He attributes this to the lack of a long tradition of photography within the country, as well as a general unfamiliarity with the medium beyond portraiture, landscape and documentary. In addition to his work with 88books, last year Tam published FRONT LINE, a book of Mandarin-language interviews with photographers based in Canada. Tam hoped to raise the level of discourse surrounding international contemporary photo-artists.

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Mongolian Mugi’s first Hong Kong solo: Rediscovering past lost to communism

Posted on May 9, 2012


MONGOLIAN ART COLLAGE SCULPTURE PAINTING GALLERY EXHIBITION

Mongolian artist Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, also known as Mugi, recently concluded “Earthbound”, her first solo exhibition in Hong Kong. Through collage, oil painting and sculpture the artist depicts the re-emergence of Mongolian heritage in the aftermath of communist control.

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, Healing, Collage on Sa Paper, 80 x 55 cm, 2011

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, 'Healing', 2011, collage on sa (mulberry) paper, 80 x 55 cm. Image courtesy Schoeni Art Gallery.

Click here for more information on the exhibition, titled “Earthbound”, at Schoeni Art Gallery.

Mongolian political transition key

Mugi was born in 1967 in Ulaanbaatar (also known as Ulan Bator), the capital and by far the largest city in Mongolia. Ulan Bator was the site of demonstrations that led to Mongolia’s transition to democracy and the development of a market economy in 1990. The artist, a witness to the change, was so frustrated with studying under a socialist system – at both the Art Institute in Ulaanbaatar, from 1983 to 1987, and the Academy of Fine Art and Theatre, Minsk, from 1989 to 1993 – that she chose not to graduate.

As she explains in an interview with the British art critic Ian Findlay, published in Asian Art News in 2009,

During the communist time in Mongolia and Russia, I only studied good technique and colour, but there was not any heart in the teaching…. The Soviet art curriculum was little more than propaganda. [I wanted to make art that possessed] a physical presence, colours that are typically Mongolian, and with a geometry to the features that comes from traditional culture. I also wanted stillness in my art that reflects something of the stoicism of nomadic Mongolian culture.

The communist era brought about a massive eradication of Mongolian traditions and cultural life. Tsendsuren Narangerel, a painter and dean of the decorative art department of the Fine Art Institute of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar, notes,

The great losses for Mongolians are the great painting traditions of the seventeenth century and their philosophy of life. The philosophy of the Mongolian is their nomadic way of life and respect for nature and the earth. The worst is that Mongolians not only lost their national art but also the pride of their culture during the Soviet period.

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, Can You Fly, Oil on Canvas, 199.5 x 199.5 cm, 2009

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, 'Can You Fly' 2009, oil on canvas, 199.5 x 199.5 cm. Image courtesy Schoeni Art Gallery.

Depicting women

Mugi, who was a young artist during Mongolia’s transition to democracy, was determined to move away from communist propaganda and revisit elements of the “eroded” Mongolian culture. This newfound freedom influenced a narrative of emotional and spiritual healing, expressed in her depictions of women.

Women in Mongolia have always been equal and this is why she doesn’t try to take a feminist point of view. ‘I just express what I think and feel. It is up to the viewer to interpret what they see. Mongolians have always respected women as equals. Women have the right to rule the household and the state. When men, in the past, went to war, women controlled everything. In traditional life men had to listen to women. So, all my paintings represent the power of women.’

‘When I had learned to paint all the physical elements of the body, it felt like my painting had gained a soul. It felt like a living being was being born through the painting and it became more spiritual as my work moved from the merely physical representation.

Jalkhaajav explores questions of spirituality, birth and death, female sexuality, personal disappointment and motherhood and uses numerous symbols from Mongolia’s cultural heritage in her work.

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, Earthy Inspiration Series No. 2, Oil on Canvas, 200 x 150 cm, 2011

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, 'Earthy Inspiration Series No. 2', 2011, oil on canvas, 200 x 150 cm. Image courtesy Schoeni Art Gallery.

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, Steppe Mother, Oil on Canvas, 200 x 150 cm, 2010

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, 'Steppe Mother', 2010, oil on canvas, 200 x 150 cm. Image courtesy Schoeni Art Gallery.

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, Tenderness, Oil on Canvas, 120 x 70 cm, 2011

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, 'Tenderness', 2011, oil on canvas, 120 x 70 cm. Image courtesy Schoeni Art Gallery

From painting to collage and sculpture

The technique used by Mugi in the creation of her collage pieces differs significantly to that used for her paintings. According to Asian Art News,

In her paintings the spirit of her figures emerges from beneath the brush, but in collage she says, ‘When I create a figure I do it by tearing the paper, I use my hands and it feels like the paper itself creates the figure.’

Although Jalkhaajav never studied sculpture, she was inspired to consider it after seeing sculptures by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama in New York in 2001. She describes her sculptures as a three dimensional elaboration on her paintings and creates soft figures and forms with materials such as stretched fabric, thread, sponge, mirror, fabric and silk.

When I am making soft sculpture, I feel that I am creating a human body by the lunar calendar. In the lunar calendar, the human soul exists in different organs every day. For example, first the soul exists in the feet, then the soul exists in knees, and so on.

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, I don't Tell Where I'm From, Soft sculpture, 2012 (HR, white background)

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, 2012, 'I don't Tell Where I'm From', soft sculpture. Image courtesy Schoeni Art Gallery.

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, Childs Dream, 48 x 90 x 23 cm, Stretch Fabric, Thread and Sponge, 2009 (with mongolian steppe background added by photoshop)

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, 'Child's Dream', 2009, 48 x 90 x 23 cm, stretch fabric, thread and sponge (Mongolian steppe background added using Photoshop). Image courtesy Schoeni Art Gallery.

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, SOS, Fabric and Silk, 120 x 50 x 60 cm, 2009

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, 'SOS', 2009, fabric and silk, 120 x 50 x 60 cm. Image courtesy Schoeni Art Gallery.

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, Who Am I, 60 x 24 x 26 cm, Stretch Fabric, Thread, Sponge and Mirror, 2012

Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, 'Who Am I', 2012, 60 x 24 x 26 cm, stretch fabric, thread, sponge and mirror. Image courtesy Schoeni Art Gallery.

“Earthbound”, a show of works by Mongolian artist Munkhtsetseg (Mugi) Jalkhaavjav was held at the Schoeni Art Gallery in Hong Kong from 12 April to 7 May 2012.

PB/KN/HH

Related Topics: Mongolian art, gallery shows, the female form, art in Hong Kong

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