The New Millennium

Red Gate farewelled the 90s with great expectations for Chinese contemporary art and for all the young artists involved. There were more galleries in Shanghai and Beijing, and in Hong Kong where some legendary galleries had ratcheted up the international interest around the world. A handful of international collectors were starting to make their mark by collecting Chinese contemporary art specifically, or by adding this new art to their already diverse portfolios of contemporary art.

At the same time, more visitors were coming to China to travel, for adventure, study and work, and they began to appreciate many things contemporary about China. Following them were gallerists, curators, researchers and dealers, all keen to find out what was going on in the scene, and then to take their discoveries and interpretations to the world.

In the early 2000s, interest in Chinese contemporary art was also coming to the attention of the Chinese public. One of the great catalysts in this development was the discovery of an old factory site in Beijing. Half abandoned, half struggling to stay functioning, in a city that was about to change unrecognizably. 798 Factory was a Bauhaus-style industrial complex completed by the East Germans in 1957. It was aesthetically stunning and importantly, practical for artists to work in with its north-facing arched ceilings providing perfect studio light.

The industrial grunge and low rents made 798 very attractive to artists, and so the 798 ‘art district’ started to take form. It was hard to protect in the early days, but the site started to attract more artists, local and international galleries, books shops, coffee and cafe culture, and more importantly, visitors, art lovers, officials and the curious Chinese public.

Alongside this phenomenon, other aspects of an art ecosystem were starting to add to the dynamism of the scene — art fairs, auction houses, biennales, triennials, competitions and prizes, scholarships and residencies. Chinese artists were being wooed by international galleries, included in international exhibitions whether Chinese Contemporary Art blockbusters educating the public in many countries, or in their first solo show in an overseas gallery. Things were happening!

It was not just one-way though. Foreign artists were coming to China to travel around, to be exhibited in galleries and art fairs, and to participate in residency programs. International exchange was the buzzword, and all the participants were eager to join in.

My collecting rationale involved supporting young artists at Red Gate, other galleries and from art fairs. Sometimes directly from artists’ studios. One of the underlying maxims for me (one that I tell other collectors) has been: ‘you better like it, because you may have to live with the work for a long time’! It was never about investment or making a quick cash-in. However, over time my collecting eye has been proved with many artists in the collection becoming very well known.

These artists have examined and reviewed the changing society and environment in which they have grown up in. Some hark back to simpler times, some wonder where the future leads them. There are sharp concerns about the environment and development. Some take time to reflect in intensely meditative abstract works. Other artists with humour and wit poke fun at themselves, trying to figure out their place in the new millennium. Yet still, others, with acute awareness, expose personal issues they face. Many, splashing around in the race to the future, stop and think of a less commercial and consumeristic way, seeking a more spiritual path to understand their place in the world.

The artists in Red Hot – Red Gate have all been trained at the leading academies of art around China. It is a given that their technical training is of the highest level – constantly recognized in China and abroad. In this exhibition the media used covers oil painting, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media, photography and digital works, and of course Chinese painting.

The Red Hot – Red Gate snapshot from my collection, takes us through the boom years of 2000 to 2009. It draws on artists from all over China, who worked in China during this period.

During the Covid years, I have had the chance to delve into the archive of Red Gate, explore the array of works I have, and to re-connect with many of the artists. Through this, I have a greater understanding of their timely interrogations of the momentous changes which have occurred in our lived experience from the 90s to 2009.

The artists’ contributions to society through their art and artistic exchange can only be lauded!

Join us to make your own connection to some of the art in my collection.

Brian Wallace

Founder/Director 

Red Gate Gallery