Despite the cloud of gloom that hangs over the Chinese art market amid the global recession, "Art Beijing" is set to expand its influence this year with government help.

Despite the cloud of gloom that hangs over the Chinese art market amid the global recession, "Art Beijing", one of the city's most important art event brands, is set to expand its influence this year with government help.

The Beijing Cultural Development Foundation, which is under the Municipal Publicity Commission, announced Thursday that it will establish a special "Art Beijing" fund.

A total of five million yuan, or more than 700,000 US dollars, will be invested to sponsor the "Art Beijing" events in 2009, especially its fourth annual contemporary art fair.

The art fair is scheduled to be open from April 26th to 30th in the Agricultural Exhibition Centre and is expected to retain the scale of last year's fair by again attracting some one hundred exhibitors.

Local galleries can apply for sponsorship from the special fund to exhibit at the fair.

The fund will also be used to invite influential collectors and media representatives from overseas and organize academic exhibitions.

"Photo Beijing", a special project launched last year, will also be one of the art fair's highlights in 2009.

"We will invite some foreign galleries which specialize in photographic art. China's market for this type of photography is not good at present, but we will continue to make the exhibition more professional, and larger," said Dong Mengyang, executive director of "Art Beijing".

A 50 percent discount on all exhibition fees will be offered to participants of the "Photo Beijing" section, in a bid to help the photography-focused galleries get through the tough times, Dong said.

In the latter half of the year, "Art Beijing" will cast its eye to classical Chinese art for the first time. An art fair temporarily named "Fine Art Beijing 2009" will be held to showcase traditional paintings, calligraphy and porcelain.

"We hope to also provide a platform for traditional artwork dealers," Dong adds.