Time flies, and the bell for 2024 has been ringing. When we look back at 2023, the art world is like a colorful picture, depicting not only challenges and changes, but also innovation and prosperity. At this moment, let's open this picture scroll together and look back on the important moments of the art world this year.
The museum is moving towards high-quality development
In 2023, the National Art Museum of China will celebrate its 60th anniversary. **In his reply letter to the old experts and artists of the National Art Museum of China, the general secretary put forward his ardent hope for the development of the National Art Museum of China. This also points out the direction for the development of art museums at all levels in China.
Over the years, the art museum of China has accumulated more and more experience in exhibition planning, collection research, and social aesthetic education, as evidenced by the annual exhibition season of fine works in the national art museum collections. 2023 is the 12th year of the exhibition season of the national art museum collection. Whether it is the "Ink Rhyme Context: Bada Shanren, Shi Tao and Chinese Freehand Art Exhibition since the 20th Century" from the National Art Museum of China, the "Slash and Print Inscription Elegance - 20th Century Woodblock Prints from the Collection of the China National Academy of Painting" from the China National Academy of Painting, or the "Why Sketch - Sketch Art Research Exhibition from the Collection" from the Zhejiang Art Museum, the "North Window High Lying - Dai Ze's Beijing" from the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts, and the "Spring Breeze and Rain Moist and Silent" from the Anhui Art Museum. Anhui Modern Art Education Pioneer Mr. Zheng Zhen's Special Exhibition "......All of them have become "hot hits" on social accounts, attracting more and more young audiences to enter the museum.
In fact, in the process of rapid development, many problems and challenges have arisen in the art museum industry, and in order to actively deal with the difficulties, some regions have established art museum alliances of different scales. For example, the Inter-Museum Alliance of Art Museums of Hunan, Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces, the Art Museum Alliance of Shandong Province, the Inter-Museum Alliance of Art Museums of Jiangsu Province, the Collaboration Mechanism of Art Museums in the Yangtze River Delta, the Art Museum Alliance of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the Art Museum Alliance of Anhui Province, and the Art Museum Alliance of Dongguan Province. As an innovative initiative, the birth and operation of the museum alliance has opened up new horizons for the development of art museums.
Thematic art creation highlights the atmosphere of the times
An era will inevitably produce art masterpieces that highlight the atmosphere of the times and observe real life. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, thematic creation has gradually become the focus of art creation and research in the new era. The important historical events and social realities that are taking place in the new era are vividly displayed in the creation of art.
2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. This year, the "Beauty in Convergence - Art Exhibition of the 10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative" sponsored by the National Art Museum of China, the "China National Academy of Painting 'Belt and Road' Art Exhibition (First Exhibition)" held by the China National Academy of Painting, and the "Building a Dream of the New Silk Road - 'The Belt and Road' Theme Art Creation Project Exhibition" held by the Guangxi Art Museum vividly demonstrated the construction of the "Belt and Road" and interpreted the spirit of the Silk Road, and also placed Chinese art in an international perspective and promoted exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign artists. It enriches the connotation of art research on the theme of "The Belt and Road".
In 2023, China will usher in the first National Ecology Day. Whether it is "Guarding a River and Clear Water--China National Academy of Painting Yangtze River Theme Art Exhibition", "Ode to the Yellow River - Ningxia Ecological Civilization Construction Theme Art Exhibition", or "Lucid Water and Lush Mountains are Gold and Silver Mountains" large-scale series of landscape painting exhibitions in Xiaoxiang, a series of creative projects and exhibitions show the beauty of China's mountains and rivers, the beauty of culture and the spiritual atmosphere of the new era.
At the National Art Summit Forum held in Chengdu, Sichuan, many experts conducted in-depth discussions on the language, style, and artistic concepts of thematic art creation in the new era.
At the scene of "Beauty in the New Era - The 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the National Art Museum of China", Wu Weishan, director of the National Art Museum of China, explained the works to the audience.
Silk Road Legacy Rhyme: Hehe Athletic Music (Chinese Painting) Wang Yingchun, Yang Lizhou, Yang Zhen.
The fusion of art and technology shows the beauty of the times
The convergence of art and technology is one of the most compelling topics today. In recent years, the in-depth integration of art and technology has revealed a new aesthetic concept for us. In 2023, the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou will highlight the unique attraction and appeal of oriental aesthetics with the power of scientific and technological innovation, and present a grand event with "Chinese characteristics, Asian style and splendor" to the world. It can be said that this opening ceremony vividly demonstrated China's cultural self-confidence through the perfect integration of technology and art. At the "4th China Design Exhibition and Public Art Exhibition", the high-speed maglev train with a speed of 600 kilometers per hour, underwater robots, AI intelligent error correction fitness clothes, etc., all intuitively and vividly demonstrated the beauty of the integration of technology and art.
With the gradual deepening of the integration of art and technology, cultivating "art + technology" compound artistic talents has become a demand for social development, and it is also the call of the times. Some art colleges and universities have "tested the waters" and set up related majors or research laboratories. In the Notice on Announcing the Filing and Approval Results of Undergraduate Majors in Ordinary Colleges and Universities in 2022 issued by the Ministry of Education in 2023, a total of 9 colleges and universities have added "art and technology" majors at the undergraduate level. AI is the hot spot of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts' 2023 undergraduate graduation exhibition. Based on the AI-based art education platform, students have learned a variety of possibilities for the application of artificial intelligence technology in the field of art and design; At the same time, it absorbs and draws on traditional Chinese culture, and uses a variety of artistic expressions to create.
Artistic rural construction empowers rural revitalization
At the beginning of 2023, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued the Notice on Promoting the Deep Integration and Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Tourism, encouraging cultural and ecological reserves and qualified traditional villages, ancient streets, and ancient towns to set up intangible cultural heritage workshops, exhibition halls, inheritance experience centers (points), and representative inheritor studios, etc., so as to integrate and develop tourism according to local conditions, so that inheritors, villagers, and residents can become the main participants and beneficiaries of tourism. Among them, whether it is a direct product of intangible cultural heritage of traditional arts, or a cultural and creative derivative product created with traditional art as an element, it is easier to carry the express train of tourism development and cultural and tourism integration, and has great advantages in tourism products such as souvenirs and souvenirs. In addition, due to the fact that traditional art intangible cultural heritage is easier to develop, produce and trade, traditional art intangible cultural heritage has become one of the main forces to enrich the connotation of tourism commodities, and it is also another path for art to empower rural construction.
In addition, many art colleges and universities have long-term and continuous explorations in art rural construction and rural aesthetic education, which not only provides students with practical opportunities to go deep into the countryside, but also has a lasting and profound impact on the local rural landscape. In 2023, after two years, the Institute of Beautiful China of the China Academy of Art conducted research on more than 300 national art practices in the construction of "Beautiful China" in the past ten years, and established the country's first "Beautiful China Case Library". These cases truly reflect how to activate the innovative energy of local society through cultural and artistic creation, and form a development mechanism for self-reliance and co-creation.
The case of Beautiful China.
The scene of the first Hubei Youth Art Exhibition in 2023.
China Guardian's 2023 Autumn Auction "Contemporary Art Night Show".
The team of young art talents is gradually growing
As a new force in art creation, young people represent the future and hope of the art industry, and have always been the objects of continuous attention and key training in the art world. From the 7th National Youth Art Exhibition, the 5th Shandong Youth Art Exhibition, the 2023 First Hubei Youth Art Exhibition, and the 17th Shanghai Youth Art Exhibition, we can get a glimpse of the current situation and trend of youth art creation. More and more young artists are participating in national theme creations, accounting for an increasing proportion of various exhibitions, and excellent art works are constantly emerging. In addition, contemporary young artists are more diverse and open in their creative concepts and theme choices. In terms of artistic language, in addition to traditional creative techniques, contemporary young artists are also more open, bold and creative in learning and using new art media, materials and forms.
The growth of the team of young curators is an important symbol of the development of the curatorial career. As a national-level curatorial talent support and training project, the "National Art Museum Young Curator Support Program" launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been organized and implemented for many years, and a total of 10 projects will be selected in 2023. It is through selection, training, one-on-one guidance from experts and financial support that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism supports young curatorial professionals and creates a number of outstanding youth curatorial projects. The Curatorial Committee of the Chinese Artists Association has also paid more attention to the cultivation of young curators, and has continuously held a series of academic seminars for young curators on "Curation and the Future". Embodying the wisdom of traditional Chinese culture in curating, grasping the theme of the times in curating, and enhancing the cultural influence of the exhibition in curating are the key words of the "Curating and Future" series of activities in 2023. The holding of this series of activities has built a platform for many young curators and scholars to communicate.
The art market has achieved rational growth
In 2023, the art auction market showed strong signs of recovery in the first half of 2023 as auction business activities returned to normal. According to the Artron Index: Art Market Report for the First Half of 2023, in the first half of 2023, the domestic cultural relics and artworks auction market basically recovered to the pre-COVID business conditions, and the market size was significantly higher than that of the previous crown epidemic. According to the data, the number of auctions was 81,549 pieces (sets), and 45,363 pieces (sets) were sold, a year-on-year increase. 42%；The total turnover was 1691.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6095%。Experts said that this is related to the increase in market activity and the postponement of the 2022 autumn auction to the first half of 2023. However, it is undeniable that there are still multiple pressures within the auction company, such as the resumption of corporate operations and difficulties in solicitation. Judging from the development trend of the art market in the past two years, the domestic cultural relics and artwork market is still facing great challenges.
At the same time, digital innovation has injected new impetus into the market. At present, the auction market is showing new changes: online auction carnivals, live auctions, free auctions and other online transaction forms have become a new trend in the market. Digital innovation is not only reflected in the form of transactions, but also in the introduction of new models such as "primary marketization" and instant purchase of auction houses, such as Sotheby's BuyNow, Phillips Dropshop, and Poly Hong Kong's "Instant Purchase", which break the traditional auction market model and make the purchase more convenient, which is the embodiment of auction companies constantly seeking breakthroughs in market competition. The preview of the 3D lot is also an important attempt at the digital innovation and development of the art market.
With the advancement of globalization and the further development of the capital market, we have reason to believe that the art market will continue to grow. With the enthusiasm of Chinese high-net-worth individuals for art investment and the increase in cultural and artistic consumption, the status of the Chinese art market in the world will also be further enhanced.
Editor-in-charge:Gou Xiaoqing.