Soemo Fine Arts was established by Dutchman Jareth Soemodihardjo and
is operated in co-operation with individuals based in both China and the
West. We are devoted to presenting the works of a selected group of both
emerging contemporary Chinese artists as well as talent not yet discovered
by the world, and take great interest in helping them to expand their
careers both in China and abroad.
To better identify current
artistic trends in the fast-changing Chinese society Soemo Fine Arts has
established a gallery in Beijing, from where we have build many close
relationships with artists from Beijing, Chengdu and Chongqing. Moreover,
because of our extensive network within the Chinese Art world we have
access to works of a majority of upcoming and emerging artists from
China.
With our knowledgeable team we are able to advise our
clientele on various business and artistic decisions and are able to
source and function as an intermediary with buyers and collectors from
around the world as well as creating a substantial contribution to the
renaissance of Chinese Contemporary Art.
Chinese
Contemporary Art
Today, as China is rapidly becoming a major
player in the global art market, an increasing number of Chinese artists
are getting international recognition. The emergence of China as a new
economical super-power has produced an enormous level of interest from the
global audience, in order to better understand the people that are
creating this new artistic movement. Nowadays, artworks reflect the voices
of the people that have witnessed China's radical changes in the past two
decades. This art is highly influenced by the growing contradictions and
tensions caused by the tremendous social and economic upheavals, together
with a great optimism and eagerness to form new values that can represent
China in the 21st century. The works often convey an internal conflict
between old-new, traditional-modern, East-West and the individual against
the state. Through facing these contradictions contemporary Chinese
artists' work show a never-ending search for identity yet to be formed.
This promotes an interest and relevance for modern China as well as the
Western world, where many of the boundaries that Chinese artists are
exploring are taken for-granted, and provides new perspectives to
contemplate the life and society that has originated from the legacy of an
ancient civilization.
Chinese Contemporary Art as an
Investment
Although Soemo Fine Arts believe that art should not
solely be viewed from an investment perspective, we cannot deny the fact
that the market for Chinese contemporary art is currently one of the most
profitable on an international scale, soaring 440\\% over the past 5
years*.
In 2006, auctions held at Sotheby's and Christie's
hailed stupendous success, selling $190 million worth of Asian
contemporary art, most of it Chinese, in a series of record-breaking
auctions in New York, London and Hong Kong. Compare with 2004, when the
turnover on Asian contemporary art totalled $22 million. These and other
recent auction results have confirmed an ever-growing interest from
Western institutions and collectors, as well as an increasing amount of
Asian buyers due to the emergence of the nouveau rich collectors from
mainland China which has only just started to evolve. This forecasts a
tremendous demand for Chinese contemporary art in the near future.
