Exhibition at CAFA Art Museum Photo: CFP

Sigg's donation to HK museum challenges Chinese mainland's art scene

In June, Swiss collector Uli Sigg donated 1,463 pieces of his contemporary and modern Chinese art collection to M+, a contemporary art museum under construction in Hong Kong.

In a press release, Sigg stated that he wanted to "enable these artists to have a space within M+ where they will communicate with an international audience, and where they will meet with a Chinese public."

Some art critics find the management within most art museums in the Chinese mainland problematic, with this relocation representative of an overall dissatisfying, domestic art scene, not generating enough possibilities or audiences to make a difference.

At the end of the year, all provincial and State-run museums in China will open to the public free of charge. Simultaneously, many new private galleries and art museums are being established. For many working in art museums, newfound opportunities and challenges weigh equally.

In the numbers

For both public and private art museums, the limited amount of valuable art is a problem.

"In the 1950s and 60s, art museums could purchase valuable artwork. This is no longer the case. The budget for most art museums is too limited to meet basic collection standards," said Wang Huangsheng, the director of Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Art Museum.

Wang, who previously worked at the Guangdong Museum of Art, said that he increased the Guangdong museum's collection from 13 pieces to almost 10,000, from 1996 to 2009. For Wang, public art museums need to maintain standards, whether through donations from artists, society or organizations.

"Numbers don't reflect everything. But the pieces I collected in the 13 years hold high [value]," said Wang.

As CAFA, the top art university in China, sources material to the CAFA Art Museum, the latter houses an impressive art collection from Yuan (1279-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, alongside work from alums dating from the 1950s.

Wang said most alums are willing to donate to the museum due to their relationship with the university, a strength other public art museums lack.

"Developing private art museums and galleries in China is not easy," said Gu Zhenqing, an art critic. With the art market in China growing increasingly competitive and the price of artwork rising, it is difficult for private art museums and galleries to gather collections.

"Finances and conditions are limited," said Zhang Zikang, the director of Today Art Museum (TAM).

TAM is a private and non-profit art museum established in 2001 with a focus on contemporary arts. With limited collections gathered through donation, purchasing or borrowing, TAM is stringent about protecting its art, repairs, insurance, stock checking and general supervision.

"It's difficult to increase the museum's influence limited finances and lack of support from the government and the public," Zhang said.

The cost for maintenance is high. Souvenirs and tickets are the main source of finance for many private art museums. TAM relies on sponsors to cover 70 percent of their costs at the moment. It plans to build a long-term cooperation with sponsoring organizations and art foundations to expand financial sources and improve the quality of exhibitions.

Management

Referring to Sigg's move, many critics suggest focusing on the management of art museums in the mainland.

"It's down to building a general understanding of art museums," said Wang. The public and the government are still familiarizing themselves with the idea, so a comprehensive administrative system has not developed. Without a clear management structure, efficiency or quality cannot be attained.

"Museum administration has also not realized the importance for change. Many [do not have] basic knowledge in management," Wang added.

Private art museums have more freedom. "We are facing great opportunities and environmental changes, a good environment for development," said Zhang.

Zhang intends to meet international standards. A new part of TAM is in construction now, aiming to match world-class standards.

Increasing communication among private museums is a way to achieve this goal. TAM and 27 private art museums created the national private art museum alliance. The meeting was held at TAM last year; this year's meeting will be held at the Himalaya Art Museum.

Government policy

"Hong Kong's art environment is healthier than the Chinese mainland," said Gu Zhenqing. He sees Hong Kong as more international and systematic place for preserving arts. "The tax policy is better," he said.

Philip Tinari, a curator at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, said in an interview with Arts Beijing that in the US, the tax-free system encourages donations. If a donation reaches a certain amount, the donator becomes part of the art committee, meeting and cultivating relationships in the industry.

Wang said there are similar tax reduction policies in China but the process has endless procedures.

He argues that cultivating art relies on people's knowledge of arts and museums. Without support from organizations, media or academic members, it is difficult to assess an art museum.

"With positive competition, art museums can improve the service, management and preservation. Then the industry can move forward," said Wang.

Although Zhang said changes take time, he encourages the government to take further action.

"Instead of trying to find a short cut, it's better to build a system based on existing resources and develop policies for the domestic art industry," Zhang said. Each art museum contains diverse features and should grow independently, he said.

As for free public entry into public museums, Wang said while this promotes art, museums should always try to attract public attention and develop their overall popularity.