Powerhouse of Art in The Edge (business weekly) this week

Hangzhou Hanging Malaysian Artists

by Martin Bradley

A finely selected coterie of Malaysian creatives, including Nanyang trained ink brush master Dr Cheah Thien Soong, USM’s Associate Professor A Rahman Mohamed (from the School of Arts) and printmaker Chong Hip Seng had been invited to show their works in a truly international art exhibition by Luo Qi, Associate Professor of the China Academy of Art, and also a renowned Chinese Modern Artist and art entrepreneur. The 11th Annual Asian, African and Mediterranean International Modern Art Exhibition, was held over five days in the South Eastern Chinese City of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, famed for its historical connections to Kublai Khan, Marco Polo and Mao Zedong.

This year’s event, hosting artworks from 22 artists, was housed in the new Shang Kun Luo Qi International Museum of Modern Art, which had been purpose built and recently completed by the Shang Kun Construction Co. Ltd, to house displays and exhibitions for the artist/entrepreneur Luo Qi. That private gallery not only forms part of a growing interest in Chinese art investment, but is scheduled to introduce further international art interconnections to the region in the near future. In time, the whole first floor of the privately funded six-storey building, is to be dedicated to the promotion of arts

The prosperous and architecturally advanced city of Hangzhou, its entrepreneurs, the new gallery, and Annual China (Hangzhou) International Micro-Films Festival, had all been backed by some of the city's most illustrious businessmen, including Liu Bin, Board Chairman of Hongmao Holdings, Li Zheng We of Shang Kun Construction Co. Ltd and other significant Hangzhou businessmen, with a very supportive local government and, of course, entrepreneur Luo Qi himself. 

As part of a consciously ongoing art initiative, redeveloping the arts in China, the city of Hangzhou welcomed the "International Exhibition", which featured painting and sculpture from countries as diverse as Australia, Reunion Island (in the Indian Ocean), Italy, Mauritius, Thailand, Russia and our very own Malaysia. In a separate meeting within the aforementioned gallery, support was pledged for further annual exhibitions, an expansion of art initiatives, greater international exchanges of artworks within Hangzhou as well as art residencies, with the fortunate artist housed for a month in a freshly constructed six star hotel, due to be opened shortly.

Paintings by A Rahman Mohamed and prints by Chong Hip Seng, from previous international art exhibitions, accompanied those by Reunion Island artist Charly Lesquelin, Italian Marco Cascella and Hangzhou’s Luo Qi, to grace the walls of the N8 Club and continue to form part of a permanent collection within the city of Hangzhou. These excellent examples of modern international artworks were on display at Hangzhou's most exclusive, private, N8 Club where the city's elite revel, drink fine French wines and rest from the pressures of business and entrepreneurship. 

NB. The club (N8) is located at the former Nan Ping Club at the lakeside of the West Lake in Hangzhou, and was founded by the Octvillas consortium, hence N8. The club was originally an exclusive swimming club for China’s former premiere, Mao Zedong, but now is a leisure club for the well appointed and their guests. N8 Club is situated close to the scenic views of Leifeng Pagoda and Jingci Temple, while "Ten Views of the West Lake”, "Su Causeway in Spring Dawn", "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow", and "Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill" are close by.

There is little doubt that China, and in this instance Hangzhou in the province of Zhejiang, is heavily invested in arts, including fresh perspectives in modern architecture. China is on the move with art investment. An article in The Guardian, this year, reflected that at least seven world class art auction houses are presently in China, including Poly International, Guardian Auctions, Christies and Sotherby’s, though the two latter operate from Hong Kong as they are not permitted in mainland China. The interest in art, foreign and local, certainly at a fiscal level, is phenomenal in China with art profits reported as doubling annually. The reason; Chinese middle classes are becoming more affluent, with some of that good fortune filtering into the arts. Luo Qi’s university, the China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, will soon be housing a permanent collection of Bauhaus objects and drawings, bought for $72 million in Germany in 2013.

The China Academy of Art, the Shang Kun Luo Qi International Museum of Modern Art, the N8 Club and the continuing Annual Asian, African and Mediterranean International Modern Art Exhibition is good for Hangzhou, good for China, but equally good for Malaysia and its artists. Chinese interest in art from Asia can only serve to prosper Malaysian art within the region, with China rapidly becoming one of the most important players in a global art scene, equal to America and Europe.

(original text)