Trade fair to take an artistic turn

From romantic cityscapes of Paris to ancient Chinese gardens and high-end jewelry pieces, the art sector at the fifth China International Import Expo will showcase a wide array of creations and scenes by artists from home and abroad.

Last year, the inaugural appearance of the art sector at the CIIE attracted wide public interest, and nine institutions successfully sold 41 works worth 760 million yuan ($103.87 million) at the expo.

This year, 12 institutions from five countries and regions are taking part in the fifth CIIE, to be held from Saturday to Thursday, showcasing 102 artworks, cultural relics and other collectibles, representing a total estimated value of 1.26 billion yuan.

Sotheby's, the renowned New York-based auction house, has returned to the expo with a space five times larger than its debut last year. Sotheby's will present a wide variety of artwork spanning Impressionist paintings, modern masterpieces and cutting-edge contemporary art by artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Edvard Munch, Mark Rothko, Daniel Richter, Matthew Wong, Antony Gormley and Ayako Rokkaku.

"The collecting scene in China is about to begin," said Jean Qian, managing director of Sotheby's China. "This year, we return to the expo with a larger booth and more exhibits, showcasing our commitment to new opportunities in the Chinese market. Many of the pieces that we will be presenting are new releases or first-time exhibits."

Sotheby's will also highlight its new service "Buy Now" at its CIIE booth, featuring 15 luxury handbags to meet increasing local demand for the category.

Sotheby's Buy Now is a new online marketplace that provides consumers with 24/7, 365 access to exceptional luxury goods and decorative collectibles from a diverse array of categories, including jewelry, contemporary art, sneakers, watches, fashion and home decor. The new platform will be officially launched in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland in late 2022 and early 2023, respectively.

Sotheby's will announce during the CIIE the establishment of its new Chinese mainland headquarters in Shanghai, offering more conduits for innovation and development and reflecting the decision to invest in the Chinese market for the long term.

Another leading player in the global art trade and auction, Christie's will present at the CIIE a carefully selected collection of eight artworks, created in a time span from the early 1900s to the cutting-edge contemporary era.

Highlights include Dans le ciel de Paris, a painting by French artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985). Created in 1980-81, when Chagall was 93 years old, the painting has never been sold before, coming directly from his private collection.

Rebecca Yang, chairman of Christie's China, said Christie's gained wide public attention with its debut at the CIIE last year. China's art collectors are constantly developing new aesthetic interests, with exuberant enthusiasm for cross-cultural and interdisciplinary art, Yang said.

"This year, we will further our service and recommend well-targeted artworks to new and younger-generation art collectors, and help them make strategic planning with foresight and international vision."

Wallace Chan, a renowned jewelry artist from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is presenting his large solo exhibition at the fifth CIIE. Wallace Chan: Earthly-Unearthly showcases more than 150 jewelry creations by the artist with a total value of nearly 560 million yuan, including the stellar brooch sculpture Stilled Life that wowed audiences at the 2012 Antiques Biennale in Paris, when he was the first Chinese artist to participate.

"The CIIE is a rare opportunity to present my works to the public of the Chinese mainland," Chan said.