Co-Owner of Pan & Wei Gallery, Beijing
WHITEWALL: What is the reception of contemporary Chinese artists in China?
WEI WEI: Contemporary art in China still needs time. The public still needs a lot of education. There are three art fairs in China, in Shanghai and Beijing, and have an educational function. There are very few people who understand and collect contemporary art. There are many collectors, but many of them are not true collectors, but investors.
WW: How is business today?
WW: I haven’t seen any collectors today. This might be because of the financial crisis. In March I was at a fair in New York, and on the first day I sold over 6 paintings and had a waiting list of thirty people. And today, nothing. I brought from work from China that is very reasonably priced.
WW: What steps are the Chinese galleries taking to build a native Chinese base of collectors?
WW: I think here are many more white collar workers, like lawyers, and these people will start to buy. Over 95% of our collectors now are from the West. It’s the same for all the galleries in China are the same.
WW: How has the work of Chinese artists changed recently?
WW: There is a new generation of Chinese artists. The old generation experienced the Cultural Revolution and their work was linked with memory. The new generation of artists are working beyond those issues.
