State-of-the-Arts Gallery, Memorial Book, 2003-2011 by Samues Leung

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This is an Art Book published by State-of-the-Arts Gallery First publishing in 2011

All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

The author and Gallery have made every reasonable effort to contact all copyright holders. Any errors that may have occurred are inadvertent and anyone who for any reason has not been contacted in invited to write to the Gallery so that a full acknowledgement may be made in subsequent editions of this book.

A softcopy of this book is available from the Gallery upon request.

CONTENTS 目錄 P. 4 - 7

Foreword

Samues Leung

自序

P. 8 - 11

How to judge a piece of art ?

Gérard Knabl

何謂審美眼光?

P. 12 - 13

Artists-turned-entrepreneurs

Sidney Yuen

成功的企業是一門藝術

P. 14 - 94

Photo Album 要事回顧

P. 95 - 98

Selective Exhibition Events Snap Shot 部份展覽簡要

P. 100 - 168

Selected Represented Artists 畫廊之部份代理藝術家

P. 169 - 178

Artist Words 藝術家的話

P. 179 - 189

International Art Appreciation

Ruth Rebuck

放眼世界：國際城市，國際藝術

P. 190 - 191

The Spanish Legacy: The Development of Spanish Painting 傳統的延續：西班牙當代藝術發展

P. 193 – 205

Management for Art Business

Claudia Chan, Samues Leung

藝術商業管理

P. 206 - 220

In Between Gallery and Artists 在畫廊與藝術家之間

Elizabeth Lau

Jorge Llovet

Foreword Making a dream come true is not difficult; the hardest part is to sustain the dream that has yet to become a reality. And this is what I have learned over the past 7 years establishing and running an art gallery.

I still remember the days in 2004 when I, with my passion, boldly stepped into the unknown world of art galleries and opened my very own one, oblivious to the hurdles that lied in reality. Friends have warned me not to be blinded by the sugar-coated

idealization and told me that running art gallery is an arbitrary business that was determined by risk and luck. Yet, this kind advice went straight into the bin as I was too passionate about art. And I believed, with my dedication, as well as my knowledge and experience in marketing management, running a gallery should not be an impossible task.

At the very beginning, it was the naming of the gallery that had given me the sleepless nights and heavy shoulders. I kept asking myself: How I would like to see my gallery in the future? Filled with passion and hope, I named it State-of-the-Arts Gallery. This name embodies my aspiration as I hope that one day the gallery can be the living definition of her name – prestigious, innovative and exceptional. This name has therefore become my motivation to move forward, to develop State-of-the-Arts Gallery into an outstanding platform for artistic exchange, to enrich the Hong Kong art scene, and to nurture her as my lifelong career.

However, once I stepped into the business, I started to realize that reality did not allow me the luxury to spend time with art. Days and nights were spent on commercial registration, gallery interior design, exhibition curation, resource allocation, and so on. My idealism also added more pressures to the gallery business. Without considering ability and resources, we launched the Art Club, Art Premium and Art Consultancy to form a multi-platform gallery. These platforms took up two floor of premises. What I hoped was that they could compliment each other in business directions and create synergy. This of course sounded ideal; but it was also the immature idealization that resulted in our confused gallery character, lost of business directions and high operating cost.

It is often said that gallery business is a losing business (time and money-wise). This is undoubtedly true if one builds his dream in an idealized world or the gallery founder unrealistically thinks gallery business is simply an artistic leisure. Then, it would definitely lead to a dead-corner. Over the years, I have witnessed many galleries that opened in Central and Sheung Wan but many

disappeared from the street silently. Whenever I encounter obstacles, I would remind myself of my dream and passion, ask myself not to give up so easily, and most importantly, look forward to the possibility of success on my next step.

Yet, there were still times of despair. When the gallery business did not blossom as expected, when my best business partner backed out; when I had to reflect on my business approach alone – I can‟t help but realizing that no matter how many business, or marketing or management theories I have learned, it was still impossible to come up with a “formula” to run this arbitrary gallery business in particular when you don‟t have that much “resources” to be deployed. Regardless, I still didn‟t want this little dream of mine to end like that. I always keep in mind that: a gallery that survived for more than 5 years will be valued as a player in the industry; and it always takes more than 10 years of operations with consistent quality to build her reputation. These milestones gave me hope and courage to take on the challenges ahead and to lead State-of-the-Arts Gallery moving forward.

How did we get through the tough time? The first thing we did was to tentatively close the Art Club and its Art CafĂŠ, and relocated the Gallery from a multi-floor premises to street level in 2006. Apart from curating more than 10 exhibitions each year and discovering talented artists, one of our missions is to develop State-of-the-Arts Gallery into a sustainable and profitable business. We started to proactively seek for commercial collaboration opportunities and offer Art Consultation Services in order to diversify our business

streams. On the other hand, we also started to position the Gallery as one that aims to promote international artists, further raising market awareness. With such clear missions, the Gallery started to find her directions and market.

Through this long journey I had with State-of-the-Arts Gallery, what I have understood is the importance of striking a balance between art and business. An art gallery must be the perfect blend of both. One does not exist without the other. State-of-the-Arts Gallery has and will never forget her mission of promoting art and artistic exchange in Hong Kong. And the only way to play a continual part in such cultural enrichment is to sustain her commercial resources. Patience, Passion and Professionalism (3Ps) are the key to success when running an art gallery.

Looking back at the past 7 years of dedication, we have curated more than 80 exhibitions, including 24 that were organized in

collaboration with other venues and organizations such as Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Shatin City Hall, Fringe Club, IFC, Festival City, Lee Garden, Citibank Tower, Gallery-by-the-Harbour and etc. With our 8th anniversary approaching, our Gallery Team will continue devoting our patience and passion to lead the Gallery forward through participating in various international art fairs and establishing State-of-the-Arts Foundation.

We also hope that, in our upcoming 10th anniversary art book, we will be able to proudly say that State-of-the-Arts Gallery has truly become a living definition of her name â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a prestigious gallery in Hong Kong.

In this book, we hope to share with our Gallery fans, artists, customers and all readers the journey over the past years, through which State-of-the-Arts Gallery gradually made it to where she stands today, as well as our aspirations for and confidence in her future.

Samues Leung State-of-the-Arts Gallery Founder 2011

自序追尋實現一個夢想，其實不難，而維持經營一個夢想，才是最難。這並非一句空泛的說話，而是我七年來苦心經營一間畫廊而體驗出的真實感想。

回想2004年，我未知現實的殘酷險峻，懷著一股熱情，開設了這間畫廊。朋友曾好言相勸：畫廊是非常詭異變幻的行

業，非夢想的美好而已。然而，當年的我，熱愛藝術畫作，認為只要認真投入，再加上自已多年修讀及從事的市場推廣管理的經驗，經營一間畫廊並非難事。

初時，為了給畫廊的取名，我已寢食難安的，我希望她成為一間怎麼樣的畫廊呢？我懷著一股熱愛之情，以及對未來的期盼，於是取名State-of-the-Arts，這名字也蘊含了抱負: 名望、遠見、卓越成就。我相信她會成為一個出色的藝術平台，也希望這名字能鼓勵我持續地往前走，為推廣香港藝術盡一份綿力。而且，我期盼她就是我熱愛的終身事業。

然而，現實的殘酷令我根本無暇享受於藝術的交流，反而是多得難以想像的雜務纏住了我：由最初的籌備工作如商業註冊、畫廊裝飾設計、到展覽策劃、資源分配等事，每事必要在摸索中親力親為。不但如此，更令我忙到天昏地暗的是我的天真及好高騖遠。一開始，我們毫不考慮能力所及與否，便同時成立了 Art Club 、 Art Premium 和 Art Consultancy三個分支，在畫廊下分佔另一層的地方，企圖將這三個分支和畫廊互相緊扣共營互利。不過，這樣多麽理想的經營方式，卻讓我們在頭數年造成了畫廊風格上的模糊，生意的經營方向迷失和營運成本過高。

有一句老話：畫廊就是虧本的生意(不管時間或金錢)。假如夢想是建立在一種理想的國度上；又或是一廂情願地以為畫廊就是純粹藝術交流和談笑風生的雅興。這句老話就說得很對。但往住就不自覺地陷入這種危機裡。眼看每年有不少不同形式和大小的畫廊在中上環一帶開張，也看着不少黯然倒閉。所以在每遇到困難時刻，都會拿出百個支持自己的理由，儘量說服自己不要輕言放棄；更不斷反覆提醒自己，不要在最徬徨無助的時侯放棄。因為成功可能就在下一步吧! 但後來連最好的朋友兼夥伴也離去了。

常在夜裡獨自思潮，將近五年來不斷的摸索嘗試，體會到從前所學習到和認識到的甚麼營商之道、市場學、管理學等經驗和理論，都是不能幫助自已研究出一條可行的方程式，去營運這麽吊詭難以捉摸的生意。無奈亦無助，但最終都是不想就這樣結束多年來苦心經營的畫廊。反過來還得想起两句行內話: 畫廊運作最少要五年時間才可以漸嚮名堂。而非到十年以上，也難建立自己的聲譽。要走下去的路是漫長又險礙，但我不得不面對難關，腳踏實地起來為自己的決心繼續向前奮鬥。

首先在06年停辦Art Club及她的Art café 和搬遷畫廊。然後，除要繼續策展每年最少十個的展覽，藉此發掘更多有潛質的畫家外，並專注於如何拓展更有利潤而又能持續的商機，這實非一件易事。我們積極地找尋不同的商業夥伴和合作機會，及開始發展藝術顧問等項目。而畫廊風格則定位於推廣國際性藝術家為主。在賺取經營資金的同時，也提高了我們的市場曝光率及認受性。及後漸上軌道，經營方向也明確起來，並得到越來越多顧客的欣賞。

在過去發展的歷程上，我深深地領畧到藝術和商業平衡的重要性。而畫廊就是兩者間的平台。豐富香港藝術的推廣和交流，固然是我們的核心價值及理念，這點，我們從未忘記。然而，商業的資源就是推動她往前走得更遠更廣的動力。經營畫廊，我深信耐性、熱忱和專業性，三者是缺一不可的。

回顧過去七年，我們合共策展超過80個展覽，包括24個在畫廊以外與不同場地及協辦單位：例如香港文化中心、沙田大會堂、藝穗會等各類型展覽場地。State-of-the-Arts畫廊將邁向八週年。對於她需要持續的發展，我們仍然抱着戰戰競競和謙遜的心情繼續為定下的計劃而努力：如致力引進更多更出色的歐美等地之藝術作品外，並會参與海外國際藝展及成立我們的藝術基金會等項目。

而我們更希望在未來的十週年紀念畫冊中，可以自豪地以她: State-of-the-Arts，一如其名，成為香港一間〝出類拔萃〞的畫廊。

我們希望藉著這本書，真誠地與畫廊的好友、藝術家、顧客或所有讀者分享過去成長的歷程，也欣然展望我們的將來。

梁達生 State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊創辦人

2011

How to judge a piece of art ? When one listens to visitors at art fairs or art exhibitions, one mostly hears comments like “Looks quite nice “, “I do not get the meaning”, “Seems interesting” or “I can do that too”.

It seems, that many artists have lost themselves in their world and have forgotten that a piece of art only starts to live when someone else takes a closer look. The observer has a crucial role to play in the art world. A piece of art on its own is never boring or simple or shocking or narrow-minded. It takes two to tango, i.e. a piece of art can only be successful if there is an viewer who takes the time to study it, who lets his eyes rest on it, who tries to capture his impressions and feelings, who is selfconfident enough to reflect on it and to come to his own conclusions. A good piece of art tries to establish a relationship with the viewer and is longing for exchange, for dispute and for judgement.

But it is really difficult to judge for example a painting, if the art world and many artists have proclaim for many years that “painting is dead”, that “everybody can be an artist”, “that the concept is everything and the execution is unimportant” and the most ludicrous of all: “Only if you are totally incapable of doing anything – you are free”. My answer to that is: Yes, art is free, but also we (the observers) are free to judge !!

For me, as an art lover and curator, it is imperative to find a set of values that help me select pieces of art. Of course, I have to admit, this is a very personal journey and I do love the social benefit of dealing with artists. Visiting their studios, getting to know their character, their working style, their thinking, their inner-most feelings are refreshing and challenging. So for me, the artist is very important, because if you buy a painting, you also bring a piece of the artist into your house and who wants to be surrounded by uninvited guests ?

A good artist, in my point of view, is someone who adheres strictly to his own code of quality, who can tell you why he is convinced about his own works of art. He/She can tell you, why such a format has been chosen, why those colours and light reflections have been painted, why some segments have been highlighted and some not, why this kind of material and this kind of brush has been used etc. For me art is like a game and every game has to follow rules. A good artist does not always have to

follow the rules but at least he/she should respect them.

Technique for me is an absolute must, because if the artist has mastered his technique; it will allow him to create masterpieces, not only in his mind, but also on the canvass. Naturally the technique should not steal the show from the content and a figurative painting only starts to pulsate if there is a variety of surprising expressions and if the artist also paints carefully those things on the side or in the background. Besides the technique of course the subject is imperative and I love artists who study books, who observe their environment, immerse their lives and then come up with a painting which tells a story and challenges the observer to

think too. I also love humour and funny titles even though such one-liner titles can be very tricky.

But one point has not to be missed: in a global world, artists and observers come from completely different cultural and social backgrounds and for example a Chinese Opera is absolutely enjoyable for some while it can be tortures. So it is difficult to find a common set of values to judge a piece of art, but in a nutshell, I would conclude that a good or even excellent piece of art has to meet following criteria: 1. It has to connect with me and in particular my sense of art; 2. The original work has to surpass any reproduction; 3. Playing with the colours and shapes is not a mere end in itself but creates new feelings and emotions and leads to higher expectations; 4. So that I want to understand the artwork and not just see it or feel it; 5. The artist is able to present his theme in his own, unique “language”; 6. I have a strong feeling that this work of art is enriching my life.

State-of-Arts-Gallery has taken on a special mission in Hong Kong by bringing together artists from different parts of the world and to present it in a place where “East meets West”. This is an extraordinary challenge but a feast for every art lover. Judge for yourself !!

Gérard Knabl

Curator and art lover Austrian Art Agency

何謂審美眼光?

「看來不錯」、「不明所以」、「很有趣」、「不過雕蟲小技」…… 於藝術展覽中總不免聽到以上這些似懂非懂的評語。

彷彿很多現代的藝術家只顧沉醉在自己的主觀世界而遺忘了藝術品的意義和生命都是觀賞者賦予的。如果沒有人去欣賞，探索和反思它的美感和意義，一件藝術品並沒有靈魂，它只是一件精心雕琢的死物。沒有觀賞者的傳譯，藝術品並不算完整。因此，一件成功的藝術品應該能在創作與觀賞者間引起共鳴，或激發兩者的交流。

只是，我們該從何入手去鑑賞藝術呢？多年前已可見一部分的現代藝術家和藝評人鼓吹所謂的「自由創作」，言道甚麼「繪畫藝術已死」、「每個人都可成為藝術家」、「概念勝於技巧」，甚至更荒唐的一句「只有當一個人沒任何技巧，他才能跳出「框框」。對於這些言論，我絕對認同藝術是自由創作，但這份「自由」同時亦屬於觀眾，因為作為觀賞者，我們絕對有鑑賞和評審的自由。

作為一個藝術愛好者和策展者，我必須擁有一套鑑賞藝術品的審美基準。當然，這無疑是一趟主觀的體驗，我亦從中獲得不少樂趣。每次我接觸一位新的藝術家，到訪他的工作坊，探索他的性格、風格和理念都令我重新愛上這份具挑戰性的工作。因此，除了藝術品本身，藝術家亦不可忽視，因他們的思想往往決定了作品的基調。

我認為一個成功的藝術家必須能忠於自己的理念，亦能讓觀賞者明白他的作品的用意，包括作品的表現形式，色彩光映，用料輕重等等。對我而言，藝術沒錯是自由創作，但卻應該有一套遊戲規則。而成功的藝術家雖不只於每一步都依規則，但至少亦應該尊重它。

藝術家總不能空有理念，他必須有過人的藝術技巧，讓他能自由地在腦海和畫布上創作。因為通過技巧才能襯托出作品的主題內容和給予作品靈魂。另一方面，作品的主題思想也是觸動人心的元素。如果藝術家能多鍛練自己的藝術修養，多看書，細心觀察身邊一切，他們定能成功創造出有內涵、教人反思的作品。

只是，在現今日趨國際化的藝術世界，創作者和觀賞者均來自不同文化背景，要制定一套共通的鑑賞基準並非易事。但我深信一件有藝術價值的作品應符合以下的條件：

能觸動我的心和我對藝術的熱情;

原作品必須令其他人難以仿製、翻印或模仿;

創作並非單純的色彩形態的運用，而是通過色彩形態激發新的思想感情，又能讓人期待新作品;

吸引我去進一步理解作品;

藝術家能透過自己獨特的「語言」表現其理念;

作品為我的生活帶來衝擊和啓發。

State-of-the-Arts畫廊自成立以來致力於香港這個中西文化薈萃的地方帶來世界各地的藝術家，豐富香港的藝術文化交流。這是一個具挑戰性的任務，同時也是對藝術愛好者的喜訊。我衷心希望您們能在這裏探索到藝術鑑賞的意義和樂趣。

Gérard Knabl 策展人與藝術愛好者

Austrian Art Agency

Artists-turned-entrepreneurs Throughout the years, artists have been perceived, rightly so, as non business oriented, and they look at their finished products as the labor of passion and beauty. Only few have the ability or desire to market their products professionally and to make known to their potential customers.

Art galleries usually fulfill the role of helping artists to catch attention of the buyers. The owners of the art gallery may come from the same profession, and may lack the character and ability to reach out to the targeted customers.

Marketing nowadays is very different and you can create your presence via social media which costs nothing or very little to set up. You can also find out what customer‟s preference are by creating blogs and other online media.

I have learnt that some art gallery owners help some artists create products--prints, scarves, T-shirts, corporate gifts, stationery. These are sold everywhere from online, craft and art fairs, and wholesale outlet to corporate clients such as private banks and private clubs. They also meet with manufacturers and put out a line of limited art products, or license their designs to other companies. They may even sell some work via other galleries in other countries. They don‟t simply wait around to be discovered.

Through interviews with hundreds of successful entrepreneurs and owners of business, we have found four critical factors; that I called 4 Cs; Curiosity, Care, Courage and Creativity. Curiosity – Entrepreneurs are curious, if they don‟t know something, they will find out using various channels until they are satisfied. They have passion for both business and life.

Care – They care for their customers, and take extra time to understand what they like or don‟t like about their products. Again, they listen actively.

Courage – Entrepreneurs speak with integrity and they are usually great communicators and self confident. They are not afraid of uncertainty; on the contrary, they welcome and embrace it.

Creativity – Whatever the art form you choose to create, you are already creative. Everyone is, we just have to reach out and be inspired. Creativity breeds success.

Above all, it is the hard work and discipline that prevail when challenges come. Art is something amazing that all passionate individuals can make a part of their lives. Whoever you are, make art. A form of art is within you, start and unleash your potential.

Sidney Yuen Sidney is CEO for a number of organizations in HK. He has a lively interest in art and with a charity foundation and galleries among his many involvements in HK and Asia which he visits frequently.

成功的企業是一門藝術

藝術總被認為是跟商業對立的，而藝術家則被教育成為非商業化的一群，視其藝術作品為純粹的美學和熱誠的結晶品。實在沒有多少藝術家會主動向市場和顧客推銷自己的作品。

在藝術家與市場的關係中，畫廊正好擔當中間人的角色，協助專注創作的藝術家引起市場注意。若畫廊創辦人跟藝術家抱着同樣的非商業和無視市場的態度，絕對欠能力把藝術家的作品推銷給顧客。隨時代轉變，資訊日趨發達，我們現正處於商機處處的時代。於社交網絡，不費分毫便能自我宣傳。透過網誌或不同網路渠道，更可以輕易了解市場喜好和反應。近年我更觀察到不少畫廊於市場推廣方面漸見活躍。畫廊會為藝術家製作紀念商品 – 如出版刊物，圍巾，T-恤，公司禮品和文具 – 以互聯網，藝術展和私人銀行或會所批發的形式銷售。除此，畫廊更熱充與生產商合作推出限量版藝術紀念品和出售設計版權。不少畫廊更放眼世界，透過外地畫廊為藝術家開拓海外市場。我們不難發現只要畫廊態度積極，宣傳機會處處皆是。經過多年跟無數成功企業家的接觸交流，我們總結出一個成功企業家的必備條件 – 好奇心，關心，勇氣和創意。好奇心：企業家必須對未知事物充滿好奇心，勇於以不同渠道探索新事物，對於工作和生活皆滿載熱誠。關懷：企業家應關心顧客，積極了解市場喜好，耐心聆聽觀眾所需。勇氣：企業家要有能力和自信跟不同人仕溝通。他們不但不懼怕未知數，反而應勇敢迎接未來的挑戰。創意；對藝術創作有興趣的人必定滿腦創意。創意其實存在於我們每個人心中，我們的責任是去發掘它。這便是通往

成功之路。此外，最重要的素質是刻苦律己的精神。因為它能領導人們面對挑戰，刻服困難。我認為藝術應當是每個人生活中的必需，可為生活添上色彩。我希望大家也能重新發掘藏在心中的藝術潛能，創作出充滿色彩的生活。

Sidney Yuen

Sidney 為香港多個機構的行政總裁。熱愛藝術的他常跟香港和亞洲的不同慈善基金和畫廊合作。

Chapter One (1) Photo Album /要事回顧

2004 - 2010

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An overview of courage …. A celebration of effort…

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Seven years’ adventure …. Seven years’ quest ….. Seven years’ richness

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State-of-the-Arts Gallery’s continuous trial in searching for her own meaning in fine art.

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回望無畏…讚譽堅毅 …

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七年開拓 - 七年探索 - 七年豐饒

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不斷嘗試去尋找藝術在她的意義

“The 19th AIAE in Fukuoka” Post-event Group Exhibition at State-of-the-Arts Gallery 9 December 2003 – 3 January 2004

As a special project to celebrate the first anniversary of State-of-the-Arts Gallery, this showcase presented the works of HK representatives at the 19th Asian International Art Exhibition (AIAE) in Fukuoka, Japan. Pieces of quality work demonstrate the emerging trend of contemporary Hong Kong art, revealing some of the views of the artists through their identity, society, culture, value and other issues. 展覽呈獻香港藝術家展出於日本福岡市主辨的第十九屆亞洲美術展覽會的作品，同時為慶祝State-of-the-Arts Gallery 一週年紀念活動。是次展覽作品讓我們一窺香港當代藝術發展趨勢，更從中發現香港藝術家對自身、社會、價值、文化各方面的見解及反思。

Holy Festival / 神聖的日子 / 1000x 1000mm / 2004 / Chinese Ink on rice paper

“Tian Xing - In Tibet” Exhibition at State-of-the-Arts Gallery 4 - 30 June 2004

Tian Xing used to say that he dislikes repeating himself. Tibet is presented in this current show not as an old haunt, but with deeper feeling and greater maturity, a further and more refreshing installment in the unending story of the enchanted land. 天行也曾說他不喜歡重覆自己，不喜歡用同樣的說話表達同一件事情。同是一個西藏，他以更豐富的情感、更成熟的手法，去表達他這還未講完的西藏故事。每一張新作, 都令人耳目一新。

“Art Which Reposes I” by Thoma Ryse in IFC Mall 14 - 28 February 2005

Thoma Ryse‟s tender abstraction as seen in one of HK‟s most prosperous and hectic commercial centres – IFC: an unrepentant contrast or complemented sensation? Exhibition was one of the Le French May events. 把Thomas Ryse的法式寫意帶進繁華熱鬧的中環IFC ，是對比還是映襯？展覽為法國五月活動之一。

“Love: Art of Ambiguity” Bronze Sculpture Exhibition by Paul Muehlbauer at State-of-the-Arts Gallery 6 April 2005

Dr. Brigitta Blaha – Austrian Consulate General; Mrs Ilse Massenbauer-Strafe - The Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Association; Mrs Kathi Berkshire-Szegedi - The Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Association; Dr. Peter Liao – Chairman, Asian Knowledge Management Association; Mr. Gerard Knabl – Intelligent Group have kindly consented to preside over the opening ceremony 奥地利總領事館 — Dr. Brigitta Blaha 奧地利商會— Mrs Ilse Massenbauer-Strafe 奧地利商會— Mrs Kathi Berkshire-Szegedi 亞洲知識管理協會 — Dr. Peter Liao Intelligent Group — Mr. Gerard Knabl 撥冗出席開幕典禮。

Thoma Ryse at work in French International School for 3 months to prepare his exhibitions

“Art Which Reposes II” Event Opening Reception in Lee Gardens 20 May 2005

With thanks to the following honorable guests who presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony: - Mr. Michael Lee, Managing Director, Hysan Development Company Limited - Mr. Bertrand Michaud, President of French Chamber of Commerce and industry - Mr. Michel Guyot, Consul (Culture and Science), Consulate General of France in HK - Thoma Ryse, Artist 對撥冗出席主持開幕禮的賓客致謝： - 希慎興業有限公司常務董事 Mr. Michael Lee - 法國工商總會主席 Mr. Bertrand Michaud

- 法國駐港澳總領事館領事 Mr. Michel Guyot - 畫家 Thoma Ryse

“Art Which Reposes III” Creative Installation Exhibition by Thoma Ryse in TaiKoo Place 1 - 31 May 2005

Taikoo Place was filled with lively and rhythmic waves of colours and patterns which awakened the hearts of all passer-by. Creative installation project as an event of Le French May 2005. 生動的色彩和富規律的線條為太古坊的儷人們加添生氣。此創意裝置藝術為法國五月2005節目之一。

“Humanimals” by Cesar Galindo in Shatin City Hall 6 -16 September 2005

Modern oil paintings investigating the close relationship between human and animals with painstaking contemplation on ethical dilemmas in Ancient Greek Mythologies. Cesar從希臘神話角度，取現代油畫表現形式，探討人類與動物之間的深層次關係與矛盾。

The wave 120 x 100 cm by Lorena Rodriguze

“The Origin of Magical City” by Lorena Rodriguez and Cesar Galindo at State-of-the-Arts Gallery 3 - 16 Sept 2005

Event in supported by Mr. Mario Leal, Consul General of Mexico, and his spouse Mrs. Patricia Leal. As an event of Mexican September 2005.

節目得到墨西哥駐港總領事Mr. Mario Leal及其太太Mrs. Patricia Leal 支持。展覽為墨西哥九月的活動之一。

Natura-Satisfacere / Oil on wood board .100 x100 cm by Juan Carols

“Sensitive Colombia” Painting Exhibition Opening Reception 3 Oct 2005

The event was fully supported by 6 Consuls General of Latin America (Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Argentine Republic, Brazil & Peru) and the Artist, Louis. As an event of the 2005 Latin America Festival. 是次開幕洒會由六位拉丁美洲領事親臨主持: 智利、哥倫比亞、墨西哥、阿根廷、巴西、祕魯及畫家Louis. 展覽為拉丁美洲 2005 節目之一。

“Colombian Colours” Exhibition Opening by four Colombian artists at State-of-the-Arts Gallery 20 Oct 2005

Opening Reception facilitated by the Consul General of Colombia in Hong Kong. (Next: artist Isabelle) Guests dressed up to welcome paintings expressing vast religions across Latin Americas which are rich in energy, resources, history and culture. 哥倫比亞駐香港領事主持開幕典禮，旁為畫家Isabella. 賓客穿上不同服飾，慶祝拉丁美洲為大家帶來的異國力量、獨有的歷史和文化色彩。

State-of-the-Arts Gallery Showcase at Pacific Place Conference Center 30 March 2006

State-of-the-Arts Gallery curators and staff introducing artistic styles and historical origins of the “Ancient Land” to participants, with a wonderful rarray of different media presentations. Showcase of Christian Koller's Art Glass and Kate Owen's Australian painting - The Ancient Land at Pacific Place Conference Centre 在太古廣場會議中心展出以遠古之地為題的藝術品︰ Christian Koller 的玻璃藝術及Kate Owen 的澳洲畫作。

策展家和Sota的工作人員為賓客以多媒體形式介紹藝術家的創作手法，及以遠古之地為題的展覽理念。

Lucky Dog / Acrylic on canvas / 150 x 75 cm / 2005

Opening Ceremony of “Still Alive” by Emil Herker in Lee Gardens 26 June 2006

Proudly supported by Consulate General of Austria, AustroCham, HBC, The Peak, ArtMap and Bundeskanzleramt-Kunst (Austria) As an event of the Musical Brush – Austrian Art in Summer 2006. 展覽得到奧地利領事, 奧地利商會, HBC, The Peak, ArtMap 及 Bundeskanzleramt-Kunst (Austria)支持。展覽為奧地利仲夏藝術節—妙筆樂韻 2006的活動之一。

One Night Stand / Acrylic on canvas / 120 x 100 cm / 2006

“Musical Brush” Austrian Art in Summer Painting Exhibition in Lee Garden 8 May - 30 July 2006

What artists in the world could claim with more authority that their works are inspired by music than these Austrian painters that were the highlight of the art scene in Hong Kong in this AUSTRIAN ART SUMMER. While the whole world is celebrating the 250th birthday of the Austrian Music Genius

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, State-Of-The-Arts Gallery has put its focus this summer on four extraordinary painters from Austria who have one thing in common: They consider themselves “paint composers”. 妙筆樂韻 - 奧地利之仲夏藝術2006年5月8曰至7日30日除了奧地利藝術家以外，世界上還有哪些藝術家可以更有權威地聲稱音樂啓發了他們的藝術創作? 當全世界在慶祝奧地利音樂天才莫札特誕生二百五十週年的同時，State-Of-The-Arts Gallery將舉行AUSTRIAN ART SUMMER (仲夏日之―奧‖妙 -- 奧地利藝術月) 把香港藝壇的視野聚焦在極富音樂細胞的奧地利藝術家身上。這個夏天，State-Of-The-Arts Gallery把它的焦點放在四位風格迴異卻又一脈相承的傑出奧地利畫家上﹕他們均自視為"藝術作曲家"。

Lam Tian Xing at work in his studio

Starstreet Achieve – “Beyond Green” of Lam Tian Xing in Pacific Place 3 2 -15 Aug 2006

Event sponsored by Swire Property at Star street (UG) Lobby, Three Pacific Place. Exhibition showcased over 30 of Lam‟s Chinese paintings featuring the long forgotten countryside and the beauty of lotus. Visitors were amazed by the beauty and tranquility of the scenery. 展覽得到太古地產贊助，於Star Street (UG) Lobby, Three Pacific Place舉行。是次展覽展出超過30件林天行的作品，以遺忘了的郊鄉及荷之美為題。觀眾讚嘆作品所表達出的恬靜和清寧的美。

Grand Opening of “Group of the 16” - Mexican Contemporary Painting Exhibition in Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre 4 Sep 2006

Exhibited in Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre as an event of Mexican September, (2006) hosted by the Consulate General of Mexico in Hong Kong; organized by MAYA Consultancy and supported by State-of-the-Arts Gallery.

展覽在香港視覺藝術中心舉行,由MAYA Consultancy主辦及State-of-the-Arts Gallery 協辦，作為墨西哥駐香港領事館 Mexican September的活動之一。

Grid Painting Project by Emil Herker in Germany Swiss International School (GSIS) 21 - 25 November 2006

Children participated in grid painting and completed a large canvas collaboratively. 46,000 grids of painting on canvas were filled by 200 GSIS students in one week.

Emil Herker 與德瑞國際學校學生分享繪畫格畫的技巧。同學們合作繪製一幅大型格仔畫。

“Global Brand Art” Opening Cocktail Reception by Hannes Rossbacher at Austrian Consulate's residence 5 May 2007

A delightful display of Hannes Rossbacher‟s work at the Austrian Consulate‟s residence under meticulously designed in space and lightings to create perfect backdrop for such vibrant art pieces A luxurious and colourful day surrounded by modern and traditional global brands. 配合特別設計的燈光和空間擺設，Hannes Rossbacher的畫作為房間添上一份時代感。賓客在世界品牌的氣氛圍下共渡了舒適豐華的時光。

Cocktail Reception for Emil Herker‟s solo exhibition “Welcome Variation” at State-of-the-Arts Gallery 23 Nov 2006

Event facilitated by Austrian Consulate General and AustroCham. Austrian Consul General, Maria Moya-Gotsch, officiated the exhibition featuring Emil Herker‟s Variation Painting and Grid Painting.

畫展得到奧地利領事及奧地利商會支持，並由奧地利領事Maria Maya-Gotsch 主持開幕儀式。

Greenpeace “The Land gives me Rice, Rice gives me Life” Photo Exhibition at State-of-the-Arts Gallery 7 - 17 December 2006

Greenpeace China sponsored a one-year long project to document the importance and beauty of the rice growing heartland of Yunnan Province. Artwork exhibited at State-of-theArts Gallery. Photography lover, Dr. Sarah Liao, Former Secretary for the Environment, Transport, and Works honored us with her presence at the opening ceremony. 綠色和平國際環保組織贊助雲南農民，利用攝影記錄自己的稻米生活和文化。作品在State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊展出。攝影愛好者，前環境運輸及工務局局長廖秀冬博士出席開幕典禮以表支持。

Opening Ceremony of “Global Brand Art I” Exhibition by Hannas Rossbacher at Citibank Plaza 7 May 2007

Opening facilitated by the Consul General of Austria, and well-known designer Henry Steiner and the General Manager of Great Eagle Estate Mgt. Exhibition of the Global Brand Art Paintings by Austrian artist, Hannes Rossbacher was proudly supported by Citibank Plaza. Opening followed with an art talk. 奧地利總領事、知名設計師 Henry Steiner 及鷹君集團總經理主持開幕典禮。奧地利畫家 Hannes Rossbacher 的Global Brand 畫展得到Citibank Plaza支持，隨後Hannes 亦舉行了藝術講座。

Commission painting in 100 x 100 cm , oil on canvas exclusively for Langham Place by Hannes Roassbacher

“Global Brand Art II” Exhibition by Hannes Rossbacher in Lanham Place 17 - 26 May 2007

Proudly supported by Great Eagle Holdings Limited, the exhibition press and opening ceremony was held on 17 May 2007 and facilitated by Adrian Lee, Assistant Director of Great Eagle Holdings Limited, Hannes Rossbacher, Artist and Henry Steiner, Chairman of AustroCham.

奧地利畫家 Hannes Rossbacher 的Global Brand 畫展得到朗廷酒店支持。奧地利總領事、知名設計師 Henry Steiner 及鷹君集團助理董事Adrian Lee主持開幕典禮。

Tomas and Alfredo's paintings at Hong Kong Culture Center 17 - 28 Sep 2007

Hong Kong Cultural Centre Exhibition Venue Paintings by Tomas Bilbao and Alfredo Noyola were jointly exhibited in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre from 17 to 28 September 2007 as part of Mexican September events and proudly supported by State-of-the-Arts Gallery 墨西哥畫家Tomas Bilbao和Alfredo Noyola的作品展覽，在香港文化中心舉行，作為由墨西哥之九月藝術節活動之一，由 State-of-the-Arts Gallery全力協辦。

“About Chilies and other Spices” by Isabel Garfias at Fringe Club Hong Kong September 2007

“What does it mean to create? What is the origin and nature of the creative act? These were the questions Isabel asked herself as she was preparing for this exhibition. So she was wondering how I could make the people of Hong Kong see how she lives, what she thinks, and even how she eats. She wanted to taste all the spices that her country produces, and put those flavours on the canvas and let the viewers experienced the hot, the sweet and the bitter through another sense, sight.” ―何謂創作？什麽是創作的根本？‖----- 在準備這次展覽時，伊莎貝嘉向自已提出這個問題，並不斷地想：如何可讓香港人了解我的生活、我的思維，甚至乎是我吃東西的方式。伊莎貝嘉希望嗜祖國出產的香料，把它們吞進肚裡，再將各種滋味呈現在畫布上，讓觀衆能以肉眼去<品嗜>辛辣、甘甜和苦澀的味道。‖

Opening ceremony of Tomas Bibao’s Exhibition at Philia Lounge 9 Oct 2007

Tomas expresses a strong feeling of continuous movement and endless evolution with colours of great difference in different tones and scales. Exhibition featuring Mexican artist, Tomas Bibao in Philia Lounge in SoHo, Central. 在中環蘇豪Philia Lounge 展出墨西哥畫家Tomas Bibao 的作品。 Tomas 透過顏色的深淺變法，為作品添上一份強烈的動感。

"Action Blue Sky" Grid Painting Project in MegaBox Shopping Mall 4 - 22 Oct 2007

MegaBox Invites Austrian Grid Art Painting Creator Emil Herker to host "The Reappearance of a Blue Sky", a 160,000 pieces Grid Art Charity Event Hong Kong, Thursday, October 4, 2007 - Enthusiastically supporting the HKSAR Government's "Action Blue Sky" environmental campaign, MegaBox Mega Box商塲邀請Emil Herker創作繪製一幅名為籃天行動大型格畫，是次為破紀錄之160,000格、4米剩4米超大型格畫。共超過 2,000名大、中、小學之學生参與是次環保及慈善行動。

Opening Cocktail Party of Daniel Romero’s Exhibition at Gallery by the Harbour City 7 November 2007

The opening ceremony for the Mexican painter Daniel Romero took place at the beautiful Gallery by the Harbour.

The Consul General of Mexico Mr. Mario Leal and the representatives of Harbour City shared an enjoyable evening with guests of State-of-the-Arts Gallery . 墨西哥領事Mr. Mario Leal 及State-of-the-Arts Gallery 的賓客享受了一個愉快的晚上。墨西哥畫家Daniel Romero 畫展的開幕禮於雅緻的 Gallery by the Harbour舉行。

Gina Intveen in Gallery by the Harbour

“Volver a Chile” Painting Group Exhibition at Gallery by the Harbour 23 July to 24 August 2008

Event facilitated by State-of-the-Arts Gallery and Consul General of Chile in HK. Gina Intveen attended the Exhibition opening ceremony and delivered an art talk session after her long flight to HK. The exhibition featured four contemporary Spanish-speaking female painters from Chile – Paulina Beyer, Gina Intveen, Carmen Gloria Machuca and Claudia Penroz. 活動得到智利領事館協辦。 Gina Intveen親自到香港出席畫展及主持藝術講座。畫展展出四位智利的西班牙語女性畫家的作品— Paulina Beyer, Gina intveen, Carmen Gloria Machuca及Claudia Penroz.

“Oceanic Semantic” by Blair McNamara Opening Ceremony 4 September 2008

Blair brought forth the beach culture of the Gold Coast to audiences – with layering techniques to mimic the sea and highlights to show the sun‟s glare. Event fully supported by the Consul General of Australia, Queen‟s Land Trade Commission, Australian Chamber and ROSL Blair McNamara 為大家以格子圖案及層層重疊的藝術手法，帶來澳洲昆士蘭陽光海岸的光影。

活動得到澳洲領事館 ,澳洲昆士蘭州政府貿易暨投資辦事處,澳洲商會協辦

Gabi Seewald / Ball Committee Chair with the “Portrait of a Shoe” by Emil Herker

(Left to right) The buyer of “Portrait of a Shoe” - Ilse Strafe, Artist - Emil Herker and Mr. Jürgen Strafe

HK Vienna Opera Ball 2008 in Grand Hyatt Hotel Hong Kong 27 September 2008

State-of-the-Arts Gallery is proud to be the event sponsor for the Austrian Art Lounge and to dedicate the Commissioned Painting “Portrait of a Shoe” by Emil Herker for a charity auction at HK$80,000. State-of-the-Arts Gallery及Emil Hecker 捐出的拍賣作品<Portrait of a Shoe>，贊助Austrian Art Lounge慈善晚會，籌得善款HK$80,000 。

“Love Matters the Most” Painting Exhibition by Coplu at Festival Walk 5 - 18 Feb 2009

Coplu enjoys working with viewers‟ enthusiasm and imagination - evoking the audience‟s inner love for art. An experience of power of love, hope and dreams in this exclusive exhibition of 20 paintings by world-renowned artist Coplu. 從世界知名藝術家 Coplu筆下，大家再次經歷由愛帶來的希望及夢想。 Coplu 享受着觀眾的熱情和豐富的想像力 – 喚醒我們內心對藝術的衝動。

“Global Heart-Warming” by Margit Denz (Austria) at Gallery by the Harbour 21 Jan to 18 Feb 2009

Uncover our innate ability in feeling love with the purest smile from kids – then Love never fades. Global Heart-Warming is a mission originated in Austria and carried out by millions of ceramic hearts carefully hand-crafted by Margit Denz, an internationally renowned artist who had held numerous exhibitions in museums and galleries worldwide. 以兒童最純真的微笑喚起我們對愛的回應—成就愛永不滅的信息。「傳心賞心」是一個源自奧地利的關愛活動，由世界知名藝術家Margit Denz 手製心形陶瓷傳遞愛的温暖。

“Latin American Art at EMAX” - Kowloon Convenience and Exhibition Center 15 - 22 Feb 2009

State-of-the-Arts Gallery and Hopewell Real Estate Ltd presented 32 paintings by 16 Latin American artists from Mexico, Chile and Colombia. Showing Mexican cultural activities for the promotion of cultural appreciation. Official launching of opening by artists and celebrities. State-of-the-Arts Gallery 及合和地產聯合展出 16 個來自墨西哥、智利、和哥倫比亞的拉丁美洲藝術家32幅畫作。藝人名人為畫展主持開幕禮。此表演為畫展配合相關的音樂活動，推廣墨西哥文化。

“Do Good Music Charity Night” in Conrad Hotel Hong Kong 3 April 2009

The opening reception of the charity dinner and art exhibition "Love Matters Most" by well-known Artist Coplu, was successfully completed on 3rd April 2009. We are happy to announce that we recorded charity fund exceeding HKD 118,000.

以愛為主題的慈善晚餐及Coplu畫展於四月三日順利舉行，共籌得善款HKD118,000。

“Sea Lover” by Christian Pendelio at Gallery by the Harbour 13 May – 8 June 2009

Generations from around the world appreciating Christian‟s romantic Sea Lovers series at Gallery by the Harbour, recalling their particular experiences. Christian tells the tales of love and sea with a magical taste of brush. 不管國藉；不論年齡；大家各自從自己的角度、獨有的回憶演譯Christian 的畫作。Christian 以幻化的筆觸訴說愛的故事。

Art Appreciation Sessions with the visually impaired by Furrah Syed at State-of-the-Arts Gallery 2 & 3 October 2009

Believing that blind people experience art in a different way to sighted people, State-of-the-Arts Gallery and Furrah organized an art workshop for the visually impaired to unlock their artistic potential hoping to enrich their lives. 基於State-of-the-Arts Gallery 深信失明人士對藝術體會的潛力，與 Furrah 合作為失明人士舉辦藝術工作坊，希望以藝術為他們生命帶來多點色彩。

“Travelling Across Boundaries” by Steven Dix at Gallery by the Harbour 19 Sep - 16 Oct 2009

Opening ceremony officiated by Mr. Simon Lee, Commissioner of Queensland Government Office, Hong Kong and Australian Consul-General of Hong Kong and Macau; and supported by the Australian Chamber of Commerce HK & Macau and Australian Alumni Association.

Guests enjoyed the sunset and fine wine from Australia in the outdoor lounge. A great evening of paring wines with paintings. 昆士蘭駐香港政府專員Mr. Simon Lee 主持開幕典禮；節目亦得到香港澳洲商會及澳大利亞校友會支持。賓客在海旁露天外廳欣賞日落及來自澳洲的美酒；享受着一個由畫和醇酒組成的黃昏。

"Intimate Reflections“ Painting & Installation Exhibition by Sanae Takahata at State-of-the-Arts Gallery

1 - 30 Dec 2009

The vibrant colors and scenic imagery on the sculptures developed into two paintings. Mindscape as they may seem at first sight, the paintings are more like the depiction of a fairyland. The glaring hues, the spectacular composition, the poetic aura… Takahata turns the canvas into a heavenly landscape. 高畑將軟雕塑立體裝置的前和後畫上不同圖像，表現畫家和她的同性所具有的多變和雙面性。雕塑上豐富多彩的絢麗境像衍生了兩幅畫作，初看似是抽象，細看更像是仙境。高畑以耀眼的色彩、壯麗的構圖和詩意的氛圍，營造出奇幻的風景。

Didier Lourencowas present at Gallery by the Harbour with his exhibits

“Beautiful Melancholy – City Life” at Gallery by the Harbour 26 June - 12 Jul 2010

State-of-the-Arts Gallery and Gallery by the Harbour are delighted to present a cross-over exhibition featuring Didier Lourenco, Joan Longas and Giles Dawe on the theme of “Beautiful Melancholy of City Life”. Didier was present at the exhibition. State-of-the-Arts Gallery 和海港城‧美術館為您呈獻由Joan Longas, Didier Lourenco及Giles Dawe合作聯展的cross-over 畫展, 名為 ―都市迷思‖。畫家Didier (上圖右二)專誠為是次展覽親臨香港

Finnish Artist Soile Yli-MĂ¤yry was presented over her Opening Party

“Asphalt dream” Opening reception for Finnish Art Exhibition by Soile Yli-Mäyry 4 Nov 2010

Cocktail reception to celebrate Soile‟s debut solo exhibition in Hong Kong Supported by Consulate General of Finland HK & Macao, Consul General Annikki Arponen

Christmas Party to celebrate State-of-the Arts Gallery 7th Anniversary 18 Dec 2010

7th Anniversary

Selective Exhibition Events Snap Shot 部份展覽簡要

2008 Exhibition Advertising - ArtMap

2009 Exhibition Advertising - ArtMap

2010 Exhibition Advertising - ArtMap

Chapter Two (2) Selective Gallery Represented Artist Overview 畫廊之部份代理藝術家

2004 - 2010

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Michelle Concepción (Spain)

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Isabel Garfias (Mexico)

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Marti Bofarull (Spain)

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Herbert Fuchs (Austria)

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Didier Lourengo (Spain)

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Luis German (Flecho), Colombia

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Noemi Martin (Spain)

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Paulina Beyer (Chile)

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Lola Abellan (Spain)

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Steven Dix (Australia)

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Joan Longas (Spain)

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Carmen Gloria Machuca (Chile)

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Cristina Blanch (Spain)

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Daniel Romero (Mexico)

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Soile Yli-Mäyry (Finland)

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Nora Barrientos (Colombia)

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Emil Herker (Austria)

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Sylvia Restrepo (Colombia)

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Christian Pendelio (France)

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Blair McNamara (Australia)

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Gina Intveen (Chile)

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Peter Kauders (Austria)

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Ghasan Saaid (Australia)

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Tomas Bilbao (Mexico)

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Gleb Goloubetski (Russia)

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Thoma Ryse (France)

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Heidi Hahn (Germany)

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Teresa Rubio (Mexico)

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Lam Tian Xing (Hong Kong)

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Luis Fernando (Colombia)

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Sanae Takahata (Japan)

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Megan Aroon Duncanson (USA)

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Furrah Syed (London)

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Ann Yen (China)

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Lorena Rodriguez (Mexico)

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CHUI Tze Hung (HK)

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Christian Hofmann (Austria)

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Paul Muehlbauer (Austria)

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Coplu (Turkey)

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Margit Denz (Austria)

Michelle Concepcion (Spain)

POP 4 / 150 x 150 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2010

100

Michelle encourges us to look deeper with her use of visual meditation elements: soft, dreamy shapes which float in deep space, extraordinary illusion of textures, intricate

interplay of luminescence and darkness, volume and transparency. Michelle 刻意地在畫布上鋪排出不同程度的視覺元素，在作品展現多重張力：色塊的輕重；塊面的粗幼；虛實的重叠，小心控制了各視覺元素的分佈及平衡。

101

Marti Bofarull (Spain)

Manhattan View / 90 x180 cm / 2009

102

While the big American cities are portrayed as vibrant and restless, Marti discloses different perspectives for our appreciation – hypnotic textures, somberness beautiful structures full of geometric forms. His portrayal of the somber buildings, his emphasis on a city‟s composition and forms, together with his distinct palette-knife style, has given us an extraordinary taste on modern landscapes. 當美國大城市被各媒體塑造為一個繁榮又永無休止的大城市

時，Marti卻為觀眾揭示出其他欣賞面：都市的陰鬱，又或是都市中幾何構圖的美感。

103

Didier Lourengo (Spain)

Rendezvous' a Paris / 100 x 100 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2009

104

Acclaimed by the prestigious critic, Joseph M.Cadena, Didier‟s works “has deservedly proved popular with the public.” One aspect that makes it so attractive is his delicate depiction of the desolated yet beautiful human souls in the hustle and bustle city life. Didier‟s Jazz and City Scene series disclosed the brooding mood of his subjects. 著名藝評家Joseph M.Cadena曾說:「Didier的作品已當之無愧地得到了觀眾的支持。」Didier的作品其中一個最能引起大眾共鳴之處，是他對都市人孤獨而美麗的心靈細膩的描述。 Didier的爵士樂及城市景觀系列揭示了人們在忙亂都市生活中的沉寂心情。

105

Noemi Martin (Spain)

Eland Cafe Amsterdam / 100 x 100 cm / Oil on canvas / 2010

106

Noemi affirms the importance of the „moment‟ by infusing a strong feeling of intimacy and nostalgia into her works. She has successfully created a serene atmosphere in her works to enrich the sense of personal stories in the scenes. The heavy tone of the colours and her chosen subject matter exemplify the emphasis in our stories and footprints on the modern landscape. Noemi 的作品擁有很強的親切及懷舊感，而這種高尚寧靜的氣氛更引起觀眾對自我經驗的聯想，鼓勵觀眾以自身故事為作品上色。Noemi 採用的土色系顏料及對現實建築物之選材，表現出她對個人經歷的重要性的確定。

107

Lola Abellan (Spain)

For her / 67 x 67cm unframed size / Original print on paper with mixed media / 2010

108

With the theme of organic curves and composition, Lola leads us on a journey of colour and spatial harmony. Her depiction of flower-like subjects is a balance between the western floral arrangement where colour richness dominates, and the Japanese ikebana mood where emptiness and deliberate spatial void symbolizes beauty. Lola 利用有機的線條作構圖原則，在畫作中強調出顏色

及空間分佈的層次感。輕幼的線條勾勒出描繪花卉的半抽象圖案，同時提出西方插花藝術對顏色及質感的重視，和東方花道對空間及留白的堅持和象徵。

109

Joan Longas (Spain)

At the other side of the South / 65 x 100 cm / Oil on canvas / 2009

110

Through the splendid treatment of light and a very careful selection of composition and views, monumental buildings instead of fleeting human activities are depicted. Joan evokes a nostalgic feeling towards the ephemerality of life. His canvases are surrounded by a magic atmosphere.

Joan 把畫家在當地的自身經歷和回憶融入所描繪的城市景

觀，而為了引起觀眾對生命無常的慨嘆，Joan捨棄描繪人們活動，只選取大型建築物為題，並巧妙地處理光線及構圖，為畫作製造出一種凝靜永恒的氣氛。

111

Cristina Blanch (Spain)

Armani / 50 x 150 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2010

112

Cristina focused on the moments in which we are currently living, as seen from her works showing our well-know brands. Our existence is what gives meaning to our moments. Her work not only reproduces reality, but also confirms our moments through the use of

distinctive and consistent brushstrokes. Cristina 相信人要珍惜當下，活在當下，她所選的城市景物—反映出我們當下的生活經驗，她的作品不但描繪現實，更肯定了經歷的價值。

113

Soile Yli-Mayry (Finland)

Steps in the sand / 110 x 140 cm / Oil on canvas / 2010

114

Yli-Mayry works on the theme of humanity and people‟s alienation from nature in the urban world. Her belief and artistic expression has been presented in about 250 solo exhibitions Japan, China, India, Latin America, in the United States and many countries in Europe since her graduation from the Arts Academy in Stuttgart in Germany (1972-1975). Yli-Maryr 以人文及城市中人與自然的分離為題，自1975年畢業於德國斯圖加特藝術學院，她的信念及藝術表現已於超過250個展展出，展覽地點分別為日本、中國、印度、拉丁美洲、美國及歐洲多國。

115

Emil Herker (Austria)

Special relationship / 75 x 90 cm / Acrylic and mixed media on canvas / 2010

116

Among the hustle and bustle, as well as sparkles and beauty, we seem to have lost the grip to the most original source of beauty in life. Through photorealistic paintings magnifying the tiniest “reflections”, Emil asks us to reflect and regret. . 現今社會日新月異, 五光十色，可是卻因為目不暇給，我們忽略了最原始的真實美。Emil透過最微小的光影交錯，以彷真實相片風格的創作，引導觀賞者去反思日常生活

所遺忘的微小生活美。

117

Christian Pendelio (France)

118

Starting his artistic career in comic strip and watercolor, Pendelio stylizes his artwork with his surrealistic stroke and a sense of humor. Carefree as they may look, they all have their own stories and are in search of hope and happiness, just as we do in reality. Pendelio 以漫畫和水彩開始他的藝術事業，作品表現出超現實的畫風和獨特的幽默感；人物在仙境般的世界各自追尋著希望和快樂，正好對照了現實中的我們。

119

Gina Intveen (Chile)

Stars in Stars / 130 x 170 cm / Oil on canvas / 2008

120

Gina has her edge in painting women‟s figures in exotic folk costumes and accessories, alongside faces clouded with mistiness, lending a touch of tarot-esque mystique to the classic appeal of women‟s faces that constantly invite imagination. Gina畫中的女郎穿著繡有南美原著特色的暗花圖案的民族服飾，跟女郎朦朧神秘的面互相襯托，仿如搭羅牌上的人像，給人無限的想像空間。

121

Ghasan Saaid (Australia)

Solarisation / Acrylic on canvas / 101 x 167 cm / 2010

122

Ghasan draws our attention in with attractive, colourful and familiar icons on his canvas, the simplicity of the icons together with the mysterious or exotic symbols then evokes our deeper reflection on the secretive and obscure relationship between the individual, the group, the environment, and culture we live in. Presence is reduced and the tumultuous and separated images are uplifted further through his use of a sharp stroke across the surface. Ghasan extracts the viewer from the surface contemplation of the visual, to see the deeper stir - aesthetic sensation.

Ghasan 先以鮮艷多彩及有普世意義的圖像, 引起觀眾對畫作的直接共鳴, Ghasan更進一步以神秘的, 富異國色彩的圖標符號, 或曖昧的單色空間色塊喚起觀眾的好奇, 要求大家審視我, 他, 和環境之間的關係。

123

Gleb Goloubetski (Russia)

Morning light in Venice / 78 x 63 cm / Oil on canvas / 2009

124

More than simply capturing of natural phenomena, what Gleb has successfully seized is the momentary shimmer of emotional experience. It is this passionate yet tender touch which gives Gleb‟s work an eternal quality of beauty. Gleb 巧妙地捕捉了大自然的美，把真摯的感情融於光暗色調中，作品內在的顫動感令觀察澎然心動。

125

Heidi Hahn (Germany)

Moonlight / 100 x 100 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2008

126

Sanguine light, broad horizons, a coloration which is touching: these dominating factors in the work of Heidi Hahn combine the palpable with the abstract view of reality and thus create a visual and perceptional plain beyond reality, but also beyond abstraction leading away from external images to internal ones, away from soely seeing to feeling – to a long missed return to romanticism. 偏紅的光線；廣闊的地界；動人的色調，這些畫中要素結合了具象和抽象，令畫面超越了現實的平面，也突破了抽象的感知，重現久別回歸的浪漫主義。

127

Lam Tian Xing 林天行 (Hong Kong)

Hovering I 靈動 / 189 x 47 cm, a set of 4 pc / Color ink on paper / 2005

128

Lam pays attention to composition. He likes adopting translucent colours in layers in producing luxuriant breath-taking. 林天行注重構圖，喜歡用透明性的顏色，層層疊加，厚重而能透氣，濃烈又不混沌。

129

Sanae Takahata (Japan)

Mindscape 4: Sanctuary / 73 x 73cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2009

130

Sanae skillfully created glaring hues, spectacular composition, and poetic sensitivity to her work. Mindscape as they may seem at first sight, the paintings are more like the depiction of a fairyland, as well as a strong projection

of feminism. Sanae 以耀眼的色彩、壯麗的構圖和富詩意的氛圍，營造出奇幻的風景，創造出絢麗多彩的畫作，更流露出畫家自我的女性意識。

131

Furrah Syed (London)

Dusty Reed / 80 x 100 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2008

132

Cultural shock has initiated Furrah‟s artistic sensitivity to the surroundings since her migration from London to India. Through her abstract paintings, Furrah transforms intangible energy flow into colour, texture and movement on canvas, bringing viewers to an

abstract world where they can experience the journey of vivid emotions, pure energy, and turbulent moods. Furrah曾經從倫敦移居印度生活多年，文化衝擊令她對微細事物擁有敏銳的觸覺。Furrah把無形的動力變化成為畫布上生動抽象的色彩圖案，讓觀賞者用眼和手的觸覺去感受生活裡川流不息的動力。

133

Lorena Rodriguez (Mexico)

Pinate / 80 x 100cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2004 (Gallery collection)

134

Strong pure color: red, black, white, yellow, powerful images executed in an amazingly detailed technique, Rodriguez‟s work underlines women‟s toughness, their strong self-identification and their uncompromising attitude towards society.

Rodriguez 以耀眼的原色--紅、黑、白、黃等，加上極仔細的繪畫技巧，強調出當地女性的自我意識、能耐及對社會的反動力。

135

Christian Hofmann (Austria)

Fragment passion / 80 x 80 cm / Oil on canvas with metal frame / 2006 (Gallery collection)

136

When portraits became a mirror of the human condition, Hofmann stressed the intrinsic quality of the material for a greater question of existence. 當肖像畫變成人性的寫照，Hofmann 的具象畫便強調物質的內在含意，對存在的問題作更深層的思考。

137

Coplu (Turkey)

Continuity of Love / 122 x 122 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2008

138

Coplu's vibrant colors, rich texture and his humanistic approach make his paintings unique and energetic. His works not only reflect the values people hold, but also reveal the values that are shared between humans and nature, his feeling for people and their dreams, fears,

experiences and beliefs. 充滿活力的顏色、豐富的紋理和富有人文主義的繪畫內容使Coplu的作品洋溢著獨特的感覺。他的作品不僅反映人的價值觀，更顯露出人與自然之間互享的價值、人的夢想、恐懼、經驗和信仰。

139

Isabel Garfias (Mexico)

Abecedario ocres / 100 x 150 cm / Oil on canvas with mixed media / 2006

140

Tastes through the eyes: food on canvas for an explosion of sensations. 味覺建構於視覺：在畫布上嚐出食物中的五味，延伸感知。

141

Herbert Fuchs (Austria)

City of the World Series, Paris / 100 x 200 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2006

142

Herbert Fuchs traveled to the “Cities of the world” and portraits places like London, New York, Paris, Milan etc. in large scale paintings with unique colors and subjects. His world journey brings him to his first destination in Asia, which happens to be Hong Kong. Herbert Fuchs 遊歷於世界大城市，畫出城市如倫敦、巴黎、米蘭等，以獨特的色系和選題拼湊出畫面。是次遊歷於亞洲，第一站香港。

143

César Galindo (Mexico)

Human and animals in Cesar‟s paintings share similar ways of thinking, appearances and sensations. Rather than putting human and animals as separate individuals, Cesar attempts to break the boundaries between them. Through interesting composition and presentation, viewers can easily see the imagination of the artists beyond the depicted images. 人和動物在Cesar 的作品分享相似的思維方式、外表和情感。與其把人和動物視為獨立的存在體，Cesar在藝術作品中試圖打破介於兩者的界限。畫作用有趣的展示方式令觀眾輕易瞭解畫家的想像。 “The Calm will come” / Oil painting on wood pieces / 2005

144

Teresa Rubio (Mexico)

Reveries / 57 x 76 cm / Watercolor on paper / 2009

Teresa assigns shape and colour to particular feelings. All the thoughts of indecision, dream, movement, depth and warmth surface from Teresa‟s brush and give expression to the emotions like a photographic plaque. Teresa通過對光線、空間和形態的處理，表現出深層的感受。Teresa 作品的意識形態處於現實與幻想中，將為參觀者帶來獨特的感受和悟性。

145

Daniel Romero (Mexico)

Daniel bears a child‟s heart when making art. His works are filled with child-like surrealist elements.

With funny pictorial presentation and the hybridity of various motifs, Daniel turns off our visual logic and fills his work with sophistication, humor, and political messages. Daniel總是帶一顆童心從事他的藝術創作，作品富有童真的超現實主義。Daniel以滑稽的畫面配上各種各樣的主題，關閉了我們現實的視覺邏輯，帶觀眾用孩子的眼睛觀看世界的世故、幽默和政治發展。

Dinning at Kanazawa / 150 x 122 cm / Multi-media on canvas with frame / 2006

146

Elsa Ayala (Mexico)

Elsa‟s strong contrasting composition of black, grey and white

not only strengthens the outline of the forms but also sharpens the personality of the subjects. Elsa筆下黑、白、灰的強烈對比不但加強了畫作的形式美，也勾勒出物象的個性和環境的氛圍。

Volcanoes / 80 x 90 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2004

147

Tomas Bilbao (Mexico)

Tomas likes to use colors with different tones and scales that go from intense lights to marked shadows. His exhaustive use of certain colour tones and gradations indicating life forms in a continuous action, combine in a game of movements that end at the beginning, to start again. Tomas把同一色調的光暗深淺徹底運用，象徵着生命的循環及連續，生生不息。

Fire Horse / 130 x 90 cm / Oil on canvas

148

Luis Germán (Flecho) (Columbia)

Peces / 70 x 200 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2005

The art of Luis Germán (Flecho) is a deep reflection of the origins of our language, reflected in symbolism. Flecho expresses how symbols and colors signify the strong desire of human beings

to communicate. Flecho adds texture and gradation to his paintings by using raw materials from nature, such as sand, ashes and soil to weave cultural significance into his art piece. Flecho喜歡於其作品中混入來自大自然的原料，例如：泥沙、土壤、水等等，為作品增添了一份粗礦天然的立體感。Flecho把自然與藝術合為一體，於畫布上呈現了強烈的抽象色彩和文字圖象的對比，為藝術作品增添不少文化價值。

149

Claudia Penrroz (Chile)

Claudia Penrroz makes the theme of womanhood as the manifesto of her paintings. The bursting energy and passion of Latino, exemplified by the women portrayed, no matter in midst of a dance or at a quiet moment during hair combing, can be strongly felt through the simplicity of composition and the bold use of line and form. Claudia Penrroz 表述了女性主動勇敢的一面。Claudia 的畫構圖簡潔，線條利落，畫中女郎無論在何時何地，都迸發出拉丁民族的澎湃熱情和生命力。

One of the other woman / 100 x 90 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2006

150

Paulina Beyer (Chile)

Pueblo de montantildea / 100 x 100 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2007

Paulina Beyer distinguishes herself as a superb landscape painter who manages to illustrate the incredible landscapes of Chile in her oil paintings. 擅長畫風景畫的Beyer，令智利美得不可思議的河川山色與魅力躍然紙上。

151

Carmen Gloria Machuca (Chile)

Carmen is good at directing viewers into an infinite space of imagination through her abstract mosaic composition which resembles jigsaw puzzles. Carmen如拼圖般斑駁迷離的油畫，以抽象的構圖和天馬行空的想像力帶領觀者探索空間內外的無盡概念。

To precibe 2 / 100 x 100 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2007

152

Nora Barrientos (Columbia)

Nora Barientos is known for the harmonious mixture of colors and smooth complexion in her paintings, which immediately calm people‟s mind. The simple layout of the landscape in the paintings, complimented with the bright and joyful colors, portrays the natural blessings of Barientos‟ homeland, as well as the happiness of life. Nora善於運用柔和的色彩與富層次感的深淺漸變，繪畫出線條簡單卻色彩斑爛的風景畫，讓人一看便覺豁然開朗，帶來治療心靈的平靜效果。

Fresh Marine / 100 x 100 cm / Oil and acrylic painting on canvas / 2007

153

Luis Fernando (Columbia)

Time Cell / 70 x 140 cm / Oil on Canvas / 2005 (Gallery Collection)

Simplify the subjects and one will see the essence. Luis Fernando presents the vulnerable vagueness. 簡化事物表面以察看真相。Fernando以藝術探索曖昧與脆弱。

154

Juan Carlos (Columbia)

Genesis / 100 x 100 cm / Mixed media on wood board / 2004 (Gallery collection)

Juan stresses the inherent process in each work as it shows us the presence of the matter itself. In this way, time and archeology of layers and colour are blended in the birth of an individual being. Juan has been investigating the presentation of time and being. Juan 強調創作的過程和思路，將之融入畫作中。時間、層次、創作歷程，對Juan來說，比畫布上的展示更為重要。

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Ann Yen 顏正安 (China-USA)

The vivid colors, the stylized composition, the spontaneous strokes and splashes…all these are the peculiar elements in Ann Yen‟s paintings, which lead viewers from the mundane world to tranquility. The

harmonious composition and colour palette hints at the Chinese ideology of “nature and human as one”, providing viewers with spiritual peace and visual meditation. 鮮明大膽的色彩；自成一格的構圖；隨意奔放的筆觸和濺墨…顏正安的獨特藝術元素，引領觀賞者從俗世煩囂走進恬逸意境。簡單的色調和構圖讓人聯想到中國水墨畫「天人合一」的味道，引人深思。

Lake in Red / 70 x 70 cm / Gouache on paper / 2007

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Chui Tsz Hung 徐子雄 (Hong Kong)

Tsui depicts grace and gorgeousness through the delicate use of colour layers and poetic spatial arrangement. 徐子雄透過畫紙染色營造層層疊疊的色幅與不同質感交織，凝造出絢爛幽雅的視覺享受。 Landscape in dream / 42” x 30” / Mixed color and ink on paper / 1976

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Sylvia Restreop (Columbia)

Palm / 80 x 240 cm / Mixed media on canvas / 2008

The beauty of the simple and repetitive forms of trees, enriched by the bright silver and gold colors that cover them, seem to be in contrast with the deep feeling that trees evoke in our collective memories. Paintings are constructed through the superposition of colors, to which brush-strokes and contrast gives them mobility and multi-dimensions. This makes it possible to find a coexistence between the figurative and the abstract, between simple but concise lines, which are exemplified with colors. 在Sylvia筆下的樹木由深沉變為活潑，大地由平實變為華麗，金色和銀色更加強了豐厚之感。Sylvia彩用色叠法作畫，以層層遞進的色面為背景，又以富韻律的線條凝定畫面，把作品處於動和靜之間。

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Hannes Rossbacher (Austria)

Rossbacher uses the power of brands to unite West and East, North and South, old and young, religious and atheistic, modern and tradition, yin and yang. Rossbacher 藉著描繪全球品牌，聯繫東、西；南、北；新、舊；宗教味、無神論；傳統、創新；陰與陽。

A'sdo mar meets Facolosi / 80 x 80 cm / Oil on canvas / 2001

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Thoma Ryse (France)

Ryse is constantly experimenting and exploring the contradictions, risks and discoveries in life. These elements become the key elements in his paintings

and it is these limitations which push the artist to immerse in boundless but difficult-to-catch creativity. In the artist‟s own words, they enable him to “move towards a poetic space before it disappears.” Ryse 熱愛生活中的矛盾、冒險與發現，藉生活點滴開拓新的創作風格。挑戰既定規則的任性令Ryse 的作品衝破各種局限，發揮無無限的創意。要抓住這些一閃即逝的創作靈感，就正如他自己所說：「要在這個具詩意的境地消失之前趕緊把握創意。」 I keep remembering a luminous black and white (5) / 80 x 80 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2004

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Blair McNamara (Australia)

Drive / 190 x 97 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2008

Blair McNamara colours the canvases with his signature shapes and patterns, while recording the history and development of Australia with vivid colours and brushwork. Blair McNamara的畫作以獨特圖案和形狀見稱，以鮮明活潑的顏色和筆觸記錄澳洲的歷史和發展。

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Peter Kauders (Austria)

For Peter, structure is rhythm, just like in music. This structure is achieved by pressing different types of materials such as

wood, textiles, printed-paper, metal etc. into a sizing press. With a sander, Peter will start to remove layers sporadically and by doing so creating “Silent Revelations” with complex images of graphical structures, patterns and rhythms. 對Peter而言，結構就像音樂的節奏。為了表現畫作的結構， Peter 壓製木頭、紡織品、印刷品、金屬等各類材料成獨特的藝術品。Peter開始一層一層地分解圖像結構、圖案和節奏的複雜影像，從而以一種 "沈默揭示"的手法創作。

Fast Forward / 75 x 59 cm Multimedia integrated on plywood (polished and sanded) / 2000

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Steven Dix (Australia)

Depicting the natural and man-made landscape, Steven Dix makes use of his bold brushstroke and rustic palette to present the contemporary facet of the country. His work not only unfolds the magnificent landscape of Australia, but also the unique creative minds of the oceanic country. Steven Dix 繪畫自然和城市景觀，以豪邁筆觸和富質感的色調展示當代景像。

Shining glory / 100 x 150 cm / Acrylic on canvas / 2010

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Megan Aroon Duncanson (USA)

Megan Duncanson, who was born and raised in Alaska, adopts a bold style featuring some cubism and surrealism. Her confident use of bright and passionate colors conveys a sense of natural instincts, rooted in her childhood memories of living in a small fishing village. 生長於阿拉斯加的Megan Duncanson於其作品中融入了立體派和超現實主義的元素。她所運用的大膽明亮的色彩源自她生活於簡樸魚村的童年記憶，她更把長大後看見的城市景象加入到作品中。

A slice of paradise / 61 x 91.5 cm / Acrylic on canvas /2008

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Paul Meuhlbauer (Austria)

The cruel reality and, the very nature in the truth of love, has been vividly presented through Paul‟s bronze sculptures, showing the dilemmas and contradictions involved in relationships – in an art of ambiguity. Paul 大膽真實地描繪出他對愛情的體會，把人性和愛作出深層次的演譯︰愛—是充滿矛盾兩難的感情和鉫鎖，就在於正和負的一線之間。

Bronze Sculpture Exhibitions / 50 cm height / 50 x 15 cm (Base)

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Margit Denz (Austria)

As an old Egyptian myth says: the heart is the center of soul and feelings – Margit celebrates the gift at birth that controls all human actions and expressions.

The 8 series: Red, Heaven, Homeland, Textile, Bluemoon, Erotic, Honey and Sea, fully represents human emotions. 古埃及人相信，心臟乃心靈和感情的泉源— Margit 認為情緒是上天給人類最大的恩賜。這八個系列：熱情、天堂、紡織、藍月、感性、蜜糖和海洋，充分表現了人類不同的情感。

Modern Art Creation / Ceramic work performance, Goddess of Love series

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Artist Words

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The Torch of Life In Art Van Gogh exhibitions draw huge crowds. The artwork of this artist who sold only one piece during his lifetime now sells for mind-boggling sums of money. Although the artist and his work were not admired during his lifetime, many years after his suicide Van Gogh became one of the most recognizable and beloved painters in the world. When did Van Gogh become Van Gogh? And who made him?

Younger brother Theo morally and financially supported, encouraged and understood the work of the then unknown Van Gogh. The first and last Van Gogh benefactor kept the artist and his work alive. Without Theo‟s devotion, Van Gogh‟s work would probably not be here today. Such was the importance of Theo‟s existence. In a sense, one person was made out of two. Van Gogh was the creator, but I do not think that he would have become what he is now without his confidant Theo who considered Van Gogh‟s every word and feeling precious. We artists can get the courage to keep painting even if there is only one sympathetic supporter in the world with us. Artists together with supporters of art carry the “Life in Art” torch. I will now reminisce about how “Life in Art” carriers have influenced me. I decided to become an artist when at the age of ten I saw Van Gogh‟s paintings. I wanted to become an artist who could create powerful paintings like him. Standing in front of his work, a warm feeling entered my body and then lit my soul. In the way that Van Gogh painted “Van Gogh” paintings, I too wanted to create one of a kind artwork. Sensing that this passion would be crushed by the old-fashioned and male-dominated Japanese society of the 1970s, I got a part time job, saved money, bought a one way ticket to Paris and left Japan at the age of 18. Alone I wanted to search for my own style of painting in an unknown city. Unable to rely on my parents for financial support, I had to find a way to survive in Paris. Fortunately, shortly after arriving in Paris, my work was selected to be shown at a prestigious Salon and in the same year I made my debut in a Paris gallery. After that, my paintings sold before they dried, I had contracts with a gallery in New York and Ginza and my life as an artist was off to a good start.

Everything in this world constantly changes. I changed to survive moving several times and sailed through many of life‟s rough waves and with these changes so too did my artwork. However, during the course of my life as an artist I have always strove to express my inner most feelings. In this respect, my need to create work that I was born to create has remained the same. One important facet of my work was added after I was rescued by another artist‟s painting. Since that moment it became my desire to create “Life in Art” work filled with energy that can be felt by anyone in any place and at any time.

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During one emotionally difficult time that I thought I would not live through, by chance I encountered a great piece of art that gave me strength. It was Kandinsky‟s large painting “Composition VII.” I was not a big fan of Kandinsky, but this painting was a breath of life‟s fresh air that lifted my spirit and gave me the power to live. Such is the power of great art. The artist was long gone, but his energy and spirit lived in his painting. This vitality entered my life and inspired me. Now my purpose is to create that kind of art. Although the creator‟s life may be in turmoil, true power emerges from the way one passionately seeks truth in art. From these depths of expression exists the ability to convey life‟s energy to others. To what extent I am capable of achieving this goal is my purpose for living and painting. It is my heart‟s desire to pass on life‟s energy to others through my art. Transcending my insignificant self and painting for future generations is my purpose for being in art. But the “Life in Art” torch is not carried by artists alone. It is through the efforts of people who appreciate art, encourage artists and buy art that this “Life” is continually being passed on to future generations. I could not have continued painting as long as I have without the many gallery owners, art directors, museum curators, and collectors I have met the world over. I am thankful for their support Artists may devote their lives to their art, but they cannot pass the “Life in Art” torch on to future generations without the Van Gogh - like supporters and collectors. No need to become an art patron on a grand scale like a Medici or Guggenheim, one can play an important role with the purchase of one piece that appeals to your sensitivities in the way that a woman named Anna Boch who admired the talent of Van Gogh purchased one of his paintings during the time of his artistic breakthrough. Artists must create artwork that is worthy of their lives and future generations. This is our responsibility as members of the art world. Whenever I come across such vital art, I thank the artist who created the master piece and the people whose love and passion protected it. Here‟s to the “Life in Art” torch. May it burn brightly into the future.

Sanae Takahata

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芸術に関わる意味

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彼方の人々に向かって行う生命のリレー

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ゴッホ展に長蛇の列ができる。生前、たった一枚の絵しか売れなかったゴッホの作品には、今や数十億円という気の遠くなるような値段がついている。ゴッホが生きていた時間の中で、彼の作品も彼自身も他人に好かれることはなかったのに、死後、長い年月を経てゴッホは世界中で最も愛される巨匠となった。果たしてゴッホはいつからゴッホになったのだろう？そして、誰がゴッホをゴッホにしたのだろう？

当時、誰も認めようとしなかったゴッホの絵を支持し、励まし、理解し、彼の芸術活動を精神的に、また経済的にもサポートし続けたのはゴッホの弟テオであった。ゴッホを支え続け、描かせ続けたテオこそゴッホ人生において最初で最後のスポンサーである。献身的にゴッホを支え続けたテオが居なかったら、一連のゴッホ作品は存在しなかっただろう。それほど、ゴッホにとってテオの存在は大きい。いわば二人は二人で一人。絵を描いたのはゴッホだが、彼の言葉を受け止めそれを肯定し支援し続けたテオなくしてゴッホはゴッホでありえなかった。世界にたっ

た一人でもいいから自分の芸術を理解してくれる人が居たら、アーティストは描き続ける勇気を保てるのだと思う。アーティストと同様にアートサポーターも芸術という“生命のバトン”を担う重要なリレー走者である。自分の人生を顧みながらそれを伝えたいと思う。

私は、１０歳の時にゴッホの絵を見て画家になることを決意した。彼のような凄い絵を描く画家になりたいと私は思った。ゴッホの絵を見ていると身体の中から熱い何かが湧きあがってきて私の魂を揺さぶった。ゴッホがゴッホの絵を描いたように、私も、世界にたった一人しかいない私が｢私｣であるからこそ描けるオリジナルな絵を描きたいと思った。男尊女卑がはびこる１９７０年代の古い体制の日本に居たら自分の情熱がつぶされてしまうと思い、アルバイトをして貯めたお金で片道の航空券を買い、１８歳で私はパリへと旅立った。誰も知らない町に行き、甘えのない孤独の中で自分と向き合い、私は自分にしか描けない絵を見つけたかったのだ。当時、円は１ドルが３０

０円近く、親からの送金など頼めるはずもなく、私は自活の道を切り開かなければならなかった。幸運にも、パリに着いて間もなく当時は難関とされていたサロンに入選し、１８歳の時、パリの画廊で私はデビューを果たした。その後、描くそばから作品は売れ、ニューヨークと銀座の二つの画廊と契約をし、私の画家人生は幸運な滑り出しでスタートを切った。

この世の中のすべての物事は一時も止まることなく変化をする。私の人生も例外ではない。私は、生きるために変化をし、住む場所も幾つか移り、人生の荒波も幾つか乗り越え、私が変わるたびに作品も自然に変化を重ねていった。しかし、デビューから長い年月がたっても、自分の内側から必然的に生まれてきた表現をしたい、自分が自分であるからこそ生まれてくる絵を描きたいという私の基本的な姿勢は変わらない。年齢を重ね一つ加わった大きなことは、生命力のある作品を描いて行きたいということ。遠い先の未来の、どこかの誰かの生命に向けて、描くこ

とにより、｢生命のリレー｣をしていきたいと思い始めた。そう思い始めたのは、私自身が他人の描いた絵に救われた経験をしたからだ。

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もう二度と立ち上がれないのではないかと思った時にたまたま見た作品が、私に力を与えてくれた。それは、カンディンスキーの｢コンポジションⅦ｣という大きな作品であった。カンディンスキーが特別好きだったわけではない。だが、エネルギーが低迷していたその時の私の魂に、その作品はエネルギーを吹き込み、生きる力を与えてくれた。それこそが芸術の力だと私は思う。その絵を描いた作家はもうとうの昔にこの世を去っているが、残された作品の中にその芸術家の生命が生きている。その生命力が私の生命に生きる力を吹き込んでくれた。現在の私が目指すのはそういう作品だ。優れた芸術作品の中には、他の生命にエネルギーを与える力がある。たとえその作品を描いた本人が波乱の中にいたとしても、自分の真実を追求しようとする姿勢から生みだされた作品には肯定的な力があり、見る人の魂に揺さぶりをかける。表現されている色や形の奥から、他の生命に向けて｢いのち｣を吹き込む力がある。残りの人生の中でどれくらいそのような力を秘めた作品を描けるかが、私が今を生き、描き続ける意味ともいえる。そしていつか、私が描いた作品を見た誰かに生命の力を吹き込むことができたら私は本望である。生命のリレー。芸術に関わるということは、小さな私を超え、どこかのだれかの生命に向けて描いていく、そういうことだと私は思っている。

だが、芸術家だけが生命のリレーを担っているのではない。芸術を理解し、応援し、買い求めてくれる人達が居て初めて芸術作品は残されてゆき、次の世代へと生命のリレーが行われていく。私がこうして描き続けてこられたのも、私の作品を世の中に紹介してくれた何人ものギャラリーオーナーやキュレター達、そして世界各地にいるコレクター達が私の絵を愛し応援し続けてくれたからだと感謝している。

芸術家は優れた芸術を生み出すことに生命を賭けるが、それを後々の世代まで守り続けるためには、ゴッホにとってのテオのような存在が必要である。メディチやグッゲンハイムのような大規模なパトロンにならなくても、一枚の絵を買うことで果たす役割は大きい。アートコレクターの方達は、自分の審美眼に叶う作品を買うことで芸術作品の生命のリレーを担っている。アーティストは自分の一回性に恥じない作品を生み出していかなければならない。次の世代に向けて、それをしていくことが、アーティストができる生命のリレーであり、それこそが芸術に従事している者の責任であると私は思う。遠い昔に亡くなったアーティストたちの優れた作品と出会い、そこから多大なエネルギーを得るたびに、その作品を愛し守ってきた人達の情熱に私は感謝する。未来の何処かのだれかに向かって、生命のリレーのバトンをつないでいきたい。

高畑早苗

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The iconography of my paintings I aim to speak to the individuals directly through my paintings, in an international language that is both understandable and particularly clear. In order to do that I choose the scenes that are not localized to any specific place, to any exact location which would be unknown to many, but instead they are accessible, below the apparent diversity of place, there is the sea, there is the land, the shore, the flower, the heart, the tree, or the cloud. My paintings announce to the viewer dreams from the heart of love, adventuring into another different, clean and a peaceful world, where the sorrows and cares have been set to one side to depict what is almost there.

My paintings come from the child inside me. It is not a grown up man, it is the child who paints, who has been living within me, whom I have listened to for many years in order to remain happy, to keep alive and to survive as joyful human kind. When I sit in front of a canvas, I let free this childâ&#x20AC;&#x;s soul and the mind, which conquers my hands, my mind and my time. The child then depicts the thirst of love in our souls, freedom of our minds, infinity of our times, excitement and joy of our hearts, in other words the necessary existence juices of a healthy human mind. My paintings are mainly reflections of the natural and purified life sources of our childhood feelings. They are naĂŻve, maybe childish in a way but clear and pure in senses, positive and energetic in colors, most importantly they easily get into a dialogue with the viewer. They are reminding us that life is beautiful, hopeful and joyful.

Certain images, compositions or designs that reoccur in my work, reflect my artistic choices that have been made by the process of selection over the years and I have refined these images using repetition and variation to the level where they carry a particular sense and meaning, or series of senses and meanings.

The use of a particular refined group of images became distinguishing symbols and forms of stories in my paintings so much so that they became accustomed to the viewer even if I donâ&#x20AC;&#x;t sign the canvas. The choice of images, their position on the canvas, the technique and the selected colors, would show that these paintings are the work of a

particular artist and nobody else.

These pictorial images, the use of these motifs and devices, these elements, are employed in a painting to express a meaning that has been worked upon for many years to refine a language of images & signs that reveal my signature, and these strong images carry the meaning brushed onto the canvas, directed from my heart and my mind into the eye and mind of the viewer. My paintings open out vistas into a wonderful world.

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Coplu 的夢想國度

我希望透過藝術這種跨越文化地域的語言感動前來欣賞的人。創作和欣賞藝術是最直接的交流。因此，在我的作品裏出現的盡是些大家熟悉的場景事物，如大地海洋，花草樹木，心形圖案等，讓觀眾找到親切的共鳴。

我把對寧靜和平的世界的嚮往呈現於畫布上，表達對世界的樂觀和希望，也想藉此讓觀眾暫時忘記生活的悲傷煩惱。

每個人心中都住著一個天真的小孩。他主宰我的創意，下筆和價值觀，讓我抱著樂觀自由的態度創作和生活。透過這小孩純真的眼睛和靈感，我的作品有一個統一的主題 — 人類心靈所渴望的愛。我最希望大家能感受畫中的純潔，樂觀和動力。因為生命是美麗的。

多年來，我的作品環繞著好幾個相同的主題，某些事物在我的畫中有特定的意義。它們是我多年精心琢磨，只屬於我的繪畫美學。透過他們，我把想表達的訊息呈現在畫布上，傳到觀眾的心靈。希望大家感受到我對一個充滿愛的夢想世界的展望。

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The journey of art creation I open the door of my studio and see the paintings I left unfinished yesterday; some facing the wall, some looking toward me. I am startled as I remember that when I left the room yesterday evening, I left that painting upside down, and the paint pots closed. I do not remember leaving so much red in the palette, with little blue left and the black has dried. Then, I see the dirty paintbrush I used yesterday that is soaked in turpentine. The truth is that nothing has happened since I left the room, everything stays the same as it was. Suddenly, I feel an urge to make some changes in the painting. I wish that a couple had arrived at the bar I painted, the waiter had gone home, or that little sad face can put on a smile today. This becomes the inspiration and starting point of my painting journey today. Yes. I will start by making the little girl smile, to invite a couple to the bar, and ask the waiter to go home.

The painting is missing some sienna, I thought, so I put some black paint on the palette. And I thought this is such a good brush, one that looks strange yet paints so well. I painted to place a boy together with the girl, just to realize at the end that they do not fit in the painting. Instinct tells me that I must erase the table in the front, the little boy and girl need more space. The girl still looks sad; I think she looks prettier when she smiles though. Perhaps her sadness comes from the upper lip that falls downward too much, so I dip a bit of the scarlet red paint left from yesterday and give her a lift to smile. Oops, I accidentally add too much red paint and now she smiles too much. Taking away the brushstroke I have just done and pulling the lip line slightly downwards, the little girl no longer complains about anything. I look at the lips again, now she looks nice and sound.

All these gestures are what contribute to the completed painting. It is very difficult to express in words what as artist feels when he paints. These are emotions that translate into a stain, a line, the combination of one or more colors, shape, faces, clouds, and more. When I create, I always leave my work for a while and come back later, so that it can surprise me and gives me new inspiration. I believe the final painting is in fact the sum of many mistakes that have been solved.

The fact that my paintings are now so far from my studio, hanging on the wall of State-of-the-Arts Gallery in Hong Kong, makes me feel blissful. I am happy to know that the little pair of boy and girl has traveled so far, and that the

girl is finally smiling and perhaps spreading her happiness in China.

Didier Lourenรงo

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El Viaje de Arte Abro la puerta del estudio y ahí están los cuadros que ayer deje inacabados , algunos están girados contra la pared , otros me miran , no me acordaba que al marcharme ayer por la tarde , había dejado del revés aquel cuadro lleno de gente , los botes de pintura estan cerrados y en la paleta no pensé

haber dejado tanto rojo , azul queda poco y el

negro se ha secado. Los pinceles bañados en aguarras siguen sucios , la verdad es que no ha pasado nada , esta todo igual que lo deje .Me gustaría que alguna vez en aquel cuadro del bar, hubiesen llegado una pareja a tomar algo , o el camarero se hubiese marchado a su casa , o aquel rostro que parecía triste , hoy por fin sonriese. Asi que creo que hoy empezare por aquí , voy a tener que hacer sonreir a esa chica , hacer entrar una pareja al bar , y dejar que ese camarero se marche a su casa .

Pongo mas negro en la paleta , falta algo de siena , este pincel es el bueno , aquel que tiene un extraño peinado pero pinta tan bien . Voy a poner al chico junto la chica, pero no caben , tendre que borrar toda esa mesa que hay delante , quizás asi cubra este espacio que queda tan vacio .La chica me sigue mirando triste , dejare este cuadro del bar e intentare hacerla sonreir , no me gusta verla asi de triste , quizás sea que línea del labio superior cae demasiado hacia abajo , esta bien que haya sobrado rojo de ayer, mojare el pincel ahí y por fin la hare sonreir , quizás sonríe demasiado , con la espátula quitare el brochazo que he hecho y pondré la línea mas hacia abajo . Lo bueno de todo esto es que esta chica no se ha quejado de nada. Ahora vuelvo con el labio ……y si!. funciona.

Todos estos gestos son los que hacen que el cuadro se vaya terminando , dia a dia .Es muy difícil expresar en palabras lo que siente un artista al pintar un cuadro , las emociones que provocan una mancha , una línea, la combinacion de uno, dos, tres , cuatro…. colores, una forma , una gota , un rostro , una nube………, en mi obra siempre dejo que la casualidad me lleve a encontrar soluciones que me emocionen , a veces pienso que el resultado final de una obra es la suma de muchos errores solucionados.

El hecho de que estos cuadros ahora estén tan lejos de mi estudio , mas concretamente en Hong Kong en la

galería Sotagallery me parece maravilloso. Que la pareja haya viajado tan lejos , y que la chica sonria por fin , quizás por estar en China .

Didier Lourenço (Spanish version)

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By Accident 5 years ago a broken car has changed my life as an artist. During those days, I was helping an artist friend of mine colour some of his bronze sculptures at his countryside studio. It was at that time that I encountered an art collector who parked a broken car nearby the sculpture studio. He was not only a collector but also an art lover and the curator for Austrian Art Agency. Without this coincidental acquaintance, I would have not been introduced to State-of-the-Arts Gallery and would not be writing these words. Many thanks to the producers of Saab automobiles. When I first came to Hong Kong in May 2006, I had some expections but no idea how it would work out. At that time, I had

also no idea that this visit would later have an overall influence on my art. The trip was rather short, I stayed in Hong Kong for only 6 days. During those 6 days, I was running between the skysrapers and in the country parks of Sai Kung. I tried to inhale this city and I began to love it. During the last 10 years I had so many exhibitions in different countries but this time was totally different. I have worked with many gallery owners and it has always been pleasant doing business with them. But Samues is a different art dealer. To me, he is a real teacher who has helped me understand a foreign culture. His aim is to understand, be it the people, the behaviour, the country, everything, and I tried to learn. Very often we spent the nights sitting on his “special paradise balcony“ at the back of the gallery. Samues and Fanny are the perfect hosts and we would talk about art while the balmy night falls upon Central. Many of these discussions have slipped into my artworks since 2006. In fact, Hong Kong has influenced my art more than any other places in the world. The subjects of my works have changed a little bit over years

and I think I have now become more receptive of different directions. At the same time many products which sit on the shelfs of “Wellcome“ and “Park´n´ shop“ became part of my stories and found their way to the canvas. Even the flag of the PRC and the Grand Chairman were incorporated into my artworks. And I will not stop integrating various parts of this culture into my artworks. The huge grid art projects in Hong Kong were good examples of how to make things possible. There were countless problems that occured, but we have found the magic word – problem-solving – that helped us overcome difficult times. Throughout the projects, we were working on the limit of feasibility and I think everybody who was involved in the projects will never forget about them. At times, I felt like these projects were like videos and I was a spectator watching from the outside.

The grid art projects offered me the opportunity to interact with thousands of people through conversations and creating art. To me, the participants‟ output and effort were much more valuable than the finished canvas itself. If I am to talk about all the aspects of these projects, my words would be able to fill a whole book. During the last few years, Hong Kong has become my second home. Now, when I arrive at Chek Lap Kok Airport, I feel happy to be back again. I am looking forward to coming back to 36, Pottinger Street. Many thanks, my friend. I wish you all the best. Good luck to State-of-the-Arts Gallery for the next 7 years.

Emil Herker (Austria)

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Chapter Three (3) International Art Appreciation 放眼世界：國際城市，國際藝術

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International Art Appreciation Hong Kong is a vibrant city, home to people from all over the world who bring with them elements of their own individuality and respective cultures. In this bubbling metropolis you'll find every type of cuisine imaginable and products from the four corners of the globe. As the world‟s eleventh largest trading entity, Hong Kong's port is also one of the busiest in the world which ensures it's regarded as a gateway to the East, a place where „East meets West.‟

An international city in the fullest sense of the term, State-of-the-Arts Gallery provides a platform to

showcase Hong Kong's diverse cultures through the medium of art. In point of fact and to illuminate how vital international art is to the heartbeat of Hong Kong, this chapter provides a little synopsis of the international art we exhibit. In particular it reveals how European and Latin American art developed, as many of our artists are from these regions.

Furthermore we will shine the spotlight on some leading, contemporary, international artists working today to show how they relate to the State-of-the-Arts Gallery. This will show why the gallery represents international contemporary art as we do. Medieval artist Duccio di Buoninsegna Madonna and Child (1280s)

Art does not recognize geographical boundaries. Its reach and influences are global as well as local and it is the international element of art which in many ways makes it so universal and so special. That said, the

European art scene has often acted as the catalyst for many of the world's most famous art movements, which in broad terms can be viewed as Classical, Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Modern. First these will be detailed to show how vital European art has been in shaping the progression of art and why it is therefore important that it‟s represented in State-of-the-Arts Gallery. Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli – Primivera (1482)

The first three were largely influenced by religion, with religious symbols and imagery featuring prominently. Renaissance art (14th – 17th Century) followed and saw the introduction of ancient mythology as a theme alongside religion, broadening the subject considerably. Furthermore, a growing understanding of perspective and light made the works more three dimensional, while the introduction of oil paint added variety and more intense colours.

Baroque art (16th – 18th Century) took these developments a step further, emphasizing movement, Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens - The Fall of Phaeton (1604-1605)

drama and detail to name a few critical elements. But despite its widespread popularity and influence, many saw Baroque as part of the counter-reformation (bringing Catholicism back to life) and over ornate so were more than willing to generate towards modern art.

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Modern art itself has many sub-categories such as Neoclassicism (18th – 19th Century) - a step back towards renaissance, Romanticism where the world's natural beauty came to the fore, and Realism which was largely affected by the poverty and squalor caused by the industrial revolution. Realism showed the

despair clearly. Moreover, a significant part of this latter movement was Impressionism which saw artists Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir - The Seine at Asnières (1879)

use light to recreate the image seen by the human eye – an impression of what we see.

Next came Fauvism (early 20th Century) which focused on bright colours, before we reached what we regard Modern art as today. This includes Expressionism, Cubism and Abstract art. Finally, Postmodernism stemmed from this period and includes intermedia, installation art, conceptual art and multimedia. Today, the prominent term for art created after the 1950s is „Contemporary art,‟ and this is the type of art that we exhibit in the State-of-the-Arts Gallery.

These key periods of European art have shaped the art we see now and have also produced some of the most celebrated artists known to man – many of whom are indivisible from the movements they helped Mark Rothko - White Center (1950). Mark Rothko was one of pioneers of Abstract Expressionism Movement

establish. A number of artists affiliated with the State-of-the-Arts Gallery are Spanish and Austrian, and to emphasis the influence they (and European art) has had on art in general and therefore the art in our gallery, we are going to examine a few of them in turn.

The first Spanish visionary in question is Pablo Picasso. He co-invented Cubism where objects are essentially broken-up, analyzed and reassembled in an abstracted form. Cubism allows the object to be viewed from multiple viewpoints which creates more depth. One of the most seminal influences in the history of the subject, Picasso once said “art is the lie that exposes the truth", and he has had a profound impact on art and therefore the works shown in the gallery.

Pablo Picasso – Ma Jolie (1911-1912)

The next Spanish artist in the spotlight is Joan Miro. Instead of wanting to drive a movement, he rebelled against the fact that he helped start one, namely Surrealism. He said it wasn‟t a movement and once it was labeled as such, he no longer wanted to be part of it. One of Miro's chief intentions was to experiment and destroy Bourgeoisie art, a quest which helped broaden generations of peoples‟ understanding of art the world over. In part, this ability to educate and inspire is a major reason why Joan Miró - Women and Birds at Sunrise (1946)

State-of-the-Arts Gallery brings international artists to Hong Kong.

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We will now move to Austria and the two artists we will discuss were working at a similar time to Miro and Picasso. Gustav Klimt pushed the boundaries of the medium in a very different way to Miro with his rebellion centering round his content, not his style, which was often the nude female form. He was one of the founding members of the Vienna Secession which was a group dedicated to hosting exhibitions for unconventional young artists and bringing the best foreign artists to Vienna, showing how important it is for a country to show art from far and wide. Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907)

The other Austrian artist in question was also part of this famous group but took its evolution even further. He is Egon Schiele and while he likewise painted the human body, he empasised its sexuality even more. At heart, this was an attempt to portray us as we are, thereby lifting the veil on one of society's great taboo's - male and female sexuality.

These iconic examples illustrate how European artists have played a critical role in developing art as we know it. They have shaped its style and content, and greatly expanded our understanding of the medium. In a nutshell they show why it's important for us to display international art as we do.

Egon Schiele - Sitting Woman With Legs Drawn Up (1917)

Furthermore, the growth of art has not solely been affected by European artists, but artists all over the world. As a result, the role of Latin American artists will be briefly explored, helping highlight the global nature of the subject. The different indigenous cultures of Latin American brought a mĂŠnage of styles to art - but religion was once again a core influence. Their collective work was known as pre-Columbian as it was created by the indigenous peoples of America before European settlers began to exert their influence.

Courtesy of colonialism, European influences came to the fore as Christian teachings began to dominate regional art. Here we see arts global influence, in this area it was principally Spanish, Portugese and French Baroque paintings that had a profound effect on Latin America, which generally Precolombian art at the Palenque Museum (17th Centuary)

followed the trends of the Italian masters. The Cuzco School opened in the 17th and 18th Centuries

when European-style painting was taught by Spanish art instructors, often using Classical and Renaissance styles. Some of the other European centric movements mentioned earlier also influenced the region and one of the best known Latin American artists Frieda Kahlo used aspects of a selection of them. She will be detailed next.

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Kahlo was a Mexican artist who combined Mexican culture and European styles such as Realism, Symbolism and Surrealism. She used her own cultural experience to take these ideas to another level and was also a patron of Feminism as she painted women unapologetically and uncompromisingly. She showed real women, often depicting her own pain through portraiture which drew upon her deeply troubled life. A victim of personal and physical traumas, art was a form of escape and she used it to

reflect the world as she saw it. The sincerity of her work has been inspirational to many, and once again illustrate the importance of exhibiting international pieces. Frida Kahlo - SelfPortrait with Monkey (1938)

James Rosenquist – Fix: Speed of Light (2000)

Having examined historical international artists, because State-of-the-Arts Gallery has a contemporary slant we will explore the current international art scene.

First we will look at James Rosenquist, an American artist who has been exhibited all over the world. He has won awards since his time at school and the high regard with which he is held has only increased since then. His paintings are realistic, vibrant and fresh, much like our artist Emil Herker. Emil is an Austrian artist whose photo-realistic art has led critics and commentators to question whether or not his pieces are genuinely all paintwork which of course they are.

Emil Herker – When do I Sleep When I‟m Awake (2008)

Ximena Cristi – Estar en el JardiÌ (1985)

Next, we will look at Chilean artist Ximena Cristi whose art is also world-renowned. As the role of women has changed in Chilean culture over the years and women have taken on broader types of employment, there has been a considerable increase in female, Chilean artists. To represent this changing demographic, we work with a number of female Chilean artists such as Gina Intveen and Paulina Beyer, both of whom use rich colours and vividly display the influences of their heritage.

Specifically, Intveen explores Chilean culture through the roles of women by making them the subjects of her paintings and displaying them in modern interpretations of traditional Chilean dress. Meanwhile Beyer likes to work with Chilean landscapes and adds an abstract touch which makes them contemporary and exciting. Poignantly the Chilean theme so palpable in these works likewise takes centre stage in Ximena‟s much Gina Intveen Out of Danger (2010)

Paulina Beyer Pequeas Historias (2008)

celebrated pieces. She uses aspects of Fauvism and Expressionism to paint Chilean landscapes and everyday objects, and she has received awards in both her native Chile as well as Spain.

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Not only do we exhibit works that offer quintessential representations of contemporary, indigenous art, but in some instances we display art simply because of its unique qualities, often at odds with a country's norms. A prime example of this phenomenon is Japanese Sanae Takahata who goes in to intricate detail with her paintings and adds delicate touches in unorthodox ways.

Thanks to the originality of her art, Takahata has had the opportunity to exhibit in New York, Tokyo, Paris and of course Hong Kong. Her „Wear me‟ exhibition was particularly special and saw her develop her style on dress-like sculptures, using hardened fabrics and hand painted acrylic. It was the detailing in these designs that inspired her next exhibition „Mindscape,‟ which we showcased at State-of-the-Arts Gallery. She created ethereal and otherworldly landscapes, and offers a perfect illustration of how Stateof-the-Arts Gallery not only displays artists who are representational, but also those who are different an Sanae Takahata Wear-Me Installation (2009)

unique.

State-of-the-Arts Gallery strives to provide a taste of the many cultures of the world, to show artists from different countries, and to offer an understanding of the subject as a whole. The art featured in State-of-

the-Arts not only shows aspects of the most influential movements in history but is also representative of the contemporary international art scene. Furthermore, we often show a completely unique style of art from a specific country.

State-of-the-Arts Gallery approach to art is also in keeping with the very thing that makes Hong Kong unique - its ability to hold on to its heritage whilst still taking the very best aspects of its population's various cultures. Many of the artists we work with show the effects of art's most significant movements while still adding their own contemporary take. In our gallery you see aspects from Realism and Fauvism, Abstraction and Surrealism, and as a consequence when you walk in you can feel the roots of art, and critically, where it might be going.

Ruth Rebuck State-of-the-Arts Gallery Gallery Manager

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放眼世界：國際城市，國際藝術

香港擁有國際之都的美譽，實至名歸。在這個國際化的不夜城，您會看到世界各地不同文化語言背景的人聚首一堂；您會品嚐到不同國家的地道名菜；您會買到異國製造的得意商品。作為全球排行第11位的貿易都市，香港不但成為中國與西方溝通合作的主要通道，更是一個中西文化薈萃的平台。

作為這個國際都市文化界的一員，State-of-the-Arts畫廊希望透過藝術向大家展示各地文化百花齊開的盛況。 State-of-the-Arts畫廊認為為本土藝術市場帶來國際化的藝術品非常重要。因此，本章會為讀者提供我們所展示的國際作品的概覽。

除了介紹與 State-of-the-Arts畫廊合作的藝術家，本章亦會講解藝術歷史、不同年代獨當一面的藝術家，以及當代藝術的演化過程。 Medieval artist Duccio di Buoninsegna Madonna and Child (1280s)

藝術能超越地域和文化的界限。一件藝術品的特別之處在於它能同時豐富本土和國際藝術的交流和發展，帶來深遠的影響。綜觀藝術歷史，很多重要的藝術文化改革運動 – 如古典派 (Classical) ，拜占庭派 (Byzantine)，中古風 (Medieval)，文藝復興 (Renaisance)，巴洛克 (Baroque) 和現代派 (Modern) – 皆源自歐洲。歐洲藝術可說是對全球藝術發展功不可沒，因此 State-of-the-Arts畫廊也找來不少歐洲藝術家在香港市場發展。

Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli – Primivera (1482)

最起初的歐洲藝術，包括古典派 (Classical)，拜占庭派 (Byzantine) 和中古風 (Medieval)，都圍繞宗教題

材，單調地訴說聖經故事。直至14至17世紀的文藝復興藝術 (Renaissance art) 才為創作帶來更多元化的題材，加入了不少古代神話故事。另外，由於當時人們對藝術的研究和知識也同時增加，油畫顏料和對光影角度的認知皆為藝術作品增添不少立體感。 Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens - The Fall of Phaeton (1604-1605)

16至18世紀興起的巴洛克派 (Baroque) 把文藝復興的進步再推向前，為藝術注入了更多技巧概念，如人物動作描繪和作品的故事性。巴洛克派風行一時，對往後藝術發展具深遠影響，但部分學者批評巴洛克派為只著重裝飾而欠內容的宗教利用品，因此很快便投向現代藝術 (Modern art) 的懷抱。

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踏入19世紀，歐洲藝術抱開放態度迅速向四方八面發展，分裂成多個派別。留戀文藝復興的人發起新古典主意 (Neoclassicism) (18至19世紀)；表現大自然美態的投向浪漫主意 (Romanticism)。那時候工業革命 (Industrial revolution) 帶來貧窮，社會上一片愁雲慘霧，造就了寫實主意 (Realism)。不得不提的是現代藝 Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir - The Seine at Asnières (1879)

術的代表 – 印象派 (Impressionism) – 透過光與影把人們對世界事物的印象呈現於畫布上。

緊接著這百花齊放的時代的是野獸派畫風 (Fauvism) (20世紀初)，運用鮮明奪目的色彩吸引眾人目光。這時

代當中還有表現主意 (Expressionism)，立體派 (Cubism) 和抽象派 (Abstract Art) 等等，開創了不少前無古人的技術和理念。後現代藝術 (Postmodern art) 就代表了更激進的派別，為藝術寫下新定義，加入了多媒體，裝置藝術和概念藝術等。

自1950年代起創作的藝術稱為當代藝術 (Contemporary art)，這也是 State-of-the-Arts畫廊所展示的作品。

Mark Rothko - White Center (1950). Mark Rothko was one of pioneers of Abstract Expressionism Movement

隨著歐洲藝術跟著時代變遷而不斷演變，很多勇於創新的藝術家也發起不同的改革運動，因而名留青史。有感歐洲藝術於世界藝術史皆有深遠的影響，State-of-the-Arts畫廊與不少西班牙和奧地利的畫家合作，希望從而讓香港大眾放眼世界，理解當代藝術與世界各地的藝術歷史的關係。

要數西班牙藝術家的佼佼者，非畢加索 (Pablo Picasso) 莫屬。他作為立體派 (Cubism) 的先驅，開創出將事物拆件再組合而成為抽象圖案。立體派的獨特之處在於它能讓觀賞者同時看到一件物件的多個平面，超乎了人們肉眼所看到的，也推翻了人們對畫內空間感的認知。Picasso 曾道：「藝術是揭露真相的謊言」，而他開創的立體派正好體現了這話。

藝術就是突破框框。另一位藝術先鋒名叫米羅 (Joan Miro)，發起了超現實主意 (Surrealism)，卻不願這被標籤為藝術改革運動。因為他堅信藝術不應分派流，藝術家亦不應被標籤所限際。米羅的理想是打破資產階 Pablo Picasso – Ma Jolie (1911-1912)

級 (Bourgeoisie) 藝術的傳統界限，擴闊不同階層人仕對藝術的理解和眼界。同樣地，State-of-the-Arts畫廊亦是抱著啓發大眾的理想而不懈地把各地的藝術帶到香港，展現給各位。

Joan Miró - Women and Birds at Sunrise (1946)

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正當畢加索和米羅於西班牙為當地藝術帶來創意，同時期在奧地利亦有兩位藝術先驅為歐洲藝術帶來衝擊。

反叛大師克林姆 (Gustav Klimt) 違反了所有傳統規條，大膽地以女性裸體作題材，開拓了一個全新的題材領域。除此，他更成立了維也納分離派 (Vienna Secession)，專門協助新晉反傳統和外地藝術家於維也納開辦展覽，進一步宣揚國際藝術交流對本土藝術發展的重要性。 Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907)

另一位維也納分離派的要員席勒 (Egon Schiele) 同樣繪畫人體肖像，卻把焦點放在人類的性慾這個傳統社會禁忌上。席勒認為通過這毫無修飾的描繪，便能揭開人類虛偽的面具，進而釋放人們心裏最真實的欲望。

以上這些藝術家在歷史上舉足輕重，引證了歐洲藝術家對當代藝術發展的深遠影響。他們不但開創了多個派別風格和題材，也擴展了我們對藝術表現手法的理解。亦因此，State-of-the-Arts畫廊深信國際藝術能幫助大眾了解當代藝術的演變過程。 Egon Schiele - Sitting Woman With Legs Drawn Up (1917)

當然，藝術的發展並非只取決於歐洲藝術家，世界各地的藝術家亦作出了不同貢獻。我們將繼續探索拉丁美洲的藝術於歷史上的角色。

最早期的拉丁美洲藝術稱為哥倫布時代前藝術 (Pre-Columbian art) ，源於拉丁美洲的土著文化 (Indigenous culture)。土著文化為拉丁藝術注入了不少宗教元素和家族風格，往後塑造了拉丁藝術那民族色彩濃厚的畫風。 Pre-colombian art at the Palenque Museum (17th Centuary)

隨後，由於拉丁美洲成為了歐洲國家殖民地，基督教傳入當地，拉丁美洲的藝術也反映出歐洲的文化風格。最明顯的影響來自西班牙，葡萄牙，法國和意大利。於17至18世紀，很多西班牙藝術大師在當地開辦庫斯科學校 (Cuzco School)，開班授徒學習歐洲藝術，主要為古典派和文藝復興風格。本文較早時提及的藝術改革運動亦深深地影響著拉丁藝術的發展。

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其中一位深受歐洲藝術影響的拉丁藝術家為芙烈達

卡蘿 (Frieda Kahlo)。這位來自墨西哥的畫家把墨西

哥文化跟歐洲文化的寫實派 (Realism)，象徵主義(Symbolism) 和超現實主義(Surrealism) 融合，再將她自身對這些異國文化的理解注入作品中，令其變得獨一無二。作為藝術先驅，她透過藝術向大眾傳達一種新思維 – 女權主意。她筆下的女性堅強自信，距絕屈服於男性權威。卡蘿自小受病魔折磨，後來又遇上交通意外令其身心嚴重受創。亦正因為她這些痛苦的閱歷，讓她學會把人生的負面情緒轉化為畫布上感動人心的寫實故事。透過把自己的悲傷傳達給觀賞者，她的作品鼓勵了不少絕望悲觀的人，令他們重見曙光。 Frida Kahlo - SelfPortrait with Monkey (1938)

James Rosenquist – Fix: Speed of Light (2000)

我們從歐洲走到美洲，也該從古至今地探討藝術發展。以下將會介紹一些當代國際藝術家，並了解他們跟 State-of-the-Arts畫廊的藝術家的淵源。

當代流行藝術 (Pop art) 大師羅森奎斯特 (James Rosenquist) 來自美國。他自求學時期已獲頒多個獎項，也於多個城市舉辦展覽，作為國際藝術家實至名歸。他的作品寫實新穎，為人們視覺帶來衝擊，跟 Stateof-the-Arts畫廊的愛將艾米克架 (Emil Herker) 散發著相似的氣息。克架來自奧地利，擅長仿真實相片 Emil Herker – When do I Sleep When I‟m Awake (2008)

Ximena Cristi – Estar en el JardiÌ (1985)

的畫作，作品與相片無異，甚至比相片多了一份透澈的感覺，引起不少藝評人的興趣和討論。

近年，隨時代進步，人們思想漸趨開放，智利的女性也開始投身社會，晉身為現代職業女性，不少女畫家

也投身藝術界。State-of-the-Arts畫廊不但觀察到這改變，也非常支持，因而跟很多智利女畫家合作，如珍娜

英芬 (Gina Intveen) 和葆蓮娜

貝逸 (Paulina Beyer)。

她倆的作品用色大膽辛辣，充份表現出南美文化的熱情。英芬的作品以女性肖像為題材，將傳統智利民族的服飾與現代時裝巧妙融合，鼓勵現今女性活得自信。而貝逸則把傳統的智利景色抽象化，畫風簡潔摩登。

Gina Intveen Out of Danger (2010)

Paulina Beyer Pequeas Historias (2008)

國際知名的智利藝術家希梅納 (Ximena Cristi) 也同樣鼓勵當地女性勇於表達。她的作品圍繞智利醉人景緻，添加了野獸派和表現派等現代元素，更於智利和西班牙獲獎。

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除了不同藝術派流和反映地方文化的藝術作品，State-of-the-Arts畫廊也熱充於發掘別樹一派的藝術家，就像日本的反傳統藝術家高畑早苗。

高畑的作品有別於傳統日本的簡約構圖和用色，她於紐約，東京，巴黎和香港皆舉辦過展覽，空前盛況。她的《變幻無裳》系列展示了仿人偶的雕素，運用多種布料和手繪圖案，創造出有如時裝表演一樣的作品。隨後，她更將《變幻無裳》系列中的部份圖案變成她的新系列《親密映像》的主題，於 State-of-the-Arts 畫廊展覽。高畑眼中和筆下的自然景色仿於不吃人間煙火的世外桃園，帶給人心靈喜悅和寧靜。Stateof-the-Arts畫廊所喜愛的正是她畫中的清新脫俗和不隨波俗流的風格。

透過展示世界各地藝術家的作品，State-of-the-Arts畫廊希望把不同地域的文化帶到香港，讓大眾能了解藝術的演變和各地藝術環環相扣的關係。我們深信藝術無分標籤地域，因此不斷帶來不同種類的藝術，有 Sanae Takahata Wear-Me Installation (2009)

反映歷史派別的，有當代大師，也有別樹一派的藝術先驅。

作為香港的國際藝術畫廊，State-of-the-Arts畫廊將繼續與香港一同發展，把香港的傳統和國際文化融合成為我們畫廊獨特的風格理念。在這畫廊，您會看到體現著藝術歷史改革的作品，在我們展示的當代藝術

作品當中看到寫實主意，野獸派，抽象派和超現實主意的影子。我們希望顧客於這兒不但了解到藝術發展的根源，也能對香港藝術發展的未來抱有憧憬。

Ruth Rebuck State-of-the-Arts 畫廊經理 (Translated by Elizabeth Lau)

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The Spanish Legacy: The Development of Spanish Painting Spanish painting has a very important role in the development of European painting. The Prado Museum in Madrid is the best starting point to admire and learn about the Spanish legacy that has been given to European art. Since its foundation, the Prado Museum has been recognized as one of the finest European museums where one can admire the best European paintings from medieval times to the present. The Prado Museum features the former Spanish Royal Collection, dating from the late 15th to the mid 20th century. The Spanish kings hoped to collect and preserve the best works of art in the country, they therefore supported talented painters by offering them a place at the court where the painters lived and worked for the kings. It was largely due to the royalty‟s generous support that many young artists could flourish in those days. Many Spanish painting masters of this era are now-a-days regarded as important influences in the history of European painting; such painters include El Greco, Zurbaran, Velazquez, Murillo, Ribera and Goya. In the 20th century, Spanish painting continued to shape the development of European art. The renowned Spanish painter Picasso, together with others such as Dali and Miro, had successfully established themselves as the representatives of 20th century European artists. Picasso, the famous Spanish painter, was born in Malaga and, together with Juan Gris, became the pioneer of the Cubist Movement in painting. Picasso is praised as one of the 20th century‟s greatest artists who participated in many novel artistic movements and influenced many great artists of his time. In 1895, Picasso moved to Barcelona where he began his study at the School of Fine Arts and passed its entrance exam at an early age of 14. Picasso later transferred to the country‟s foremost art school, Madrid‟s Royal Academy of San Fernando to continue his study. During his free time, Picasso frequently visited The Prado Museum to study the works of the Spanish masters. We should acknowledge the art schools in Barcelona and Madrid for inspiring and training various artists for the 20th century. The 9 years Picasso spent in Barcelona was an important stage in his life as this was when befriended many Catalan and Bohemian artists. In later years, he settled in France due to the Spanish Civil War. There are many Spanish artists in the 20th century who continued Picasso‟s tradition and developed new artistic trends inspired by Cubism. For instance, the architecture of Gaudi and the paintings of Casas, Camarasa, Isidro Nonell, and most notably Joaquin Sorolla, were greatly influenced by Cubism. Salvador Dali and Joan Miro are no doubt the representatives of Spanish surrealist artists, and their works, including paintings and sculptures, are heavily influenced by Picasso‟s surrealistic and abstract style. The Avant-Garde movement can be represented by artists such as Antoni Tapies, Joan Ponç, Antonio Clavé, Feito, Zobel and Antonio Saura, as well as the group called „el paso‟. Pop artists include Eduardo Arroyo, Manolo Valdés, Juan Antonio Toledo, Eduardo Chillida and Pablo Palazuelo. For hyperrealism masters we have Antonio Lopez, Cristobal Toral and Jose Hermandez; while for postmodernism there is the significant Miguel Barceló. These different artistic trends reflect that our country has a great painting vitality that responds to a long tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, followed by the contribution from the 15th to 19th century, and finally arriving at the 20th century with a strong influence on various genres of European painting.

Jorge Llovet Spainsh Art Curator

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傳統的延續：西班牙當代藝術發展西班牙繪畫藝術對整個歐洲的藝術發展而言是不可缺少的一環，有著決定性的影響。位於首都馬德里 (Madrid) 的普拉多博物館 (Prado Museum) 可說是解讀西班牙藝術於歷史上種下的根的最理想起點。普拉多博物館自成立以來一向被譽為歐洲數一數二的藝術館，收藏著從中古時代至今的優秀歐洲藝術作品。普拉多博物館所展出的是15至20世紀西班牙皇族的藝術收藏品。當年，西班牙的國皇決心要保存他們民族的優良藝術，讓其流傳後世。皇室又明白很多有才華的藝術家因擔心生計而被迫放棄藝術，於是皇宮便提供居住地方給他們讓他們能無憂地從事藝術創作。很多年輕藝術才俊也是多得皇室支持才得以發展成才。

Walk on the Beach Joaquin Sorolla 554 × 500 mm

不少於這時期掘起的西班牙藝術大師在歐洲藝術發展的過程也舉足輕重，俵俵者有葛雷柯 (El Greco)，蘇魯巴爾 (Zurbaran)，維拉斯奎茲 (Velazquez)，慕約里 (Murillo)，利貝拉 (Ribera) 和戈雅 (Goya)。邁向20世紀，西班牙繼續人才輩出，為歐洲藝術發展帶來新元素。西班牙名師如畢加索 (Picasso)，達利 (Dali) 和米羅 (Miro) 更被稱頌為20 世紀歐洲藝術大師的代表人物。畢加索被譽為20世紀最具影響力的藝術家之一，無人不曉，奠定了往後藝術發展的路向。畢加索生於西班牙的馬拉加 (Malaga)，他與格里斯 (Juan Gris) 並肩開創了立體派 (Cubist Movement)。於1895年，畢加索移居巴塞隆納開始他的藝術生涯，於14歲便獲著名的 School of Fine Arts 取錄。隨後，畢加索又前往西班牙最著名的藝術學府 Royal Academy of San Fernando 繼續學藝。空餘時間畢加索便在普拉多博物館渡過，日復日地鑑賞歷代西班牙藝術大師的名作。由此可見馬德里和巴塞隆納的藝術學院和美術館對培育年輕一代藝術家的觸覺和眼光有著直接的影響力。畢加索在巴塞隆納居住的9年間認識了不少嘉泰羅尼亞人 (Catalan) 和波希米亞派 (Bohemian) 藝術創作者，對其個人發展非常重要，影響了他畫作的用色，題材和風格。隨著西班牙內戰爆發，畢加索晚年便移居法國。畢加索的畫風和立體派往後流傳，啓發了很多後世的西班牙藝術，如：高第 (Gaudi) 的建築，卡沙 (Casas)，卡瑪拉薩 (Camarasa)，諾內爾 (Isidro Nonell) 和索羅拉 (Joaquin Sorolla) 的畫作等等。畢加索的影響跨越了藝術派別的界限，足跡遍佈不同藝術門派。他那超現實和抽象的風格便孕育了以達利 (Salvador Dali) 和米羅 (Joan Miro) 為首的超現實主意畫作和雕塑。西班牙藝術家於不同範籌也有驕人成就，闖出名堂。在前衛派 (Avant-Garde) 藝術運動中，佼佼者有達比埃 (Antoni Tapies)，龐克 (Joan Ponç)，克拉貝 (Antonio Clavé)，費托 (Feito)，索韋爾 (Zobel) 和沙烏拉 (Antonio Saura)，以及藝術團體「el paso」。於當代流行藝術大展拳腳的西班牙藝術家有阿羅約 (Eduardo Arroyo)，瓦爾代斯 (Manolo Valdés)，托雷多 (Juan Antonio Toledo)，奇利達 (Eduardo Chillida) 和帕拉蘇埃洛 (Pablo Palazuelo)。要數下去，西班牙還孕育了羅培茲 (Antonio Lopez)，托拉爾 (Cristobal Toral) 和赫南迪茲 (Jose Hermandez) 等超現實主意 (Hyperrealism) 大師以及 Miguel Barceló 這位後現代派藝術家。綜觀中古時代至今的藝術歷史，不難意識到西班牙藝術家對歐洲甚至全球的藝術發展帶來的

衝擊和貢獻。這份優良傳統和藝術文化源自中古時代，經歷了多個世紀的洗禮，薪火相傳，至今仍然在西班牙藝術家的身體裏流傳著。我衷心希望他們會努力把這份傳統延續下去。 Jorge Llovet 西班牙藝術策展人 (Translated by: Elizabeth Lau)

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Chapter Four (4) Management for Art Business

“The idea that money, patronage and trade automatically corrupts the wells of imagination is a pious fiction, believed by some utopian lefties and a few people of genius such as William Blake but flatly contradicted by history itself.” Rober Hughes Quotes – Art Critics

“I love the gallery, the arena of representation. It’s a commercial world, and morality is based generally around economics, and that’s taking place in the art gallery.” Jeff Koons Quotes – Artists

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Management for Art Business 4.1 Marketing Model of Art Gallery Business While art play is personal and romantic, running an art business is often not. Calculation and business strategy count to the success of the business.

Meyer has suggested that the organization of gallery business is like a highly complicated matrix where marketing strategies become very important.

Orderer/ Sponsor

Artist

Work of art

Buyer

Audience Gallery

Self-oriented-marketing (Product) Non-profit-marketing (Communication, Distribution (e.g. Community) Supply-side-marketing (Communication, Distribution (e.g. Internet/Art magazine), Price) Service-marketing (Product, Communication, Distribution (e.g. Auction/Art Fair), Price)

Meyer addressed this business model specifically to the operation of a gallery as he sees art products are special and different from other consumer products in the sense that consumption of artwork cannot be completed only by consumers but all surrounding parties. In other words, the selecting, marketing and selling process would not succeed if any of the parties do not share the value of the product. Thus the appreciation and marketing of an art piece requires the gallery to take into consideration all parties involved, “The usual separation of manufacturer and consumer is…not applicable to artworks. It is replaced by a unique form of collaboration in an environment” that sociologist H.S.Becker describes as the „art world‟: “…the term „art world‟ includes all

those involved in activities – from the inception of an idea to the public reception thereof – carried out according to a certain pattern of rules and practices – mutually attuned to the production, distribution and reception of works of art”. (Becker, 1982, p.34) It is this phenomenon that makes the differences between art and other goods or services.”[1]

[1] Meyer, 1998, Marketing and Art, Journal of Cultural Economics, 22, 271–283.

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Not only does the consumption of art products require collaborative effort, which makes art products stands out from the general marketing spectrum, the role of galleries in the society is also changing from an art dealer to an organization in facilitating and nurturing aesthetic consumption. The Japanese famous gallerist (小山登美夫) has well observed this phenomenon, “If art dealers are the witnesses of modernization of art, gallerists would be the followers of contemporary art. They are the controllers who discover and select artworks, reflect on social values in order to enhance values. Art dealers are comparatively more focused on sales and business by catering the tastes and following the activities of collectors, while gallerists work more on the side of artists, in a way similar to producers.” [2]

To see State-of-the-Arts Gallery‟s business from this perspective, it seems that she has located quite a modern standpoint in her business maintenance: the concept of product development.

State-of-the-Arts Gallery emphasizes the nurturing of artists over the initial contracting of artists; the guiding of consumers instead of delineating consumers out from certain fields. Samues once remarked, “Communication comes first in art business. Artists need a focal point, a marketing position, to be able to stand in any local art market. Such focal point could be fine-tuned through genuine communication and negotiation between galleries and artists … The concept of goods selling is out, where comes the role of mediating – between all parties. Yes, the process can be slow and chances are that customers may not share the same aesthetic instinct as the artists (the gallery) at once, but the spirit of open communication, exchange of ideas, and our effort in opening up a new page of aesthetic experience for the public would be the golden rule in management and marketing of art galleries.

Appreciation, like the creation of needs from the angle of marketing, takes time and experience in individuals. Once genuine communication can be carried out, whatever initial disagreement has taken place, we can progress.”

4.2 Rationality in Art as a Business In light of the fact that creativity is so subjective, irrational and personal, it is not uncommon for the public to see art market as random and arbitrary. Regarding uncertainty in running an art business, Jorn-zxelmeyer and Even has carried out a research investigating the level of uncertainty in galleries, and the strategies employed to combat them.[3] In 1996, more than 2000 artists and 250 galleries for contemporary art in Germany were interviewed. They responded in the nature of uncertainty and in the solutions which shed light on a rational side of business management in the art market.

Rating

Success Factors for Gallery

Per cent of no. of cases

Shrewd nose

85%

Public relationship

73%

Management qualities

65%

Solid financial background

63%

Good connections

47%

Good luck

42%

Location of the Gallery

40%

Good reviews

38%

Fair knowledge of art history

38%

Fig 1. Success factors for galleries (as perceived by gallery owners) (per cent of number of cases). [2] Jorn-zxelmeyer & Even. (1998). Marketing and the Fine Arts – Inventory of a Controversial Relationship, Journal of Cultural Economics, 22, 271-283. [3] 小山登美夫. (2010).當代藝術商機, 周商出版, 32-33.

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Jorn-zxelmeyer and Even asked gallery owners to rank the success factors for galleries (fig.1). Although galleries opted for a relatively abstract term “sharp nose” as the determinant factor in marking their gallery success, the planned and calculated strategies are of high importance as well: for example, public relationship and management qualities follow as the second and third important item in running art business.

Research results align with Jorn-zxelmeyer and Evan's investigation in the criteria for galleries‟ selection of artists (fig.2) below. While subjectivity comes first, gallerists attribute a high importance to other relatively objective and calculated factors as well, including style, history of the artists, and artistic qualification.

Rating

Success Factors for Gallery

Per cent of no. of cases

Personal character, subjective conviction

92%

Style / Character

57%

History of the artist

32%

Sellable of the work

25%

Sur-demanded by the artist

19%

Artistic qualification

17%

School

Teacher

Others

12%

Fig. 2 Criteria for selecting an artist from the gallery‟s point of view (per cent of number of cases).

With rich marketing and sales background, State-of-the-Arts Gallery shares deep resonance with Jorn-zxelmeyer and Evan's research results on the rationality in art business management: Gallerists‟ professional nose shares same importance with rational and objective strategies. Based on her arts and marketing experiences, State-of-the-Arts Gallery complemented the above figures in the selection of

artists/galleries/consumers with a scorecard concept, which should apply to all parties concerned, including, galleries, artists, and consumers.

A wide range of considerations and calculations will be involved in any transaction decisions. In general, in the trading of artwork, buyers considerations involved can be broadly classified into the following three layers: Considerations of consumers‟ needs: •

Size: What size of artwork is the consumer seeking for?

•

Budget: What is the consumer‟s budget like?

•

Style/colour: Does the consumer show any preference on colour and style of artwork?

•

Subject matter: Does the consumer have any preference on the subject matter of the artwork?

Considerations of artists and art pieces: •

Artists‟ philosophy: What is the message of the art piece?

•

Artists‟ technique: How is the message conveyed through technique?

•

Subject matter: How is the message conveyed through subject matter?

•

Artists‟ style developmental trend/ portfolio: How is the artist‟s creation style developed?

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Considerations of marketing and sales values: •

Exhibition venue: Where and how is the artwork displayed?

•

Platform for sale: What kind of platform (gallery, art dealer, online auction) is representing the artwork?

•

Compelling issues/events: Is the artwork reflecting or working on any current issues in the society/our lives?

•

Representative‟s portfolio: What is the style of the representing gallery? (It hints at the style of the artwork to a certain extent)

Different parties have different weightings distributed to the above factors, which constitutes artist, consumers, and galleries individual styles and aesthetic preference. In trading artwork, the accuracy of matching different parties expectations is of paramount importance, which then lies on the extent parties understand each other. Thus genuine communications reigns. 4.3 A sharing vision – Where do we dance?

4.3.1. Market identification Today, galleries are no longer a mere middleman for sales, but a facilitator – in sharing their aesthetic vision with the public, guiding

consumers‟ appreciation and consumption in artwork, together with the communication with and nurture of artists. Probably the most difficult information retrieval in the Score-card system lies in the second layer – artists‟ philosophy and artwork message. The new role of galleries then becomes important. “We came across skillful artwork, we came across nice artists, but it is not easy to get artists who „speak‟ – be it in artwork or in verbal communication.” As a result, the communicative power lies in artists and their works become one of the prime criteria in artists selection.

When audiences are fully entitled to their own interpretation on the art pieces, what they are also fully entitled to know for a deeper consumption before they pay to own the work is the artist‟s philosophy, their vision, their messages. So, expressiveness becomes very

important in artwork, at least in the contemporary pieces where conceptual and abstract art is dominant.

The more information we can get for the secondary considerations in the Score-card system, the better it facilitates the different market segments‟ operations.

Before identifying where one stands in the market, one at least needs to convey what is for sale. From something as obvious as an artists‟ communication with galleries and consumers, artists‟ artistic technique, to something as minor as an artists‟ title on their work, in fact, every process adds not only to their aesthetic expression but a market identification. 4.3.2. Artists vs. market – a fair argument? Does consideration of the market eliminate artistic creativity and value? Should artists keep an eye on the market when creating? Can market and artistic creation co-exist in the minds of artists? Hans, in his work “Why are artist poor” has blatantly unveiled the long-standing psychological dilemma in the art market: “Although in general the [art] market is oriented towards money and profit, the arts cannot openly reveal this kind of orientation when they operate in the market. This approach would certainly harm artistic careers and therefore, long-term incomes as well. It specifically harms the profitable affiliation of the arts with the gift sphere, and it is therefore punished by the art world. Thus, profit motives are not absent, they are merely veiled, and publicly the economic aspect of art is denied.”[4] [4] Hans, Abbing. (2002). Why are artists poor?: the exceptional economy of the arts. Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press.

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Also, Takashe Murakami (村上隆) stands out and defends his belief in the close relationship between art and market demand in his 2006 publication.

Firstly, he pointed out the reality that artistic creation requires supporting resources, where money (which then buys time) would be one of the key sources, “When one has a lack of money, he needs to do something (get abandoned cardboard paper from the back gate of hotels to send out artwork). In that situation, no matter how he works it out, every step takes extra time to complete. Similarly, in order to shorten the time, we need the power of money. If we have money, we can buy time to save the production time cost…Art needs money and time…” Then, he noted that to address one‟s artwork with its markets needs is indeed the role of art and the responsibility of artists, “Isn‟t he making brands when making artworks for sale? What is wrong? If we separate human beings‟ desire from painting, one can never enjoy the happiness from it. Painting in itself is only traces of colour, which contains no value. But now, such a valueless item can be added the values of „human imagination‟. This is to say, Art must embody inspirations for imagination. “Whether an artwork can enhance communication is the key to success…People says „no good artwork can be produced by considerations of demand and supply‟. Is that really the way?” Nevertheless, he also reserves the artists‟ authority and duty in the balancing market factors and artistic autonomy in transmitting individual ideas: “If we agree that art sponsors are our customers in this age, there is no question that their voices will affect artistic decisions. Artists must learn to respond after receiving customers‟ demands, without forgetting to leave traces of personal judgments in the artwork. Otherwise, artists will suffer from economic hardships.” [5] While artists may see that a consideration of the market demand for their artwork restricts and limit their artistic freedom and creativity, the scope of artistic expressiveness is in fact just so large that thinking of the market is only a starting point. Once artists identify what is worth their focus in the market, they can then move on to their own artistic language and artistic expressiveness. What‟s more, when the definition of art market is not merely money value of artwork, but what the public enjoys and the reasons of

enjoyment, their demand reflects what is needed for contemplation, for reflection, for giving meaning to oneself.

In other words, when art captures and reflects human experience, an understanding of how and why different artistic elements would be needed for different people, and different times and places may give direction for artistic creation. Thus the cooperation between artists and gallery would be most appropriate in investigating what their art market is, who the customers are, and what is that they need. That market space is probably exactly what artists need to know, to think about, and to transform (both their own work and their audiences) from.

[5] Takashe Murakami (村上隆 2006). Creative Industry 藝術創業論, 商周出版 p.42. , p.64, p.65

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4.4 Gallery Business: Professionalism, Passion, Patient Having discussed on all the rational calculations and marketing strategies in art as business, professional sensitivity is still rated as the most crucial factor in determining business success in the art market.

As a result, it is not surprising to see sole proprietorship as the common business model of galleries, and what accompanies that is sole decision-making and risk-bearing processes. The importance of aesthetic subjectivity involved in this special business management denies possible calculation of payoff timeline or return on investment. Just because that gallery owners‟ personal artistic sensitivity is the main factor which drives the success of the business, enormous passion and belief on his business choices (the selection of artwork, identification of market segment, decision on marketing strategies and so on) would be needed to „cultivate‟ the success.

Time and patience, is then the key for a stable position in the market, especially in markets about artistic style. It is a kind of aesthetic mindset, a kind of aesthetic viewpoint, and a certain type of aesthetic experience, which is being promoted – not a one-off

product. Despite the view on “liability of newness”, new ventures encounter many difficulties for they may lack production resources and display platform, in the art gallery business, newness is something enjoyable for the market while time and patience become critical when the gallery is working on opening up and expanding the existing aesthetic experiences of the public.

Founding an art gallery is about sensitivity and passion, and running an art gallery is about patience. From 2004 to 2009, we see interesting ups and downs in the number of galleries in Hong Kong. Galleries opened and closed. Patience costs. Where comes State-of-the-Arts Gallery‟s drive to patience then? “Our belief in abundant supply of quality artwork, while yet limited space for their display and promotion. Art market is still of high potential.” Samues

With such a firm belief in the potential of the art market, State-of-the-Arts Gallery, established in 2003, has been expanded from an upstairs display closet to a culturally significant business in HK today, hosting a large range of exhibitions, consultancy tasks and charity activities, representing artists worldwide.

Text and information research by Claudia Chan Opinions by Samues Leung

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第四章

藝術商業管理

“金錢，藝術贊助機制及貿易會損害藝術家的想像力‖的想法，已被歷史斷然地否定了，只有活於理想國度中的左派藝術家和少數如威廉‧布雷克(William Blake)的天才，才會相信此說法。 Robber Hughes – 藝評家我喜歡畫廊，這個呈現作品的舞台。畫廊就是一個商業世界，在那裏，道德都在圍着經濟跑，這就是畫廊。 Jeff Koons – 藝術家

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相信很多從事藝術工作或正想加入商業藝術這行業的人都會同意以上Rober Hughes和Jeff Koons的觀點。相反，未有打算跟商業畫廊打交道的朋友，就沒有必要浪費時間看此文下去吧! 從商業畫廊營運的少少經驗中，在這我希望可以和大家分享以下四點： 4.1 畫廊商業的營銷模式藝術創作是個人的、浪漫的作業，但藝術商業卻不。所有商業性的計算與策略都在影響着藝術商業的成功。 Meyer提出，畫廊的商業經營模式是一個非常複雜的體系，當中市場銷售學佔了相當重要的位置。

訂購 / 贊助人

畫家

藝術商品

顧客

觀眾/藝術愛好者畫廊

自我銷售 ( (藝術商品) 不以營利為目的的宣傳 (包括傳訊式銷售, 銷售渠道 (例如社區 ) 單一以供應為主的銷售 (包括傳訊式銷售,銷售渠道(例如.網際網路 ),定價 ) 服務為主的銷售 (包括藝術商品,傳訊式銷售,銷售渠道(例如:拍賣), 定價 )

在藝術商業中，先消費(收購)或作展銷的成本上先作投資，後銷售。這是藝術商品的獨有消費模式。所有牽涉當中的角色人物都一直在進行着商品消費，他們必須分享着相類同的價值觀才可把商品從購入/投資、銷售、到顧客購買整個過程順利完成。換句話說，畫廊或畫家並不能以單方面能定出藝術作品之價值，除非是極端例外的所謂泡沫藝術。與其他商品不同，傳統的生產者和消費者的劃分並不能應用在藝術商品上。藝術商品的銷售過程，如社會學家H.S.Becker所形容，藝術商業為一種 ―藝術世界內獨有的合作模式，從理念的成形到公眾的接收和傳釋，都是按只屬於藝術世界內獨有的運作模式去進行 – 整個過程是一種相互合作的經歷。這就是藝術品與其他商品的分別。‖[1]

[1] Meyer. (1998). Marketing and Art, p.271, Journal of Cultural Economics 22: 271–283.

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在藝術商業中，不單商品的消費形式採取了一種合作消費模型，就連 ―畫廊‖的社會角色也由獨立的畫商，轉為強調合作溝通的藝術機構，擔當着培養藝術消費促進者的角色。日本著名畫廊經營者小山登美夫對此現象進行了極細緻的觀察：―如果說畫廊商是美術近代化的證人，畫廊經營者或許是 ‗當代‘ 美術的隨行者，畫廊經營者是操盤手，在自己的畫廊發掘或發表挑選的藝術作品，探討社會價值，進而提升價值。畫商則近似於掮客或業務，追隨收藏家的立場從事活動，畫廊經營者近似經營業者或製作人，比較偏向藝術家。‖[1] 從這個新定義的角度看State-of-the-Arts Gallery，可見她也就在強調着這種新的角色概念：講求產品的開發和發展。我們看重藝術

家和觀賞者的美感培養和轉化，認為比鞏固已有的市場美感更有挑戰性。對我們而言，藝術商業以溝通為首要任務。要開拓本土市場，藝術家至少需要市場上的立足點，而畫廊對現有市場的理解往往較藝術家深，於是不同藝術家的立足點，也就能決定於他們個人的藝術風格以及畫廊對他們的了解 — 定位決定於兩者的互動溝通。正確來說，只談―銷售‖和―商品‖已不合時宜，現在畫廊做的，是把藝術品連繫上最合適的消費模式。由於在整個商品銷售的過程中，畫廊不單要開拓和帶領顧客去欣賞作品，更要跟不同的角色如藝評家和傳媒共同―消費‖商品，才能更完整地於整個銷售過程中表達出它的潛在意義，所以任何一件商品的銷售和成形也是獨立的，是耗時的，但是，美感經驗的引進和對顧客的培養正是畫廊在盈利前要先做好的功課。與其苛求即時但短暫的金錢利潤，藝術商業更應追求長遠的發展，給顧客引進新的審美眼光，擴闊他們的審美領域，給他們展示多樣性的藝術體驗和經歷。換句話說，體驗―美感銷售‖才是State-of-the-Arts Gallery的經營原則。雖然，到最後，利潤仍是商業目標

之一，即使金錢不盡是滿足感的來源。

4.2 藝術商業中的理性基於藝術創造是主觀的、非理性和個人的，大眾很容易武斷藝術市場為純投機性的商業機制。對於藝術商業中的不穩定因素，Jorn-zxelmeyer and Even在1991年對藝術界進行了一項研究，訪問了超過250間畫廊和2000位藝術家，調查他們對藝術商業中的不穩定性的看法和計算方法。

按次

對藝術商業畫廊中的成功要素

應用例子百分比

對市場敏感度

85%

畫廊名聲/公眾的注意

73%

有效的經營質量

65%

充實的財政狀況

63%

好的顧客關係/往來

47%

靠運氣

42%

畫廊位置(或場所)的選定

40%

有效的業務檢討審視

38%

藝術歷史認識

38% (圖 1)

[1] 小山登美夫. (2010).當代藝術商機, 周商出版, 32-33.

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Jorn-zxelmeyer 請畫廊經營者排列出導致畫廊成功的因素(圖1)。雖然―敏銳力‖排行首位，但一些較能計算的因素，如公共關係和管理素質也跟隨為第二和第三成功原因。此結果亦與Jorn-zxelmeyer 另一些訪問結果一致。他請畫廊選出挑選藝術家的準則 (圖 2)，雖然畫廊經理人都選擇―主觀喜好‖為首要條件，但一些較客觀的要素，如畫家創作風格、發展歷史，和畫家資歷都佔着重要的位置。對於Jorn-zxelmeyer 的研究結果，深表贊同，她認為畫廊經營者的主觀眼光跟客觀管理素質及策略同樣重要。

測試得分

畫廊選出挑選藝術家的準則

應用例子百分比

個人風格, 主觀審視/喜好

92%

作品形式、風格、可觀性

57%

畫家過住業績

32%

銷售性

25%

畫家在市場上認受性和知名度

19%

藝術修養、資歷

17%

學術背景

8 9

7% 其他考慮要素

12% (圖 2)

以下再以一個類似―得分咭‖的概念系統，補充Jorn-zxelmeyer 的研究結果，說明畫家和顧客對藝術市場及藝術品的理解：在任何一項藝術品交易中，各方在消費時也有著不同程度和角度的考量。一般來說，顧客的考量內容可分為三個層次：對顧客需求的考量 • 體積：顧客需要的藝術品大小 (通常較統一之體積和以1至1.5夲平米為較受歡迎) • 預算：顧客金錢付擔預算 (格價通常太低或太高都不宜，應在3至8萬圓港幣間為合) • 風格特色：顧客對藝術品風格或顏色的要求 • 作品主題：一般顧客對藝術及主題的喜好。對藝術家及其作品的考量 • 藝術家個人的哲理：藝術作品的意義 (藝術家需要明白顧客往往並不單純付鈔為購買画布上之悅目裝飾，更重要是收藏之幅畫作背後的故事和她的哲理)。 • 藝術技巧：表達此意義時所使用的藝術語言技巧，而此重要之處在於不易被模仿。 • 主題的吸收力和其持續性：能否有足夠的展品數量貫徹整個所探用的主題。 • 藝術家對長遠發展和在每3至5年間所作變化和改進之志向及能耐。對過往曾推廣和銷售價值的考量 • 展覽地點：作品過往曾展示地點和形式 • 銷售手法：作品銷售推廣代理 (畫廊、畫商經紀、綱上拍賣) 及訂價會否在各地或綱上有太大差距。又有否銷售復印品等。 • 適時的議題/活動：藝術品對社會或人生議題的切合 • 過往代理畫廊的背景簡歷：畫廊的風格 (一定程序反映作品的風格) 不同的人會對以上的因素予以不同的評分，這些不同的得分組合則構成不同的藝術取態。在藝術品交易中，對畫廊來說，就是要配合顧

客的已有計分組合，和引介新的組合模式給市場，於是在畫廊與藝術家及顧客之間真誠的溝通，仍是最為重要。

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4.3 畫廊與藝術家之共享願景 – 在哪裏共舞?

4.3.1 市場定位今天的畫廊已由中介經紀的角色轉型至市場促進者，帶領大眾分享美感觀點，引領顧客認識、觀賞及消費藝術品、與藝術家溝通和培育他們對市場的敏感度。也許在―得分咭‖系統內，最難取得和量度的資訊就是藝術家的思想哲學和作品意義。畫廊的新角色亦因此變得重要。我們曾接觸不少藝術技巧要得的作品和不少友善的藝術家，但要有表達能力高的畫作或藝術家，仍不是一件十分容易的事。於是，能否表達自己的思想理念，便成為畫廊挑選藝術家一個重要的考量。在賦予觀眾對藝術品作自身個人的演繹的同時，觀眾/顧客實在更有權利和需要去了解作品的意義，和藝術家的思想國度。這些資料亦對當代概念性和抽象藝術品的消費尤其重要。大眾越能掌握藝術資料，他們的消費就越準確，亦即是對藝術家、畫廊、和畫廊的市場認定過程有更清晰的分野。在藝術家認定自己的市場位置前，至少他們需要認淸自己的風格路線。如藝術家選擇畫廊和顧客，作畫風格和方式，至他們為作品的命名，每一個步驟也在逐步為自己在市場定位。 4.3.2 藝術家 v. 畫廊 – 公平的對立? 市場考量會削弱藝術家的創意和作品價值嗎? 藝術家在創作時應放眼放於市場嗎? 市場和創作能並存嗎? Hans在―為甚麼藝術家是窮困的?‖一書中直指出藝術市場中一直存在着的矛盾：雖然藝術市場的運作建基於金錢和利潤，但人們在經營市場時卻不可展示這個面向，否則不但會破壞藝術家的事業，更有損長期利潤。由於此舉危害了―藝術無價‖的概念，因而任何人一旦把金錢和利潤的面向暴露，他們將受到藝術市場的懲罰。事實上，在藝術市場運作中，金錢動機一直存在，只是此面向被刻意地遮掩了。‖[3]

同樣地，村上隆在他2006年出版的書中，談及藝術與市場需求之間密切的關係時說： ―沒有錢的時候, 就是得做這些事情[去賣酒的商店後門, 跟人家要廢棄的紙箱, 把作品打包寄出去] 。不管做什麼事，都異常地花時間，而為了縮短這樣的時間, 也需要金錢的力量. 所以如果有錢，就可以買到時間來縮短製作上要耗費的時間…藝術需要金錢跟時間…‖[4] 接着，他指出回應市場需求其實正是藝術在社會上的角色，藝術家的責任。我認為一個成功的藝術家必須能忠於自己的理念，亦能讓觀賞者明白他的作品的用意，包括作品的表現形式，色彩光映，用料輕重等等。對我而言，藝術沒錯是自由創作，但卻應該有一套遊戲規則。而成功的藝術家雖不只於每一步都依規則，但至少亦應該尊重它。村上隆又提出藝術家應能從市場需求和自我理念中取得平衡，保留創作自主性: ―如果說現代的資助者是顧客的話，顧客的發言會左右藝術是再正常不過的了，在理解了顧客的需求之後, 回應他們的需求, 同時也刻意當作耳邊風似地在作品中留下反叛的部分，不確保這種生活方式的話, 現在藝術家的活動會在經濟上遇到挫敗.‖ [5]

雖然有說市場考慮是創作自由的綑綁，但事實上，藝術表現的領域是廣闊的，市場元素只是其中一個出發點。當藝術家分辨出作品內的市場關注點後，他們就可進一步擴大那語言，表達出自己的藝術理念。而且，當市場指的並不單是金錢回報，更是大眾欣賞作品的原因時，藝術家就更能從中觀看自己作品與大眾眼光的共鳴處，更能明白大眾有的，沒有的，需要的是怎麼樣的衝擊。當藝術以捕捉和回應人文為目的時，不同的民眾對不同藝術品的喜好便能給予藝術家一些創作目標的指引，於是市場因素便能作為畫廊和藝術家之間一個重要的議題。讓藝術家去反思如何、從哪起點，去把觀眾動容，感動他們。 [1] Hans, Abbing. (2002). Why are artists poor?: the exceptional economy of the arts. Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press. [2] 村上隆. (2006). 藝術創業論, 商周出版, p.42. [3] 村上隆 (2006). 藝術創業論, 商周出版, p.65

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能讓人期待的新作品和吸引我們去進一步理解的，是感動人心的作品。因為她比用色技巧精湛的作品來得更困難。我們希望代理的作品是要讓人感動的。或至少是能代表到我們畫廊所代表的客人的品味的，但就不是每個藝術家也懂得甚麼及如何讓人起共鳴。

作品吸引，就是有市場潛力，但要真正穩站於市場，藝術家定要明白他們顧客品味的切入點 – 甚麼方式更能打動這一批觀賞者，接着才可以與大眾交流甚或轉變他們的美學觀。從這角度看，市場力量實是一個與觀賞者溝通的提示，也許這就是藝術感染力的其中一個切入點。但是，當藝術家往往拒絕了市場，他們亦即拒絕了這個感動大眾的藝術切入點。但往往一般不是全職或較年輕的畫家就祗是按自已的喜好、提材，或在無週長計劃下創作，並設想畫廊祗是一個供作展銷的平台，而非合作夥伴。而本土亦少有獨家代理的合約關係。那麽一般畫廊的投資決定在那裡可望回報? 4.4 商業畫廊：專業、熱情、耐力在經營商業畫廊時，專業、熱情、耐力 (3 P: professional, Passion& Patient) 是不可缺少的、決定性的因素。個人眼光對畫廊經營極具影響力，此個人主觀性導致到畫廊多以獨資經營的運作模式出現，於是決策和風險承擔都會是較個人的決定，這種運作亦反映出畫廊商業的獨特性：以藝術作為商業經營的投資回報和盈利時間線是難以計算的，所以個人主觀的專業眼光對畫廊經營佔着重要的一席位。既然是商業畫廊的運作，一切都應從商業或所謂市場學或銷售推廣的方式來制定生意的策略吧? 但事實正是最大的矛盾，就是一般在所謂市場管理學上所說的理論都是用不上的。例如沒有既定方式找尋客顧，沒有既定廣告或銷售的方式等等。這亦是一般人對畫廊耐人尋味之處。除眼光外，經營者對藝術的熱情和堅定的信念亦是維持畫廊生命的要素。由作品篩選、市場定位、到宣傳策略都極須經營者對自我信念的肯定來推進。加上當畫廊要做的是―培育‖藝術家和藝術觀在市場中的成長，轉化或加強市場上的美學觀，時間和耐力就會是成就這種長期業務的關鍵。這項文化工程，並不是任何一次性的宣傳活動便能達到的。雖然，新成立的商務往往由於缺乏生產和展示商品的平台，會遇到極多的困難，但在於畫廊商業中，―新‖成立往往是最有利的時機， ―新‖— 在藝術領域中是吸引的，令人興奮的，所以不乏展示平台和好奇的潛力顧客，而耐力就變得格外重要了，畢竟品味市場是一場費時的耐力賽。一般商業的畫廊，往往要用上多年的時間，經過不斷發掘有潛資但又有一定叫座力的畫家合作，才開始會有一定的被認知性及培養出顧客對畫廊個性的欣賞。所以一位出色的全職畫家，一方面會用心找到合適的畫廊的同時，也要對其畫廊的發展方向、理念有着一定的認同和心態上的默契和配合。

文字處理及資料搜集: 陳婉君意見提供: 梁達生

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Chapter Five (5) In between Gallery and Artist 在畫廊與藝術家之間

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In between Gallery and Artist 5.1. Introduction – Where Does the Line Lie? Establishing one‟s own gallery may be the ultimate dream of the incalculable art-lovers and artists out there. Yet before jumping into the romantic idealization of such, one must acknowledge that running a commercial gallery may not be as free and simple as acquiring personally-favored works to hang in your apartment. After all, galleries do not merely display and share, but sell artworks; and if running galleries is a business that requires monetary return, then gallerists and professional artists, except leisure or parttime painters, must never forget there is a market out there that needs to communicate to.

Business is about how products communicate with consumers. In the case of the arts, gallery can be the bridge between the two. „As a gallerist, I see running State-of-the-Arts Gallery as communicating with artists and viewers, or in other words, art producers

and markets. And I hope artists can see the significance of communicating with our gallery and the local market.‟ – Samues It has long been viewed as a taboo to mention terms such as „market‟, „products‟ or „profit‟ in front of an artist. Joseph Schumpeter argued, „capitalism leads to creative destruction[1]; art historian Meyer Schapiro also warned that collapsing the differences between artistic and commercial value is harmful to the artistic development of a community[2]. Yet artists should not be afraid to see audience as „market‟ and gallery as „marketer‟, because no matter how reluctant art-lovers are to accept, from a gallerist‟s point of view, gallery is a commercial art platform that presents decorative arts to potential buyers, surviving in the sphere of supply and demand.

However, as art-lovers ourselves, we understand that art is personal, subjective and emotional; we fall in love with a piece of work not simply because of an artist‟s techniques or qualifications, but sometimes, a mere rush of adrenaline. To be concise, many

gallerists adopt a subjective and emotional attitude towards artists, collaborating with artists they „like‟ and rejecting those they „don‟t connect with‟.

So what have we learned in the past 7 years trying to establish State-of-the-Arts Gallery as a sustainable business amidst the commercial market? Despite the arts being a subjective experience, we, as gallerists, have learned to adopt a systematic approach to support this business that we run in order to pursue our interest and living at the same time.

[1] Kuspit, D., 2007. Art Values or Market Values. Talk speech given on „Art Values or Money Values: An analysis of Art Prices in 2006‟ at the New York Studio School. Joseph Schumpeter was an Austrian economist and political scientist who popularized the term „creative destruction‟ in economics. [2] Ibid. Meyer Schapiro was an American art historian known for his research on the linkage among history, society and politics of art pieces.

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5.2. Defining Work Quality and Communication Approach Every month we receive hundreds of emails from artists worldwide looking for a place at our gallery, it is therefore essential for us

to screen through the incoming offers and select what we need. „What I am dealing with is hundreds of artists with different cultural backgrounds, languages, personality and artistic style; it is not an easy task. With such vast options, I cannot afford to be emotional. This is why I evaluate the artists‟ work quality and communication approach right away as the systematic ground for the gate-keeping process.‟ - Samues

Work quality and communication approach are the evaluation groundwork in this subjective industry.

How to define work quality?

History of artist – biography, portfolio, current representing gallery, past exhibitions, and public recognition

Personality – artists‟ passion for the arts, and personal philosophy of their messages on the canvas

Artistic Technique – style, colors, brushstrokes, medium choice, and above all, uniqueness

Innovation – works that are not easily replicated and reflect the artists‟ evolution of techniques over years

Intensiveness & Comprehensiveness – ability to capture attention and reflect passion through various medium

Potential – artists‟ willingness and initiative to compromise and improve their style in order to develop themselves and their markets

Feedback – voices of critics and audience

How to define communication approach?

Attitude – artists‟ passion for their life value and beauty of the arts, readiness to work with the gallery to boost sales,

proactive manner instead of complaint-orientation 2.

Responsiveness – ability to work with the gallery as a team member instead of mere art supplier

Discipline – capability to meet deadlines for logistic arrangement

Language – special concern with non-English speaking artists who are difficult to communicate with without translation support

Consideration of gallery and local market – artists should consider the taste of local market before developing their own works, and should remind themselves of the importance of communicating with the gallery

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Let‟s not misunderstand. Our gallery does not see artworks simply as commercial products that cater to whatever consumers ask for; and market is not measured by monetary value, but what the public enjoys and why. Acknowledging and reflecting upon the local market do not necessarily limit creativity, but enhance the communicative power of artists to the public. „There are thousands of interpretations of the term “artist”, and I believe “product producer” can be one from a marketing management standpoint. Yet how many artists are willing to accept this? What I have learned in the past 7 years is that many of them are aware of this but reluctant to admit such role. This definitely harms the artist‟s collaboration with our gallery and his connection with the public‟ – Samues „Art only starts to live when someone else takes a closer look,‟ says Gérard Knabl

[3],

our Austrian gallery partner. We cannot agree

more. A piece of art needs an audience to complete its meaning. This is why communication should be the first priority of an artist. However, many artists lack such view, therefore neglect the need to communicate with our gallery and the market. „Even I personally admire the artist, as a gallerist, I always have to remind myself that we are both participating in a business

partnership and we have our own responsibilities and roles. In order to communicate to the audience and let more people appreciate their works, our gallery needs to know the artists‟ cutting edge and marketing strength.‟ – Samues

A piece of art on its own does not do all the talking.

Our gallery holds on to our belief that we communicate with our artists and understand the story behind their canvases before we find the best way to communicate their ideas to the public.

We hope our artists feel the same way.

[3] Please see the Foreword chapter written by our Austrian partner Gérard Knabl

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5.3. Customizing our approach State-of-the-Arts Gallery, in our 7 years of experience, has of course met artists of various qualities and communication styles, because they are, after all, individuals with their unique characters. Our gallery‟s relationship with every artist is a personal and special one, requiring us to adopt specific ways of communication. Our experiences tell us that communicating with artists generally falls into the following scenarios, according to their work quality and communication style. „I am aware that artists may be frustrated at times when their collaborations with galleries do not work out as expected, especially when the communication process in the art industry is not a transparent issue.‟ – Samues

We therefore hope to share our views on the possibilities in the communication between galleries and artists, offering alternatives

that may help artists communicate with gallerists and viewers more effectively.

Communicating with Mature and Commercial Artists Artworks with high quality consolidate our gallery‟s confidence in maintaining a sustainable relationship with the artists, as they mean positive public and media attention, as well as satisfying sales. Mature artists tend to understand the need of addressing commercial concerns, and thus, are more ready and proactive to communicate with the gallery to discuss issues such as having a cutting edge for advertising, media exposure, and audience feedback. Comprehensive and tight communication includes telephone, emails and meetings if possible. These circumstances provide a perfect opportunity for our gallery and the artists to exchange artistic and market information that is crucial to finding the appropriate way of reaching the public.

„It will be ideal if an artist is able to be connected with to the market feedback and maintain his own style and quality. Communicating with our artists, Emil Herker, Christan Pendelio and Sanae Takahata, for instance, is a pleasure. Not only are their works creative and inspiring, but they are also willing to confer with us on alternative painted subjects in order to increase their communicating power with their audience. Our business relationship has now developed into a personal one, with our visiting to them in their home countries and they visit us in Hong Kong alternatively.‟ – Samues

With such delightful interactions, sales return and foreseeable potential, galleries have no reason not to develop an ongoing contract with these artists, investing on payable advertisements, public events such as art fairs, and other exhibition venues. In return, we can see that artists gradually build up confidence in our gallery and the advice we offer, thus are motivated to create innovative works. Controversial figure Takashi Murakami sees money as an essential support for artistic creation and points out that in the world of contemporary arts where concept outweighs technique, communicating an artist‟s idea with the market is even more important [4].

[4] Murakami, T., 2007. Theory of starting your art business (Translated). 2007. Taipei: Cite Publishing Ltd. P.54

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High work quality and communication approach contribute to healthy and open relationships between artists and galleries, alleviating the tension between artistic and profit pursue. We believe communication is the key to an agreeable collaboration between our artists and us. Furthermore, it is also our gallery‟s responsibility to encourage our artists to be innovative and reach out of the box in which they currently stand.

„Mature artists should aim to transcend their limits from time to time. It is ideal for an artist to deliver a new series every 3 years and to adopt a fresh style every 5 years, because being experimental and innovative are qualities that we look for in a “good” artist, similar to the idea of “product-life-cycle” in the market place. Although consumers do not always critically evaluate an artist‟s evolution path, professional collectors do consider it a plus that can increase the value of his collection.‟ – Samues However, this is not an easy step to take, as many successful artists are reluctant to let go of their „peak‟ and refuse to change their artistic styles. This is perhaps especially problematic in the current Chinese ink painting sector.

Communicating with Established Artists who Lack Sound Sales and Communication

Established artists, due to their worldwide recognition and artistic technique, tend to drive their prices high while producing a relatively low quantity of oversized works. As an art-lover, State-of-the-Arts Gallery in no way denies their artistic achievement and quality, however, as a commercial gallery, we cannot be oblivious to the possible risks they bring to our gallery, because they require a high level of time and effort input but speak ineffectively to market needs. Too often, an artist is too indulged in the world he encodes and forgets the world that decodes his message, as a result, the bridge between the artist and the public is broken and communication fails.

Failed communication leads to a sense of disconnection between artists, gallerists and markets. The gallery is then forced to give up the artists‟ contracts as they do not appeal to the audience; although, in some rare cases, high work quality and personal preferences together may lead to ongoing collaborations. In the past 7 years, State-of-the-Arts Gallery has realized a challenge dealing with international artists – language barrier. Very often, miscommunication is not intentional, but inevitable, as many artists do not speak English and require translators or art managers to speak for them. „Speaking through a translator or manager is a possibility, yet this definitely inhibits the direct communication between the artist and our gallery, and thus, the trust development between us. Gallery is a cultural industry. Gallerists, as marketer, need to know what they are selling, preferably explained directly by the artist.‟ – Samues

As Takashi Murakami puts it, communication works such as translating artist statement for the gallery is a basic responsibility of an artist who aspires to reach overseas market

[5].

It is always painful for us to realize that the beauty in an artist‟s works is neglected

in the cases of miscommunication. To overlook such beauty is to overlook an artist‟s creativity and strength; and this is what we want to see least in our gallery.

[5] Ibid. P.55.

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In retrospect, there are many talented artists, namely Thoma Ryse, Gina Intveen, Isabel Garfias, Coplu, Herbert Fuchs and Christian Hofman, that we have had sound communication with and understand each other well, yet had space to perform better in boosting sales. We acknowledge that it is a time-and effort-consuming process for both artists and galleries to negotiate, contract, prepare showcases and evaluate afterwards, and such process involves certain expectations and responsibilities. Yet no matter how the sales turn out, better communication can nevertheless enhance the enjoyment of our partnership process.

Communicating with Emerging Artists

Many gallerists find it less stressful to communicate with emerging artists who are eager to establish themselves in new markets. It is undoubtedly an enjoyable experience as emerging artists usually show a proactive and sincere attitude, willing to take our advice into consideration and listen to the local market‟s voice, because they tend to appeal to our gallery through effective communication, such as high responsiveness and proactive attitude. „It is like having a friend who is willing to listen critically and speaks to me honestly. Some emerging artists may not be completely mature in their technique and style, but their willingness to communicate opens up new possibilities. It encourages me to help them more in understanding the local market.‟ – Samues

Although the future of an ongoing contract still depends on whether our gallery sees new potential in them, an open communication approach nevertheless encourages gallerists to be more patient and understanding when developing a more transparent relationship with the artists.

While some artists lose themselves in creating art pieces and forget about the need to communicate, others are too caught up in communicating with the market and forget about their artistic pursuit. Striking a balance between work quality and communication is perhaps one of the biggest challenges for a commercial artist. We understand an emerging artist being ambitious for global coverage, especially through the means of Internet communication. „Yet it is dangerous when an artist forgets about his role as a product producer or art creator, because then he will find himself becoming a mere “marketer” that has no quality work to show the market.‟ – Samues

We once encountered an Australian painter who was extremely enthusiastic. Not only was she proactive in contacting us and offering us promotional ideas, but also eager enough to send us DVDs showing her painting process, which took merely 30 minutes to finish one painting. When gallerists evaluate an artist‟s quality and find an overwhelming amount of Internet publicity and self-promotion, we cannot help but wonder: how much energy is left to develop one‟s artistic work and knowledge?

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Communicating with Inexperienced and Young Artists An artist is the gallery‟s most intimate partner. State-of-the-Arts Gallery has been looking for the perfect partner and the ideal relationship in the past 7 years. There are times when our gallery and the artists have very different definitions of work quality and communication, resulting in mistrust, dispute, misunderstanding, and finally, failed collaborations. „What is more important than mourning for the failed relationship is to reflect on why it fails. I have met artists that lack focus on their works and rarely communicate with the gallery. It is an impossible task to manage them and sell their works in the market.‟ – Samues

Some artists see their works as consignment goods at a gallery and fail to think about ways to boost sales, co-ordinate works among regions or develop new style for local markets. In this sense, the artist loses the power to communicate and appeal to his audience, and ends up receiving negative market response, especially during his/her initial exhibitions. „This is unhealthy to the artist‟s self-development and the communication within the art industry. Isn‟t it sad to see a piece of art fails

to speak and connect with its audience?‟ – Samues

When an artist does not listen to the market voice, he does not know what he is lacking, and it is a cul-de-sac for the artist himself and his collaboration with our gallery. Without a clear idea of what and how to sell the works, the gallery has no choice but to limit

its investment, commitment and support for such artists. Such relationships between galleries and artists can only end in parting. 5.4. Love at first sight? – How communication fits into the collaboration between artists and galleries? Very often, you encounter a piece of art and fall in love with it before learning about the artist‟s history, technique or reputation. It is like love at first sight. Instead of „solid‟ grounds such as knowledge, global recognition or critiques, a viewer may realize that how he „feels‟ is usually more powerful than what he „knows‟. „I believe appreciating or buying a piece of art is an emotional process, because apart from techniques and esteem, viewers also look for passion in the piece. As a gallerist and viewer, I also look for artists and works that touch my emotion.‟ – Samues

Selling a piece of art to the market is like telling the artist‟s story to an audience. In order to tell the story with heart and passion, we have to be touched by the story. To achieve this, the artists have to be passionate about his works and, more importantly, communicate such passion to us. „Work quality and communication may sound rather rational, but I see their close link with emotional appeal. After all, high work quality appeals to my confidence in the artist, while effective communication eases my pressure and uncertainties. Our long-term partner and friend, Emil Herker, has showed us how to maintain the balance between work and emotion. He is one of the most established artists I have met, with topmost quality and intriguing personality. He also has a firm and clear vision of his artistic pursue. During his numerous visits to Hong Kong, he communicated with our gallery in a passionate, open, humorous, and proactive manner. Everyone at our gallery shares the knowledge of and passion for his works that are more than just canvases.‟ – Samues

Our passion for Emil‟s works is reflected in the positive responses from critiques, markets and sales record throughout our collaboration, which will be maintained.

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Conclusion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Striking a balance between appreciation and business It would be too ambitious for us, gallerists and curators of an international art gallery, to lecture on the survival of an industry that is filled with so much variation, possibilities and exceptions.

It is true that running a gallery involves subjective judgment, because it concerns with whether the gallerist communicates with an artist happily. Yet it is still necessary to establish selection and management approaches, as there are so many artists looking for limited places in local galleries everyday. For State-of-the-Arts Gallery, it is even more crucial to have such a systematic approach because apart from the large number of artists, we have various languages, culture and geographical location to evaluate.

What we have learned is that communication is vital between product producers and marketers, that is, artists and galleries. Artists

should not be intimidated to bring up commercial considerations, because a responsible gallery would never overrate commercial concerns and neglect artistic values. At the same time, a responsible artist should have a firm standpoint and strike the balance between commercial and personal pursue. It is only through working together with these considerations in mind that galleries and artists can join hands to enrich the art community and fulfill each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x;s dream â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to enjoy, appreciate and spread the passion for arts.

Elizabeth Lau State-of-the-Arts Gallery Art Curator

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在畫廊與藝術家之間 5.1. 藝術與商業的矛盾

擁有屬於自己的畫廊是不少藝術愛好者的夢想。每天欣賞和分享喜歡的藝術品，何其寫意？只是，這或許是個美麗的幻想而已。當一個人把藝術作為事業或靠它謀生，就必須明白經營畫廊並不等於挑選幾幅佳作掛於客廳。因為除了個人喜好和與眾分享，這還是一門商業經營，要有資金才能生存。也因此，畫廊絕不能無視市場溝通的重要性。商業的藝術是商品與顧客之間的溝通。這套用在藝術品與觀賞者的關係上，畫廊便成為兩者間不可缺的橋樑。「經營 State-of-the-Arts畫廊是希望它能連繫藝術家與觀賞者，成為藝術創作與市場的橋樑。作為藝術家，跟本地市場溝通是必要的。」- Samues 對藝術界說甚麼「市場」和「商業」一向被大多數人視為禁忌。商業與藝術總被視為不能共存的日與夜。經濟學家約瑟夫‧熊彼特（Joseph Schumpeter) 說過「資本主意破壞自由創作」。藝術歷史學家梅亞‧夏彼洛（Meyer Schapiro) 更指出「把藝術和商業價值掛勾只會對藝術發展帶來負面影響」。但現實是否如此？無論藝術愛好者多麼理想化地不把藝術放在商業世界，從畫廊經營者的角度，畫廊卻是一項文化產業，必須在市場供求的環境生存。因此，藝術家不應怕跟市場（觀賞者）和商業經營（畫廊）扯上關係。畫廊看似一個弔詭主觀的行業。State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊也是愛畫之人，當然明白對一幅藝術作品的喜愛並不只建基於畫家本身的技術和資歷。很多時候，只是一時衝動。畫廊與藝術家的關係也是主觀的，夾雜不少個人喜好和情感。正因藝術行業都是主觀的，State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊於過往7年不斷摸索在香港藝術市場生存的哲學。經驗告訴我們，縱使藝術弔詭又主觀，如果畫廊要持續經營，就必須有一套完善的經營系統，助我們在這行業中找到章法。

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5.2 作品質素與溝通方式

State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫郎每月收到不少來自世界各地畫家的電郵，希望跟我們合作展出作品。但我們的資源、時間和精神始終有限，這就必須有效率地從中篩選適合我們畫廊的藝術家。「當我面對這麼多不同國藉，語言，性格和風格的藝術家，我不能讓自己的主觀情緒做決定。我需要一套有效率和系統的基準來評估藝術家的質素。」- Samues State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊認為藝術作品的質素和藝術家的溝通方式兩者是畫廊對藝術家作評估的基礎。何謂作品質素？ •

藝術家往績 - 代表畫廊，過往展覽，媒體報導，過往作品

•

藝術家性格 - 對藝術的熱誠，作品中蘊含的個人理念

•

技術 - 風格，色彩運用，筆觸，用料，以及獨特性

•

創意 - 作品必須創新，超越藝術家自己過往作品，及展現其成長

•

深度 - 作品必須吸引市場目光及反映創作者熱誠

•

潛質 - 藝術家應主動與畫廊協商改進空間，以發展本土市場

•

耐心聆聽 - 藝術家應常觀察及接受藝評和觀賞者的聲音

何謂溝通方式？ •

態度藝術家對藝術和商業的的價值觀，與畫廊合作協商的主動性

•

合作性跟畫廊合作的團隊精神

•

紀律守信遵守與畫廊的約定，如期提交作品

•

語言跟英語非母語的藝術家溝通有一定的困難

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對畫廊和市場的考慮藝術家應考慮本土市場的品味，以及常跟畫廊溝通以了解市場

縱使作為商業畫廊，我們卻不是把藝術視為單純的無靈魂的商品，我們口中的市場也不限於金錢回報，而是大眾對藝術的喜好和反思。藝術的其中一個目的是作為藝術家與大眾交流的媒介。對本土市場作出考慮或反思不但不會污染藝術創作，反而能提升藝術家跟觀眾的交流。「從市場管理學的角度，『藝術家』可說是藝術產品的生產者。但又有多少藝術家願意承認這身份？過往7年，我看到很多藝術家明白這道理卻不願接受。這不但損害藝術家跟畫廊的合作關係，也破壞他們跟大眾溝通的橋樑。」 - Samues 正如State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊的合作伙伴Gerard Knabl於前言提到，「藝術品的意義和生命都是觀賞者賦予的」。正因藝術品需要觀賞者的傳譯，所以跟觀賞者的溝通便成了藝術創作不可缺少的一部分。

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「不論我多欣賞某藝術家的作品，作為畫廊經營者，我必須時刻提醒自己藝術家跟我都各有責任。如果藝術家希望跟觀賞者有更深的交流，就必須多跟畫廊溝通，讓畫廊明白他們的個人特色與市場切入點。」- Samues 如果畫廊和觀賞者都不明白藝術品背後的意義，一件藝術品並沒有靈魂。 State-of-the-Arts Gallery深信跟大眾最好的

交流方式就是藝術家與畫廊維持良好的溝通，讓畫廊把畫布背後的故事傳達給大眾。

5.3 溝通模式過去 State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊與不少藝術家結緣，建立合作關係，有的長久，有的終結。能成為藝術家，他們必定有其獨特的作品風格和性格，畫廊亦需要用不同的方式跟他們接觸。在這裡，我們希望與讀者分享一些跟藝術家相處的經驗。「很多時，藝術家並不明白跟畫廊的合作問題出在哪，不禁感到氣餒。尤其當這行業的溝通方式缺少對外界的透明度。」- Samues 透過我們的分享，我們希望讓大眾和藝術家窺探一下畫廊與藝術家之間微妙的亦商亦友的關係。就經驗而言，跟藝術家的交流大致可依作品質素和溝通可分為以下4種情況。一. 與經驗豐富的專業藝術家溝通畫廊與藝術家最理想的關係應建基於良好的作品質素和緊密的溝通方式上。高質素的作品不但能引起傳媒和大眾的興趣，提升銷售額，更令畫廊內每位工作人員賞心悅目，寓工作於興趣。這無疑提高畫廊對藝術家的信心，從而定下長期的合作關係。大多數展覽經驗豐富的藝術家皆明白畫廊所顧慮的商業因素，更會主動跟畫廊溝通，商討宣傳手法，新聞稿，市場反應等重要事情，讓兩者的工作都事半功倍，順利流暢。透過緊密的聯繫，如電話，電郵，甚至會面，畫廊與藝術

家互相分享藝術和市場資訊，不斷磨合了解，便能找到跟大眾溝通的最佳模式。「最理想當然是既能細心聆聽香港藝術市場需要又能保持作品風格和質素的藝術家。 State-of-the-Arts Gallery 畫廊當中以艾米‧克架 (Emil Herker),柏德高(Christain Pendelio)和高畑早苗 Sanae Takahata最令我欣賞。他倆的作品創新且富啟發性，而且他們主動與畫廊探究香港市場接受的題材，從而提升自己於大眾的交流。我們互補不足，不但是商業伙伴，更是真心好友。」- Samues 大家嘗試設身處地，假如你跟藝術家之間交流愉快，合作帶來商業前景，藝術家又富進步空間，你還有甚麼原因不跟他發展長遠的合作關係？因此，面對這些藝術家，在公在私，畫廊也樂意投放資源宣傳或舉辦各種藝術活動。另一方面，藝術家亦因此對我們畫廊抱有信心，接納我們意見並創作更多迎合本土市場的作品。日本著名藝術家村上隆不但認為資

金是藝術創作的必需品，更指出由於當代藝術概念勝於技巧，把創作概念傳達給市場就變得更重要。由此可見，高質素作品和溝通造就了畫廊跟藝術家誠懇和健康的關係，彼此信任，減低了商業和藝術之間的衝突。

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除了反映本土市場需要，State-of-the-Arts Gallery也致力鼓勵我們的伙伴不斷創新，挑戰自己，跳出框框。「專業的藝術家應該勇於挑戰自己。我認為他們應每3年推出一個新系列，每5年建立新風格。不論那產品推出時多受歡迎，都是有壽命的。如果作品能展示藝術家多年來的進步演變，必能提高作品的收藏價值。」- Samues 對很多人而言，開創新風格並非易事。只是，如果藝術只留戀以往佳績而卻步不前，就好比把自己封在死胡同。這情況於香港的彩墨畫界尤其常見，十分可惜。二. 與作品質素高但是欠市場考慮的藝術家溝通

藝術是創作與欣賞的交流。缺少任何一方都會破壞其完整性。作品質素高的藝術家對自己的藝術技巧有信心，又因為他們已建立國際知名度，作品總是質高量少，價錢也不可親。作為觀眾， State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊不免被他們實力迷倒，沉醉於那些作品中。矛盾的是，同時作為商業畫廊的我們，總不能無視這類藝術家對畫廊經營帶來的風險吧？跟他們相處，得花雙倍的時間精力，但量少價高的問題卻令畫廊承受較大市場壓力。很多時候，他們就是對自己太有信心，封閉於狹窄的創作小宇宙而忽略了對面岸的觀眾。那麼，兩者間的橋樑當然斷掉。要是一名藝術家不懂與觀賞者和畫廊溝通，工作事倍功半，畫廊亦被迫放棄合作。縱使有時候，高質素作品和畫廊對藝術家的喜愛會鼓勵我們嘗試繼續合作，但這段關係也充滿重擔。作為推動國際藝術的畫廊， State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊與來自世界各地的藝術家合作，他們的母語也不一定是英語。

語言障礙成為了我們經常面對的問題。由於不能以英語直接溝通，藝術家很多時候要依賴翻譯或經理人與畫廊交涉。「透過第三者與藝術家溝通始終不如直接交流。這樣好比建了一道牆在我們之間，較難建立信任的關係。畫廊是一項文化產業，當然有商業顧慮。向市場推銷藝術作品之前，我必須清楚了解推銷的產品，而這得靠藝術家跟我的溝通。」- Samues 村上隆也就語言障礙發表意見。他認為假如藝術家想發展海外市場，像新聞稿翻譯等溝通應屬藝術家方面的工作。對我們而言，最可惜莫過於由於溝通失誤而白白埋沒了作品中值得留意的美。因為這代表了創作者的創意，修養和技巧。回看過往的合作伙伴，當中不乏有實力又主動的畫家，如Thoma Ryse，Gina Intveen，Isabel Garfias，Coplu，

Herbert Fuchs和Christian Hofman。我們認為與他們的合作，在市場推廣和協商方面仍有進步空間。在畫廊與藝術家合作的漫漫長路上，精神與時間花費絕不少。不論銷售成績如何，良好的交流始終為合作關係增添樂趣與享受。

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三.

與新晉藝術家溝通

跟初出茅廬的藝術家溝通總令畫廊興奮，因為能夠幫助新晉畫家開拓新市場一向是State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊的使命。再者，新晉藝術家經驗尚淺，卻不吝嗇以緊密溝通取勝，更會虛心聆聽我們提供的市場意見。「這樣的合作伙伴耐心聆聽，也勇於發表意見，跟他們交流互動性高，就像跟好友談天，從容自在。他們當中，有部分技藝也許尚未純熟，但他們的主動和合作性卻給了我信心，希望跟他們並肩開拓香港市場。」- Samues 雖然合作前景仍取決於藝術家的進步空間和觀眾回響，但溝通良好的藝術家始終佔優，因為畫廊對於這樣的交流必定信任有加。但另一邊廂，藝術家也不應忘記維持作品水準，不斷增值自己，決不能只顧與市場交流，而遺忘了藝術創作。

我們明白兩者平衡並非易事，年輕主動的藝術家也希望早點建立自己的國際知名度。「但是如果藝術家只記掛宣傳自己，而忽略了作為藝術創作者應該提升技巧和創作的責任，那他做銷售賣畫可能更勝任。」Samues State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊就遇過一位非常主動的年青澳洲女畫家。她在宣傳和協商過程已非常主動，但畫功則還有一定矩離。最令我們吃驚的是她郵寄了一些光碟給我們，展示她創作繪畫的過程。吃驚的是我們發現她只花30分鐘便完成一幅作品。我們亦不禁問會有顧客願花數萬元買一幅像速寫一樣的畫作嗎? 如果藝術家花這麼多精力自我宣傳，剩下來創作藝術的時間又有多少呢？

四. 與缺乏經驗或熱誠的藝術家溝通藝術家是畫廊最親密的戰友。在過往7年尋找最佳拍檔的光陰， State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊也遇過不少因了解或未能了解而分開的過客。在藝術與商業方面，畫廊與藝術家之間難免存在分歧或誤會，彼此對作品質素和溝通模式也抱不同態度。「面對失敗的合作，最重要是自我檢討，讓今天的失敗變成明天的動力。多年來，再不負責任的藝術家我也遇過。有的不守信用，有的不事生產，更有些總聯絡不想。跟他們合作真是傷透腦筋。」Samues 畫廊並不是把牆壁租借給藝術家掛畫。只是，有些藝術家僅把畫廊看成是他/她的分銷商，不主動跟我們商討對應市場的

策略或本土市場的品味。這樣的作品又怎會觸及觀賞者的心靈？市場也當然不會喜歡。「這種單向的創作模式對藝術家自身的發展和跟畫廊的交流都有負面影響。不能跟觀賞者溝通的藝術家只是一件死物，沒有靈魂。這樣，作為藝術家也是失格的。」Samues 不明白商業畫的需要，藝術家不會明白自己失敗的原因和缺少的因素。這不就是把自己關進死胡同？再說，如果欠交流，畫廊亦不清楚所賣作品的意義，也只好削減宣傳開資和支持。

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5.4 藝術其實是一見鐘情？說了這麼多，讀者可能會說：「我看到一件藝術品的第一眼，便已愛上了它。」在這充滿「一見鐘情」的行業說甚麼篩選基準和經營系統，彷彿有點多餘。「說到底，欣賞或購買藝術品都是主觀的個人體驗。除了技巧和背景，觀眾最想看到的還是藝術家的熱誠吧。同時作為畫廊經營者與觀眾的我，也在尋找可感動我的作品。」- Samues 那麼，作品質素與溝通在這麼主觀的體驗中有何作用？畫廊把一件作品介紹到市場上，就好像對觀眾說故事。要故事動聽，我們必須先相信她，被她感動。這就得靠藝術家直接把他們的熱誠理念透過作品溝通傳達給我們。「作品質素與溝通其實不離我的主觀情感。高質素作品令我對畫家信心大增，緊密溝通則減低我的壓力。艾米‧克架（Emil Herker）自與我們畫廊合作，一直在藝術創作與溝通間維持平衡。他熱情開朗的個性和對藝術追求的執著，也感動了畫廊的工作人員。看著大家熱心積極地分享艾米(Emil)的作品，就是最讓我感欣慰的。」- Samues 我們對艾米(Emil) 的喜愛，加上他的過人實力，令香港市場和傳媒也反應良好，銷售成績理想。這樣的關係不就是如魚得水，我們又怎捨得分開？

5.5 總結作為在香港龐大藝術市場裡的其中一間畫廊，我們看到這行業的多元化及增長的空間。但畫廊本身的定位及個性是最重要。不容置疑，經營畫廊是主觀的。因為經營者必須享受與藝術家的溝通。但面對著有限的展示空間和眾多的藝術家，經營的選擇還是需要要有系統地執行。 State-of-the-Arts Gallery作為國際畫廊，面對不同的畫家，語言和文化，就更需要一套持之有效的運作原則。過去經驗告訴我們，藝術家（則產品提供者）和畫廊（作為推廣之橋樑）間交流和信任的重要性。商業考慮並不一定會握殺藝術創作。因為有自我理想和信念的畫廊決不會忘記藝術的價值。而藝術家亦應對自己有信心，在長遠之創作和銷售路上，兩者之間取得平衡。畫廊與藝術家必須並肩而行，互相了解，才能實現理想和與大眾分享藝術，令香港藝術市場變得更多姿多彩。 Elizabeth Lau State-of-the-Arts Gallery畫廊策展經理

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