Well-received space and activity arrangements attracted prominent visitors from political, business and art circles!

Transcription

1 The First KAOHSIUNG TODAY Closes with Great Success Several art galleries recorded outstanding performance during the threeday art fair Well-received space and activity arrangements attracted prominent visitors from political, business and art circles! (June 29 th, 2016, Taipei) After three days of exhibitions and activities, June 26 th marked the successful end of KAOHSIUNG TODAY, the Kaohsiung Harbor International Art Fair, Taiwan s first ever international art fair that features the subtropical and oceanic ambience. The fruitful event with close to 1,000 pieces of work attracted collectors from the island as well as from abroad, important guests from the public and the private sectors and the academia were also present to support the lively event. J.P. Art Centre sold all their artworks by Yang Chi-Hung with a total sales exceeding NT$ 10 million. Abstractionist master Ho Kan's solo exhibition organized by Chini Gallery recorded total sales of nearly NT$ 10 million as well. Ho s Convolution, the 130x162xm, first-exhibited work, was sold on the VIP preview of the exhibition. Capital Art Center brought with them local artist Lin Shun-Shiung's creations. Full of down-home charm, the works were very popular among collectors. Yoshiaki Inoue Gallery from Osaka introduced to the audience artworks by Gutai artist Etsuko Nakatsuji, some of which have found their home in Southern Taiwan. The first KAOHSIUNG TODAY, which featured around 40 exhibiting galleries from home and abroad, was particularly meaningful as the art fair attracted prominent visitors from the islands' political and art circles. Galleries, collectors and viewers look forward to meet again next year The goal of holding Kaohsiung Today was not only about building a platform in Southern Taiwan or even in Southeast Asia, for galleries, artists and collectors to interact with one another, but also serving as a field to raise Kaohsiung s awareness in the global art market as well as connecting the city to the global art circle. To that aim, the organizer had chosen Kaohsiung Exhibition Center as the venue for this splendid art exhibition in favor of its modern flavor and style. In the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, some exhibition rooms also demonstrated the strong ideas of curation where many important art works in the global art market had made their debut. The positive feedback from galleries, collectors and viewers also provided encouragement to the organizer to reach new heights in next year s event. The artworks of Kuo-Sung Liu, Guo Kai and Xue Song presented by Loftyart Gallery attracted the attention of collectors in Northern Taiwan and resulted in a sales volume over NT$ 3 million. Da Xiang Art Space in Taichung sold three pieces of work of Southeast Asian art masters Low Kim Chit and Cheah Thien Soong. According to the owners of the art gallery, the collectors of these artworks were all local collectors whom they met for 1

2 the first time due to the fair. The planning of the exhibition and the artistic appreciation of the collectors also received high praise from the gallery owners. The owner of Der- Horng Art Gallery based in Tainan, Shih-Bing Chen, also gave praise to the planning of the exhibition, the spacious exhibition hall and fine facilities provided. In addition, Chen revealed that the art gallery owners from Japan were also impressed by the exhibition after paying visits to Kaohsiung Today and expressed their willingness to become one of the exhibitors next year. Bo Art Gallery from Taipei also sold the prints of Zao Wou-ki and Walasse Ting and reached the turnover of NT$ 1 million. Be Fine Art Gallery, with a special focus on Russian artists, also gave high remarks of the collectors and the ambience created in the exhibition. Among the works displayed, the work of Zorikto Dorzhiev, which had been specifically selected to be displayed at the dinner party of BRICKs by Russian president Vladimir Putin, also received the visit by Dmitrii POLIANSKII, Representative of Moscow-Taipei Coordination Commission on Economic and Cultural Cooperation (MTC). In addition to the great performance of local exhibitors, the sales records of international exhibitors were also strong. Gallery Class from Japan has successfully sold their most valuable exhibited work by Kanae SHIIKI I said, No. Forbidden City Gallery from Shanghai, with 15 years of history, presented the works of Chinese artists Zhang Da-Li, Lu Chao, Song Ying and Ma Tao, which aroused interests of many collectors. The Rose, the latest oil painting work of Zhang Dong-Hong dated 2016, was also purchased by a local collector. LSD presented a series of works by young Japanese artists, of which authentic Japanese style was loved by Taiwanese viewers. Nara Yoshitomo s Sad Dog, which is valued at NT$ 4.8 million, was also one of the highlights at the exhibition. In addition to the works of masters and veteran artists, the attention received by emerging artists couldn t be underestimated either. Soka Art Center from Tainan, which has promoted art appreciation in Southern Taiwan for years, presented a series of works by young artists, wherein Kyoto Nocturne II, the new work of Lin Bao-Ling, drew much attention at the fair while Starry Night over Mt. Nanhu II had made great sales records. Huang Po-Hsun was the rising star of Soka Art Center with most pieces of work sold. Aki Gallery, another gallery focusing on young artists, also expressed their satisfactions about their sales records that the works of Yang Tsung-Fan and Kuo Chih-Hung were all sold out. Yiri Arts presented the exhibition of young artist Chen Yun, who is well-known for her sophisticated style of work. Chen Yun s works have been collected by Shanghai s Long Museum. With the presence of Chen Yun s works at Kaohsiung Today, the collectors in Southern Taiwan were given the great opportunities to appreciate the works of this young female artist. Dynasty Gallery also brought about works by emerging artists such as Lin Yu-Ching & Wei Hsing-Yu and Tseng Shang-Jie which were loved and appreciated by collectors. Tseng Shang-Jie s wood sculpture was even collected by a hotel owner, the work is sure to become a highlight of the soon to be completed hotel. 2

3 In addition to the above, the exhibition of Taiwan s indigenous artists organized by the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center in partnership with TICA Art Galley also made good sales records by local collectors. This year s KAOHSIUNG TODAY showcased several public arts, including Aron Demetz s work brought by Gallery Sun a work that attracted ex-presidential Office Secretary- General Yeh Chu-Lan, Chairman of Nylon Cheng Liberty Foundation, Hsu Chang-Hsien, and FTV Chairman, Guo Bei-Hong, to travel to Southern Taiwan specially for the exhibition. Meanwhile, Yoshiaki Inoue Gallery presented to the audience Etsuko Nakatsuji's large installation Aizu-eyes-Human Figure installed at the main entrance, the work was a highlight of the exhibition, arousing visitors' curiosity about Gutai artists' works and in turn boosting the sales. Lee Kuang-Yu's Woman, presented by Chini Gallery, also won the heart of a collector and was sold during the fair. During the first KAOHSIUNG TODAY, two educational, interactive art projects encouraged people to try their hands on "artwork restoration" and to write "an intimate letter for someone you love". The two activities were well-received among the large number of participating visitors. The lectures held on the weekend were also packed with audience, one of whom was the city's Commissioner of Education, Fan Sun-Lu. KAOHSIUNG TODAY Closes with Great Prospect as Organizer Vows to Connect Local Arts to the World After three days of exhibition, the curtain fell on the first KAOHSIUNG TODAY amid praises from visitors, galleries and collectors. Many galleries said they had built contact with potential buyers and had in-depth conversations with collectors during the successful event. "KAOHSIUNG TODAY is one of the very few art fairs where academic, market and local perspective are presented at the same time, said J.P. Art Centre s director. The head of Der-Horng Art Gallery also pointed out that "during the fair, we've been able to discover many young local collectors. Many gallery owners have also realized that Kaohsiung must continuously organize professional art exhibitions to drive collection. We're fully aware of the organizer s commitment." The representative of Kato Art Duo from Singapore said it was their first time to participate in an exhibition in Kaohsiung, during which they met many Taiwanese collectors as well as local artists. Moreover, the well-thought-out space arrangement of the exhibition made it possible to have a wonderful experience of arts. As CEO of KAOHSIUNG TODAY, Emerson Wang, concluded after the event, "the feedback our team has received from the exhibitors, visitors and collectors was mostly positive. We've also received a lot of encouragement and suggestions. With these supports, we're more determined to continue with our work on connecting local arts with the world. What's more important, we're happy to see that KAOHSIUNG TODAY has initiated and driven the trend of art collection in Southern Taiwan. Taiwan Art Gallery Association (TAGA) will keep working to balance 3

4 art resources in Northern and Southern Taiwan, discover local artists with potential, and promote the notion of art education. " ### Media contact Taiwan Art Gallery Association (TAGA) Deng Yu-Ching ext Taiwan Art Gallery Association (TAGA) Chu Chung-Wen ext #1 The goal of holding Kaohsiung Today was not only about building a platform in Southern Taiwan or even in Southeast Asia, for galleries, artists and collectors to interact with one another, but also serving as a field to raise Kaohsiung s awareness in the global art market as well as connecting Kaohsiung to the global art circle. To that aim, the organizer had chosen Kaohsiung Exhibition Center as the place for this splendid art exhibition in favor of its modern flavor and style. The positive feedback from galleries, collectors and viewers also provided encouragement to the organizer #2 Many world renowned artworks were presented at Kaohsiung Today whether inside or outside of the venue. Lee Kuang-Yu's work presented by Chini Gallery could be seen at the main entrance of the exhibition hall. #3 With the featured exhibitions Island, Islander - Fish Snipers Island Series Story from the pier & ho k Harbor, KAOHSIUNG TODAY launches the dialogue between local artists, collectors and international galleries. 4

5 to reach new heights in next year s event. #4 During the 3-day event at Kaohsiung Today, many galleries stood out with great sales records. Among which, J.P. Art Centre sold all their works by Yang Chi-Hung with a total sales exceeding NT$ 10 million. #5 The art project of Writing an intimate letter for someone you love" was a site-specific project initiated by artist Lin Pang-soong. The project saw high rate of participation among the viewers, with a total of over 400 postcards decorated on the tree set up specifically for the exhibition, which has become a joint work of the viewers, artist and the exhibitors itself. #6 The three-day art fair received visits by prominent visitors from political, business and art circles, which has made Kaohsiung Today s presence more significant. Dmitrii Polianskii, Representative of Moscow-Taipei Coordination Commission on Economic and Cultural Cooperation (MTC), appreciated the artwork of Zorikto Dorzhiev, presented by Be Fine Art Gallery. #7 The first Kaohsiung Today expected to establish the connections between arts and local elements to achieve synergy of local art creation with three forums available. The Development of Art History in Southern Taiwan 1987 gathers five important figures behind Kaohsiung art scenes, Chen Ming-Huei, Huang Ken-Shen, Tsai Ping-Chi, Kwang Cheng-Hui and Lee Jin-Shyan, joining the audience to witness #8 The first Kaohsiung Today specifically featured interactive and educational art projects. Among which, the art restoration experience activity provided the opportunities for viewers to gain hands-on experiences on repairing artwork and raise the awareness of artwork preservation. #9 Yoshiaki Inoue Gallery presented to the audience Etsuko Nakatsuji's work and aroused visitors' curiosity toward the work of Gutai artists. 5

6 the development of arts in Kaohsiung in different phases. The lecture also attracted the visit of Kaohsiung City's Commissioner of Education, Fan Sun-Lu. #10 Kaohsiung Today arranged many public guide tours for viewers to have an in-depth understanding of the stories behind the artworks. #11 Emerging artists also received much attention at Kaohsiung Today. Yiri Arts presented the exhibition of young artist Chen Yun, whose works have been collected by Shanghai s Long Museum. #12 The present of the artists in the art fair was also a highlight of the event. Chan Fu Yun, a 90- year-old veteran artist based in Southern Taiwan, also visited Kaohsiung Today to explain the meaning behind his artworks. Among which, Paris Landscape has found its home in Southern Taiwan at VIP preview day. 6