鄧永鏘(DavidTang)
中國會、上海灘創辦人
Peoplecalledmestupid.TheysaidIdidnotknowwhatIwasbuying.Itwasallsecond-ratestuffandsomerubbish.
Thiswasabout20yearsagowhenIstartedcollectingChineseoilpaintings,especiallybycontemporaryartists.Thetraditionalsnobbishcollectorsmaintainedtheiraloofnesswiththeclassicalinkscrolls,andtherewasonlyonegalleryinthewholeofHongKongwhichconsideredsellingChinesecontemporaryoilpaintingsworthwhile.Evenasrecentasfiveyearsago,neitherofthetwomightyauctionhouses,ChristiesandSotheby's,showedanyrealinterestinChinesemodernandcontemporaryart.Soforover15years,itwasnotfashionabletocollectChinesemodernandcontemporaryoils.That'swhyIwascalledstupid.Nobodythoughtthatartformwouldachieveanyvalueorprominence.
Happilyforme,thesesnobshaveallbeenprovedwrong-verywronginfact.Chinesemodernandcontemporaryarthasrisenlikeameteoriteinjustthelast2or3years.Notonlyoilpaintings,butalsosculpturesandphotographsandinstallationsbylivingChineseartists-theyareallbeginningtofetchmonumentalprices.Ofcoursethereisadifferencebetweenartandmarket.Buthavingagoodmarketatleastsuggestsgoodart.
Theauctionhousesaroundtheworldarenowdesperateforlots.Igetregularapproachestosellsomeofmypaintings,andIhavenodoubtIwouldnotfinditremotelydifficulttosellanyofmyoilpaintings.Itiscertainlyaluxurytowallowin.Nothingbeatsthesatisfactionofhavingacollectionthatiswidelyappreciatedandappreciatinginvalue.
ButwhathasfuelledthegrowthofChinesecontemporaryartinthelastfewyears?Thegrowthhasnotbeenanythingshortofphenomenal.First,IbelievethesocialandpoliticalrelaxationsinChinahavesuddenlygivenunthought-offreedomtoChineseartists.Whilstthestatewouldpreviouslybesuspiciousaboutanyartisticexpressionsthatcouldbeconstruedascriticalorevensubversive,politiciansaremuchmorerelaxedaboutsuchthingsnowadays.EveryoneinChinanowwantstoknowhowtomakemoney,andgiventhispositivewayofliving,notmanywanttospendtheirtimeonunproductiveactivities.ThenationofChina,withitseconomicoverdrive,hasinthelast10-20yearsbecomeanationofhope-hopeamongsteachandeveryindividual-hopenonedaredtodreamof,say,inthetimesofMao.Allthisreleaseofoptimismhasgivenartistsacrossthecountryalsoreleaseoftheirownimaginationandexpression.Nowonderintherecentyears,Chinesearthasbecomeunmistakablymoreimaginativeandexpressive.
Secondly,whilstfinancialbusinesseshavebeenthecentralfocuswithinthemoderndevelopmentandexplosionofChina,otherinterestshaveemergedinrecenttimesonsuchsubjectsascultureandheritageandart.WiththerichnessandprovenanceofChineseartisticachievements,itishardlysurprisingthatinterestsintheartshavebecomeintense.
Thirdly,eventhegovernmentitselfissignalinganembraceoftheartistic.InBeijing,anumberofveryavant-gardebuildings,noticeablytheglasstheatrenearTiananmenSquareandthe"bird-nest"domeoftheOlympicStadium,seemtobethegovernment'sconfirmationthatthenewmodernChinaisdeterminedtobeascuttingedgeasanyotherwesternplaceintheworld.
Justthislastweek,averycutting-edgeofChinesecontemporaryartofinstallationsandvideosaswellaspaintingswentonexhibitionattheTateatLiverpoolinBritainwhichhasareputationofbeingworld-class.Attheopening,noneotherthantheculturalattacheoftheChineseEmbassyinLondonofficiatedandspokeatthedinner.HewaxedlyricalaboutChineseartistsexpressingtheirworksthatrepresentamodernChina.PerhapshehadnoideathatacoupleofartistsattheexhibitionwereinfactcriticaloftheChinesegovernment-butinthecontextofart,allthatrisquestuffthatpervadedthe"old"Chinasimplyfellbytheroadside,andwasdeemedirrelevantin"modern"China.
SoIamveryhappy.IamhappybecauseChinahasgivenmoreandmorefreedomtoartists.IamhappybecausemoreandmoreChineseartistsareproducingbetterandbetterworks.AndIamhappybecausemycollectionhasmuchappreciatedinvalue.Andfinally,IamhappythatallthosewhothoughtIwasstupidnowlookstupidthemselves!