JINGART, one of Beijing's most anticipated art events, was held at the Beijing Exhibition Center from June 1 to June 4. The fair brings together 54 galleries from 11 countries and regions, injecting new energy into the Asian art market.
As its first edition since the easing of COVID-19 regulations, this year's JINGART presents a broader diversity of artworks, highlighting the international vision of the event.
Founded by the same team as Art21 in Shanghai, JINGART strives to build a growing platform to support artists and link them with buyers.
"What's important this year for us is it's all about coming back. So we are not trying to be too fancy or anything like that. We just want to make it happen again," said Zhou Dawei, co-founder of JINGART. "One of our missions is to let art become the dialogue between different parts of nations."
Founded in London, the Carl Kostyal Gallery is known for nurturing young emerging artists.
Painter Camilla Engström is one of them. Being of Swedish and Chinese origin, she has been supported by the gallery since the start of her career, which helped her build her name as an artist.
Lisson Gallery of the UK, founded in 1967, has established itself as an influential gallery for contemporary art.
At JINGART, they showcased a selection of new and retrospective works by artists they represent, including Chinese artist Yu Hong, who is known for her large-scale figurative paintings that depict the experiences of contemporary China.
"Our style has been constantly evolving and changing throughout the time and along with the times," said Theresa Liang, Director of Lisson Gallery Beijing. "I would say the demand for good art has always been very high, and whether or not it is made by artists from Asia or outside of Asia in the Western society. As long as they're good, there is a market."
JINGART was founded five years ago with the aim to connect Beijing's dynamic culture with the international art market. The diverse platform attracts exhibitors, collectors, artists and art lovers from home and abroad, and this year, 28 galleries have made their debut here.
LEO Gallery presented works by artists including Armin Boehm and Chen Kai. The gallery believes that after the pandemic, buyers have become more cautious; but galleries have also been gaining confidence.
"Of course we want to get more sales and also, just like I said, to connect with people, because we really believe in the power of art and like the good quality of the work of artists," said Yin Nuo, exhibition coordinator of Leo Gallery.
The sentiment was shared by Gallery All as well. They said although it is difficult to determine that the art market has grown, people are optimistic about joining it.
Founded in Los Angeles in 2014, Gallery All presented a broad selection of works including classic, avant-garde, historical and experimental works.
They believed it is worthwhile to promote and support emerging artists.
In addition to Beijing and Shanghai, the Art21 team will also travel to Shenzhen to hold an event. With the return of JINGART, budding artists in China are set to benefit from global exposure, transforming their passion for art into a potentially lucrative career.
