Introduction: 2021 is a year in which we continue to coexist with the epidemic, and in the midst of various uncertainties, as gallery industry practitioners in the primary market, we are still moving forward.
International cross-regional travel is still limited due to the pandemic, but the gallery has made as many operational adjustments as possible and brought many changes to the industry.
In the past year, many galleries have not only not been affected by the epidemic in terms of sales, but on the contrary, have ushered in a high point in their gallery careers. At the same time, figurative painting has become the most popular artistic medium in the past two years. The obstruction of international art fair participation also makes the future expo pattern unpredictable.
Since 2021, how should galleries that are moving forward in the face of the full appearance of the younger generation in the face of various uncertainties? What changes are quietly taking place in the primary market ecology under the epidemic?
Wang Guangle solo exhibition "Waves", Beijing Commune, April 2021
After the epidemic, the gallery has changed and changed
In the face of the sudden epidemic, galleries are actively or passively seeking change. The spatial adjustment is a change for many galleries in the aftermath of the pandemic. Although many galleries had to choose to close their spaces during this period, for example, many galleries in Beijing's Caochangchangdi Art District were forced to close. But more galleries and institutions are entering or actively seeking change at this point in time.
Among them, including magic stone space, partial front gallery, Beijing commune, etc., have undergone a major renovation of the space after the epidemic. The renovated gallery is not only more suitable for holding exhibitions, but also the division of various functional areas of the gallery is more clear: exhibition hall, VIP room, data display area, front desk reception, gallery staff work area, etc., so that the gallery has a more professional exhibition environment, lighting, customer reception area, but also for ordinary audiences to provide a way to read and understand the gallery.
For example, after several months of renovation, the Beijing Commune launched Wang Guangle's solo exhibition after 6 years, and in the simple and bright exhibition hall, Wang Guangle's latest works on the shelves were displayed, which made people shine. The new exhibitions launched by the gallery in the new space in 2021 are also equally impressive, such as Ge Yulu solo exhibition, Ma Qiusha solo exhibition, Zhao Yao solo exhibition, etc., the new exhibition space brings a different look to the exhibition than before. It also made Beijing Commune one of the most watched galleries of the year.
Li Binyuan solo exhibition "Block" exhibition site Mangrove Gallery, June 2021
In addition, new galleries and new spaces have emerged in the wake of the pandemic. For example, in the Shenzhen area, although after the epidemic, there are branches of galleries in Shenzhen in the Beijing area that have closed the space. But in Shenzhen, 2021 is known as the "first year of the gallery". In this year, a number of galleries have been established, from the enclave art space in the first half of the year to the Ferris wheel gallery in the second half of the year, as well as the KennaXu Gallery, Mangrove Gallery, Blue Bank Gallery, etc., which have been established successively, making the Primary Market in Shenzhen 2021 quite active.
The Shanghai area has also ushered in new spaces for various galleries. For example, the new space of the No Top Gallery landed in the Jing'an area, and the Space of Gallery All in Shanghai was officially opened.
Tabula rasa Gallery is one of them to open new spaces overseas after the pandemic, as the owner Liu Yiyan has been in London, England for the past two years, and his new london space was also prepared during this period and put into operation in April 2021. According to Liu Yiyan, the space in Beijing and London will bring more cross-international exhibition exchange projects in the future.
In addition to changes, the daily work of galleries has not changed, which is a challenge after the epidemic. In 2021, whether it is the exhibitions of galleries, the number of fairs, the level of exhibitions, academic research, the discovery and launch of new artist faces, etc., are all going on as usual and are constantly deepening.
In particular, looking at the new faces that appear in the gallery in 2021, in addition to the younger generation of artists, there are many artists of the previous generation who have not been discovered and valued by the primary market before, bringing a richer exhibition outlook. It also makes the market diversified and full of possibilities.
Tabula Rasa Gallery Zhang an exhibition "Roarrrrr" live, May 2021
In 2021, the primary market ushered in a new high
Although the epidemic has affected many industries, the entry of a large number of art institutions in this period, the general attention to young artists, etc., have made the gallery industry usher in a new high point in the past year. This is especially reflected in the gallery's sales performance.
Xia Feng, head of the Hive Center for Contemporary Art, said: 2021 is a new high point in the development of the industry he has experienced, and at the same time, this is also the peak of the market from 2005 to 2009, and the contemporary art sector has once again become the focus of the market. The most rare thing is that this is reflected in both the primary market and the secondary market, especially the primary market, which is quite active and strong in 2021.
This situation exists not only in Chinese mainland, but also in the Taiwan region. Lin Daiwei, head of the Great Future Lin She Gallery, said: "Collectors in Taiwan have been enthusiastic about their attention to artworks after the epidemic. In particular, the works of some artists with more attention are locked, and in the face of unstable financial markets, these works have the attributes of hard currency after the epidemic. ”
Liu Yiyan, who is overseas, also said that gallery sales in 2021 have indeed ushered in a new high. Not only her galleries, but many in Europe, have ushered in one of the best times to sell. It is not uncommon to hear that many galleries have sold out of their exhibitions before they start.
On the one hand, we can see that after the epidemic, people's demand for art and general attention are growing. On the other hand, the financial attributes of works of art are also constantly increasing. In the view of the summer wind, it may be these two factors that have contributed to a new high in the current art market.
"Ji Xin: Out of the Blue Afternoon" exhibition site, Hive Center for Contemporary Art, September 2021
Figurative painting has become the absolute dominance of the market
Many gallerists have noticed that figurative paintings, especially paintings with warm colors, cartoons, anime and other popular elements, have become the absolute dominant art genre in the market in the past year.
Throughout 2021, painting has an absolute advantage, whether it is an exhibition held by a gallery or the best works sold at an expo.
In the view of Liu Jie, founder of Chengdu Thousand Plateau Art Space, this may be due to the fact that after the epidemic, people's hearts have generally become fragile and traumatized, and they need to be soothed by art, especially beautiful paintings.
Liu Yiyan analyzed that another reason for the attention of painting may also be related to the epidemic, due to travel obstruction, many people can not go to the offline exhibition as conveniently as before the epidemic, more through the screen to watch the exhibition, and paintings are undoubtedly a type of work with absolute advantages in screen viewing.
The best-selling of paintings has also contributed to new highs in the current market. But on the other hand, it has also affected other types of works of art, such as videos, installations, etc., and the number of related exhibitions has decreased. This may indirectly frustrate the industry as a whole. Therefore, in the view of many gallerists, although the current painting market is showing good sales, there are still many worrying factors in the future development of the art industry.
Basel, Hong Kong, 2021 kicks off on 19 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).
The exhibition of art fairs is blocked The future pattern is unpredictable
Although the domestic art fairs that the gallery participated in in 2021 were less affected by the epidemic, many of them achieved better results than ever in terms of sales. But for cross-international regional expositions, it has a very big impact.
The most typical of these is Basel in Hong Kong in 2021. This is reflected in the sales situation. According to the sales results of 40 galleries counted by Artron Art Network and Art Headlines, Basel, Hong Kong in 2021, has reduced its total sales by about half compared with 2019 before the epidemic.
Gallerists have confirmed this, too. Liu Yiyan said: "Whether the gallery owner has personally gone to the art fair site will indeed have a very big impact on the sales of the fair. For example, Basel, Hong Kong, I have no way to go to the scene in 2021, although there are staff at the fair to provide consulting services, but for the works of art that need in-depth exchange, the gallerist is not present, and it is really difficult to achieve a transaction. On the contrary, at the European art fairs we attended last year, such as the list Art Fair in Basel, after I went to the site in person, our sales performance was very good, greatly exceeding my expectations. ”
Lin Daiwei, who was unable to come to the mainland in person after the epidemic, also felt the same way. In previous years, Lin She Gallery participated in art fairs in other regions, such as Basel in Hong Kong, JINGART Art Show in Beijing, Shanghai West Bund Art Fair, etc., all of which have achieved very good results, but after the epidemic, they not only missed some mainland art fairs, but also had a big gap with previous years in the results of the exhibition.
For galleries, the lifting of travel restrictions is one of the things they are most looking forward to next. It is understood that in the face of the current isolation policy, the Hive Center for Contemporary Art has planned to set up a team this year to be responsible for the next overseas art fair. According to Summer Wind, the inaugural Frieze Seoul Art Fair in 2022 is within their current plans.
The scene of the 2021 West Bund Art and Design Art Fair
As for whether the pattern of the future expo will be affected by the epidemic, the summer wind said: "I believe that the world's largest chain of fairs, such as Basel, Frieze, etc., although they are greatly affected by the epidemic at the moment, I believe that after the epidemic, they will still be one of the most important fairs in the world." At the same time, the pandemic has also provided opportunities for development for many fairs. For example, the Shanghai area of the expo, after the epidemic of the sudden increase in influence, has become one of the world's most concerned fairs. ART 021 also reacted quickly after the epidemic, creating a brand new expo in Shenzhen. These developments have brought unlimited possibilities for the future pattern of the expo. ”
Conclusion: In the past year, the primary market has experienced fluctuations and ups and downs, and has also ushered in a new high point in the market. There are many new changes in this. For example, from artists, to collectors, curators, gallery staff, the full emergence of the younger generation; NFT art has gradually become a field that cannot be underestimated, etc., these new changes will have a multifaceted impact on the development of the future primary market.
But overall, the primary market in 2021 is undoubtedly gratifying. Although it is still under the epidemic, the industry as a whole is stable and developing in a good direction, and the gallery has done more in-depth work in deepening the market, and in the gallery's exhibition, it has brought us more new and diversified faces. It also makes us look forward to the new changes in the art market in the new year.