Gu Zhenqing

I had decided long before that I was going to the 39^th Art Basel. A magazine that I publish was participating for the first time in its Art Magazines sector, so naturally I wanted to be there to see for myself. Counting this year, I have been to Art Basel for five consecutive editions now.

This year’s Art Basel was still the same large-scale and crowded event; international contemporary art was blooming as ever. Modern art was being shown in some booths, including a Miro solo show presented by one gallery; nevertheless it was not the main theme. Western contemporary art is giving an increasingly pronounced impression, that a lot of the works have become homogeneous in form, method and concept, with the only difference being the name of the artist. The booths were of leading galleries from New York and London were strikingly presented, flaunting works of their top artists. Naturally, the spaces were most crowded with collectors during the VIP vernissage. Yet even with ‘Art Unlimited’, or works from the top galleries, there was no longer the kind of constant visual excitement as there was two years ago. Perhaps it was the general familiarity with the fair itself, or with the lot of contemporary art currently in fashion in the West – I was unable to find that feeling of freshness and unusualness that unfamiliarity often brings.

李占洋雕塑

If one looks at it with an ordinary mind, Art Basel is simply an art fair; from the start it was not meant to be a ‘pantheon’ of art. It is a moving train with no more than a few hundred seats, with a constant flow of new gallerists and artists getting on, and others getting off; there are also those who have stayed on the train for a long time.

左为艾未未的瓷雕，右为王兴伟油画

Western contemporary art is a business in every sense of the term, bundled up in vast amounts of art theories and art criticism. Yet a lot of the works that circulates in the market are confined to big name artists. This situation leads us to question whether some of the ‘landmark’ prices in Western contemporary art are merely a result of manipulation by certain organizations, or a result of ‘collective rumor’ – in the same way Chinese contemporary art started its shooting ascent in market prices from May 2005 onwards? If this is the case, then it is just another manifestation of the overlapping of certain human weaknesses and desires; only that this time the exploiting and gambling happens on the art market instead of the stock or real estate markets. Some of the Western dealers would similarly chat about issues such as tax evasion and price invasion with their collectors or investors. This is what a normal market is like, complete with both bright and dark sides. The Western art market, in the same way, has its essence, as well as its dregs. The problem was on myself, because two years ago, I unduly venerated this alleged peak of the art pyramid.

艾未未作品

During this year’s Art Basel, there were hardly any dealers who turned their noses up at buyers from China or third world countries – instead, facing these non-Western ‘rookies’, they were prepared to deliver their rehearsed introductions several times a day. This is extremely normal, since the art market is after all a market, which involves marketing and development. Two years ago, it was understandable for Western dealers to show pride and prejudice - the art market is also a vanity fair. They have not changed drastically, nor are they at odds with the market. The key is that China has changed, and so has India, Russia, and many other places outside Europe and the US; and as their economy develops, more rich people are buying art. Thanks to the ‘China fever’ and ‘India fever’ brought about by contemporary art, it appears that the world has finally become flat.

Art Basel is an ‘encampment’ for first-rate galleries. Works that are not meaningful would not be unquestioningly displayed by the galleries, nor easily accepted by the organizers. Two years ago, Art Basel was for me a lesson on contemporary art, an audio-visual classroom. Today, if I could see it without colored lenses, then certainly there are more people who could do the same. In the future, Art Basel would perhaps become one of the main battlefields overseas for galleries in China. It is a complete international platform. Once you are considered qualified, you could rent one or even several booths, to display the works which you appreciate or which harbor your cultural ideals and cultural ambitions. Is Art Basel then the ‘United Nations’ for galleries worldwide? Evidently not, since the power lies solely in the fair’s organizers – you could be kicked out, at any moment, without negotiations. There were gallerists and dealers who had been glamorously present two years ago, but were not selected to participate this year. In fact a moderate degree of recycling could be good for the system.

北京现在画廊展位

The direction that Art Basel takes is different from the auction houses of Sotheby's, Christie's or Phillips de Pury – many who are considered the auction stars of Chinese contemporary art did not have one single work selected for this year's fair. In the same way, none of their works have been colleted by the New York MOMA, Tate Modern or Pompidou.

张晓刚作品

Indeed, Art Basel has its unique power of influence, and is undeniably visited by many collectors from prominent art museums worldwide. Many reputed curators and critics are also happy to participate in its academic programmes and events. There are certainly numerous galleries waiting in the queue, in the hope of getting an entry pass one day.

刘勃麟作品

Nowadays art fairs in China have been receiving more and more attention from the world. As we watch Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and other cities in China, let us wait and see if any of these places would one day be able to produce a world-class art fair worthy of Art Basel.