The works of the masters are gathered, and they can also trade tax-free - the visual feast of the Expo

Source: Xinhua News Agency

Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai, October 31 Title: Master works are gathered, and tax-free transactions can be carried out - a visual feast for the Expo

Xinhua News Agency reporters He Xinrong, Sang Tong and Zhou Rui

Zhang Daqian's "Wei Jiang", Monet's "Little Ellie's Cape", Jacometti's "Dai Yagao Bust"... Recently, in the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, a group of Chinese and foreign art giants have passed the inspection of characters, landscape paintings and sculptures, and will soon appear at the Fourth China International Import Expo.

For the first time, ciie expo set up a special area for cultural relics and artworks in the service trade exhibition area, which not only brings a visual feast to the audience, but also promotes global cultural exchanges and interactions, and promotes the development of China's cultural and artistic industries.

From Zhang Daqian to Monet got Sotheby's from Christie's

A world-famous painting, tightly packed in wooden boxes, was carefully pushed into the warehouse of the Shanghai International Art Bonded Service Center by the staff. This world-famous painting is Monet's "Little Ellie's Cape". Before the official appearance of the Expo, the artwork will be preserved here.

Sotheby's, an art and luxury platform with a history of nearly 300 years, has confirmed its first participation in the Expo. His carefully selected 5 masterpieces include works by Monet, Chagall, Jakometti, Yayoi Kusama and Daqian Zhang.

Hu Huanzhong, an authorized exhibition partner of the Expo Bureau and deputy general manager of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Group, introduced that at present, 20 overseas institutions in 11 countries and regions such as the United Kingdom and Spain have confirmed to participate in the cultural relics and artworks zone of the Fourth Ciie Expo, and important auction houses in the world such as Christie's, Sotheby's and Fergusy have participated in the exhibition for the first time. These art institutions declared a total of 178 exhibits, with a total declared value of 2.35 billion yuan.

"The three major auction houses are exhibiting intensively, which makes many collectors in China feel looking forward to it." Sun Yu, deputy director of the Shanghai Pudong New Area Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said.

Promote trade facilitation to provide one-stop service

Why did Gao Leng's artistic masterpieces appear in the lively Expo venues? Behind this is a series of policy breakthroughs and service model innovations.

In October 2020, the Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs and the State Administration of Taxation jointly issued a notice stipulating that during the third CIIE exhibition period, each exhibitor selling works of art, collectibles and antiquities exhibits can enjoy the preferential tax policies of exempting import duties, import value-added tax and consumption tax within 5 pieces.

Jiang Mingwei, general manager of Shanghai Free Trade Zone International Cultural Investment and Development Co., Ltd., introduced that participants in the Expo can enjoy the one-stop service of the whole chain of cultural relics and artworks provided by the bonded service center, and the "5 pieces of tax exemption" policy will be implemented by the free trade zone; cultural relics and artworks that have not been traded during the exhibition period can also receive bonded warehousing, display and trading services after the exhibition.

"Cultural relics and artworks are a relatively special industry, with higher requirements for the environment and security, and high-end galleries, art institutions, and auction houses generally do not participate in industry-wide exhibitions." Chen Heng, deputy general manager of the marketing department of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone Cultural Investment Company, said that to help overseas art institutions better adapt to the "rules of the game" of the Expo, the exhibition party produced a special investment brochure, and at the same time established a file library for each exhibitor, so that the whole process can be tracked and traced.

At present, Yayoi Kusama's large-scale sculpture "Pumpkin" has arrived at the venue of the Fourth Ciie Expo, becoming the first bonded display artwork to be settled. According to the staff, this work weighs 1320 kg. After arriving at the Expo, the "big pumpkin" needs to be cared for, "very much looking forward to the day when this 'pumpkin' will be officially unveiled at the Expo."

The higher the value, the richer the connotation

The Expo not only has commodity trade, but also service trade. It is not only "buying, buying and buying", but also shouldering the function of people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries. The cultural relics and artworks zone set up for the first time not only makes the expo have a higher appearance, but also has a richer connotation.

Liu Fuxue, deputy director of the China International Import Expo Bureau, said that the fourth CIIE will focus on building a cultural sector in the service trade exhibition area, so that this high gold content and high value-added industry can achieve higher value and release greater energy on the Expo platform.

In the first three quarters of this year, the value of art imports and exports in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone reached 7.8 billion yuan, an increase of about 250% year-on-year. From the free trade zone to the Expo, Shanghai is actively promoting Cultural Exchanges and Art Trading between China and foreign countries, and accelerating the construction of an international cultural relics and artwork trading center.

"We hope that these works brought to the Expo will not only be able to match collectors, but also promote cultural and artistic exchanges in various countries and drive the prosperity of the Chinese art market." The words of Zheng Yan, head of the China region of Heyi Art in the United Kingdom, represent the common aspirations of all parties.