Study Trip to China, October 2007

In October 2007, Sotheby’s Institute of Art - Singapore, as part of its MA in Art Business programme, conducted a study trip to China, exploring the art centers of Shanghai and Beijing. It was an introduction to the candidates to the rebirth of the Chinese art market; including the cynical realism schools of paintings to the exquisitely skilled traditionalist pieces.

The trip took the students to ‘Factory 798’, an art zone of the Dashanzi industrial area, where Bauhaus style factories have been transformed into increasingly popular art arenas that many international eyes are now focused on. The students experienced first hand the operations and inner workings of artist studios and galleries within this thriving art colony.

In Shanghai, at the independently operated Museum of Contemporary Art, the students caught a glimpse into the type of work contemporary Chinese artists are currently producing.

Another eye-opener was the visit to Moganshan Lu – another artist area in Shanghai that attracts hundreds of people daily and houses the works of about 100 artists in residence.

The 5-day trip also included a visit to China’s Cao Chang Di district where interaction between the students and the artists/curators paved the way for further exploration into this increasingly expanding art market.

Group photo in Moganshanlu, Shanghai

Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai

Art piece in Shanghart, Factory 798, Beijing

Art piece in Shanghart, Factory 798, Beijing

Art piece in Shanghart, Factory 798, Beijing

In XinDong Cheng Art Space, Factory 798, Beijing

Taken with artists, Gao Brothers, Factory 798, Beijing

Factory 798 Art Zone, Beijing

Factory 798 Art Zone, Beijing

MAAB 2007/08 students with sculpture by Yue Minjun, XinDong Cheng Art Space, Factory 798, Beijing

On the way to Red Gate Gallery, Beijing

In Galerie Urs Meile, Chaochangdi Area, Beijing

In Galerie Urs Meile, Chaochangdi Area, Beijing