For Asian Art City Magazine

 

 

International Art Fair in Beijing will meet its sixth edition

Text/  You Yang

 

China International Gallery Exposition, renowned as CIGE, will occur between April 16-19, at CWTC exhibition hall in Beijing. As the first established modern & contemporary fair in China, This year is CIGE’s sixth edition, and will face new threats and new opportunities as well.

 

CIGE art fair is also the 1st influential art event in far east Asia in the year of 2009, after that the Spring Auction in Beijing and Hong Kong is following tight, Now art specialists and dealers are talking a lot of the indetermination of the market in 2009, they will focus on CIGE and hope to find the future of the market and art development.

 

Since the 1st CIGE in 2004, the fair improves itself year by year, now the fair established a solid international reputation and recognized as one of the top art fair in Asia, beside the gallery exhibition, regular special sections as MAPPING ASIA also attract art enthusiasts’ attention and collectors purchasing appetency, MAPPING ASIA invites young talented Asian artists, via a series of strict selection processes by galleries and fair’s art committee, the section is trying to present the emerging artists from Tokyo to Istanbul --- the true full Asian scale or the young generation, probably the collectors and museum will glance the future of Asian contemporary art.  Especially under the current global financial situation, the art market has fell down since autumn of 2008, how will be it going in 2009 and 2010? Many specialist and dealer only gave blurry forecasts and we could see the purchasing power is moving on younger and new artworks gradually. This year the fair’s organizer appoint a special committee to promote MAPPING AISA 2009 in international level, members are experts and senior curators as Alexander von Vegesack, Director of Vitra Design Museum, Sook-Kyung Lee, Curator from Tate Liverpool and Melissa Chiu, Director of  Asia Society Museum.

 

CIGE 2008’s result is better than other two Chinese art fairs in autumn in Beijing and Shanghai respectively. According to the CIGE official stat. CIGE 2008 attracted an attendance of 50,000 gallerists, collectors, artists, journalists, critics and other art lovers, reached a new record: 40 million US Dollars, increased by 40 percent compared to 2007.

 

CIGE 2009 will be the 1st influential art event in far east Asia in the year of 2009, after that the Spring Auction in Beijing and Hong Kong is following tight, Now art specialists and dealers are talking a lot of the indetermination of the market in 2009, they will focus on CIGE and hope to find the future of the market and art development.

 

Fair’s highlights :

Galleries:

80 galleries from all over the world, Renowned galleries as ShanghArt(Shanghai), Xin Dong Cheng, Platform, Tang Contemporary, Boers-Li (Beijing), Krinzinger（Vienna）, Nadi (Jakarta), Noda(Nagoya), Zeit-Foto Salon (Tokyo), Arario, Keumsan. (Seoul), The Drawing Room (Makati City), Mori (Sydney) will present a panorama of modern and contemporary art.Also CIGE will present galleries who have the debut show in East Asia Art Fair as: Majmua (Pakistan), Ayyam (Syria), La Casona (Cuba), Watatu (Kenya). It is also a interest topic whether the artworks from these areas will be chased by local collector.

 

MAPPING ASIA - Young Asian Artist Solo Shows

The whole 2nd floor of the China World Trade Center Exhibition Hall will exclusively host a number of solo shows of young and emerging artists from Asia. The projects are realized in collaboration with art galleries. During CIGE 2009 Preview exhibited projects will be evaluated by an international Art Expert Committee, which will act as Jury choosing and announcing the 3 most interesting ones in occasion of CIGE 2009 Opening Preview.

 

INTERNATIONAL SOLO SHOWS

This section will features 12 international artist solo exhibitions realized in collaboration with art galleries. Dramatically focusing on the relevance of art praxis, process, and production, CIGE offers residencies to 12 international artists. Artists in residency are highly encouraged to enjoy their time and experiences in Beijing and work towards the realization of site-specific projects.

 

SUBLIMINALS

As a gathering place at the entrance of the China World Trade Center, an active promoter of contemporary cultural models, events and developments in art, presents 9 not-for-sale projects realized by not-for-profit art organizations: realities that usually do not participate directly to art fairs, but definitely have a determinant relevance in the economy of the whole contemporary art system.

 

VIDEO LOOPS

present video, film and documentary screening programs by young as well as established artists, art initiatives and organizations

 

CIGE 2009

Dates: April 16 -19

Venue: CWTC (China World Trade Center), Beijing 

enquiry : info@cige-bj.com

www.cige-bj.com

 

作者：尤洋