New Kids On The Block

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Art - Extra-European art grade: A+ University of California Los Angeles course: Contemporary Chinese Art Seminar language: English abstract: This term paper explores the increasing presence of Chinese collectors of contemporary Chinese art. It is driven by the idea that collectors 'produce' or cultivate meaning in the larger canon of art history. Based on Belk's analysis of collecting as a consumption activity (1991) the motivations of these collectors and the resulting implications for contemporary art are investigated. The development of patronage and art appreciation throughout China's tumultuous past and the current barren cultural landscape have given rise to a collector who differs greatly to the traditional model. At the same time it is hypothesized that there exists a more deeper-lying uniquely Chinese altruism next to the amalgam of social refinement identity nationalistic and financial motives. On the basis of this is suggested that whereas the current nature of collecting contemporary art in China does not yet demonstrate the high level of critical thinking and sophistication that would be beneficial for the development of the contemporary art scene there nevertheless lies potential for a more healthy development in the years to come.