A mobile art world : exhibiting and dealing modern Chinese paintings in Hong Kong (1940s-1980s)

Abstract

Focusing on the exhibiting and commercial activities of modern Chinese paintings (xiandai zhongguohua) produced in the twentieth century, this dissertation highlights the socio-cultural interactions among the Chinese ink painting artists, art intermediaries and art patrons in Hong Kong during the 1940s-1980s. In this formative period, an art marketplace for modern Chinese art evolved and transformed from the embryonic, nascent stage to an increased internationalization and professionalization in Hong Kong. After the end of the Sino-Japanese War, a group of Chinese artists, dealers and patrons, the majority of whom were migrants from the Mainland China, traveled to and settled in Hong Kong, and contributed to the nascence of an early Chinese art world through their collaborative practices of joint exhibitions, art dealing and related patronage activities. Mobility became an important feature of this Chinese art world in Hong Kong, as the artists and dealers actively contributed to the formation of the transcultural, trans-regional and transnational networks with the art world actors outside Hong Kong. The activities of organizing exhibitions and dealing Chinese paintings were crucial for this formation of interwoven inter-personal networks. By linking exhibition history with artistic commodification, this research examines the place and significance of Hong Kong within the history of Greater China’s art marketplace and cultural landscape.