By Kim Sun-young
Global Student Reporter
Beijing ― With Chinese economic power growing rapidly, its art galleries are also poised to leap toward the center of the world's art industry. A number of galleries from all over the world are flocking into 798 Art District in Beijing, China. Among them are Korean galleries. They provide Asian artists, who are still obscure in the Chinese market, their debut exhibitions.
ARTSIDE Beijing is the one of such galleries that opened in the 798 Art District last year. Since 1999, the gallery has worked together with ARTSIDE Seoul that has organized a number of exhibitions for several prominent Chinese artists such as Zhang Xiaogang, Yue Minjun, Zheng Fanzhi, Zhou Chunya, and Liu Wei.
The two galleries ― ARTSIDE Beijing and Seoul ― have basically attempted to invigorate art trade and follow the transnational flow of culture between Korea and China.
ARTSIDE Beijing has exhibited works of art by the three Korean artists ― Bahk Seon-ghi, Moon Kyung-won and Lee Jae-hyo and one Chinese artist ― Lijin.
``The purpose of ARTSIDE this year is to introduce artists using various materials in various areas. We attempt to introduce someone who deals with his/her own material skillfully. We also provide them with a chance to make their debut in China, which is believed to evolve into a cultural hot spot in contemporary art in the years to come,'' said a curator of ARTSIDE Beijing.
The two galleries with the same brand name ``ARTSIDE'' were established for the purposes of introducing Korean artists to China and vice versa as well as dedicating contemporary Asian art to the world's art scene. They were founded on the belief that art has no boundary and need not necessarily distinguish one another between different nationalities. ``The more important thing is how an artist can deal with his/her own status,'' the curator said.
With throngs of contemporary art lovers rushing to China in recent days, I firmly believed that ARTSIDE Beijing would benefit from its location ― the center of the 798 Art District. But the curator answered ``No.''
``There are more disadvantages than advantages,'' she said. ``We are just one of the galleries from all around the world nesting on the district. Although the Korean wave or `Hallyu' based on the influx of Korean dramas has taken root in Chinese society with high popularity, there is no special advantage for a Korean gallery.''
The 798 Art District has provided Korean galleries with various opportunities to share ideas with Chinese artists and review the Chinese contemporary art scene. To leap toward the next step in the art circle, the Korean gallery has to find its own way to make it progress among the cultural chaos in China these days.