In July 2023, the first spring auction after the epidemic officially came to an end in the eyes of the public. This season's spring auction of modern and contemporary art has a market size of more than 4 billion yuan, with 2,200 auction items, of which Spring Auctions in the Mainland total turnover of 976 million yuan, more than 1,000 auctioned items, various auction houses are forging ahead in the face of opportunities and challenges.

On July 11, 2023, ArtPro Talk specially invited six senior experts of modern and contemporary art from Beijing’s core auction houses to discuss the changes and trends of the Chinese art market in the spring of 2023, including China Guardian, Beijing Poly . discussion. Below, Let us focus on the wonderful views of Lin Song, Beijing Rongbao Auction Modern and Contemporary Art Consultant and Deputy Secretary-General of Beijing Gallery Association. 
 

Q: What is the overall performance of Chinese modern and contemporary art in the 2023 Spring Auction ?

A: After the epidemic, the number of auction sessions in the mainland was disrupted and postponed. All auction houses were able to successfully complete the spring auction under the premise that the general environment was not optimistic, and achieved good results The final result is very valuable. As the first two auction houses to start auctions, China Guardian and Kaipai International have made a good start for this round of spring auctions. China Guardian has also adjusted the seating arrangements for on-site bidding, and the details reveal the intentions ; The overall atmosphere of the modern and contemporary art auctions held by several auction houses later was quite good, and collectors and friends from different categories also participated in the bidding of various modern and contemporary art auctions, and the participation was relatively extensive.

It is the persistence of every auctioneer here that makes modern and contemporary art a new growth point and has more possibilities. Every auction house is very persistent What matters is the highlights.

Q: Each auction house occupies a place in the modern and contemporary art market with its unique characteristics. How does Treasure Auction consider the layout and long-term development of the modern and contemporary sectors?

A: In this season’s spring auctions, China Guardian’s strength in the 20th century art sector is prominent, and many works of famous masters have reliable sources and orderly inheritance; With a broad group of young collectors and professional guidance for collectors, the atmosphere at the auction site is very active and there is a lot of enthusiasm for buying. For the sake of differentiation, we adjusted the plate from three aspects.

• Focus on Chinese figurative and realism 
  Chinese figuration and realism are one of the most important sections of contemporary art. Thanks to the client’s trust in Rongbao Auction, we can collect a series of high-quality masterpieces. Jin Shangyi's "Portrait of a Friend" received intense bidding and finally sold for 21.735 million yuan. Realistic works by artists such as Wang Yidong and Xin Dongwang also sold well. Tang Lili from Poly Beijing said to me, "You have captured the realism in Fuyang", this sentence is also an encouragement to us.
• Small-sized works of popular artists in the new painting section
  This season mainly selects small-sized works of representative artists in the new painting list, the turnover rate is very good, and Attracted many new buyers and young collectors.
• Insist on combing Chinese contemporary art from the perspective of art history
  From the beginning of Chinese contemporary art history, the classic paintings of the 20th century, the backbone of 5060 and even the young artists Rise, this is an art history with Chinese local cultural characteristics, and we must persist in in-depth excavation and sorting out.

Q: Every auction house for young artists has set up special topics or special sessions for young artists , what is your observation on this plate? Is the list stable in 3-5 years?

A: The young artist section is the most active and popular now. According to the statistics summarized by ArtPro2023 Spring Auction, more than 70% of the new records are created by young artists< /strong>I think this trend will continue for the next three years, and there will be more new records.

The post-70s list is relatively fixed, represented by artists such as Huang Yuxing and Chen Ke. The post-80s generation is not completely sure, and the post-90s generation has just emerged, which means that they are still far from the ceiling. There are many possibilities for changes in price, activity, and list, and they are bound to become the first choice for various auction houses. focus of force. For example, China Guardian launched the "Super Night Fair of New Chinese Paintings since 2000", and the goal of the auction house has been revealed. The main force in the future market must be young artists, but the final list still needs to go through the market and historical filtering.

Q: There is a big gap between the prices of Chinese and Western young artists, what do you think this phenomenon?

A: The auction is just a result. Young western artists did not become famous overnight, and the high auction prices are not groundless, but long-term cooperation among foreign auction houses, collectors and galleries, The result of silent hard work. With the screening and sorting out of the list, both China and the West are facing the problem of bringing forth the new through the old. It is normal for artists’ prices to go up and down, and there are also some artists whose prices are overheated. This is the choice of the market.

How our local auction companies compete with overseas auction companies and get better sources of goods is also a direction that requires everyone to work hard.

Q: The performance of the backbone of 5060 contemporary art in this spring auction is relatively indifferent, What is your observation on this plate? What space and possibilities are there in the future?

A: The market is relatively objective. Good goods and ordinary goods are on fire, which proves that the market is becoming more and more healthy and rational. The post-5060 artists used to be the leading artists in the market, with high prices emerging one after another. Now, on the one hand, their works are scarce in the market and there are no goods available for sale. It means that the artist is not noticed, and the works are worthless, but they are not in the focus of the market.

So, in the Chinese contemporary art sector, how should auction companies take on the responsibility of the market?

First, Based on the advantages of local resources, the auction company must strive to collect top works, those museum-level boutiques, of course, this kind of collection is very intense.

Secondly, auction companies cannot only sell high-quality goods, but must have the ability to discover and sort out the works of artists. In the history of art, there are cases of artists who have been forgotten by the market or have not been excavated .

Third, the auction company is not simply a porter, only responsible for picking peaches down the mountain, but also cultivating the market and insisting on sorting out the history of art, for example, China Guardian has Li Yanfeng and Zhu Lin Experts with a complex of art history are constantly digging and sorting out, guiding the market with academics, and at the same time contributing to the market's return to academics.

Q: More and more collectors will show off on social media after making a purchase What do you think of your collection?

A: New collectors show their cultural and spiritual demands in their own way, and are willing to communicate on public platforms, which can play a big role in spreading art or cultivating new customers Good positive effect.

Q: Where will the next market growth point of the Beijing modern and contemporary art market be?

A: The space and potential of Chinese contemporary art are very good, and the unit price is not too expensive compared to western auctions, which is a natural transition of the market. With China's stable development and under the premise that the economic environment is getting better and better, the Chinese contemporary art market must be sustainable. It is clear that the growth point of modern contemporary art lies in the young artist sector.

The market goes up and down, which is also its fun and challenge. We must stick to our own direction .

For more updates on the global art market in 2023, please continue to pay attention to ArtPro.