It is our pleasure to introduce the second in a new strand of seminars, International Focus, which examines current developments in emerging international centres for contemporary art, led by specialist guest speakers. International Focus: Hong Kong discusses Hong Kong’s cash-rich and bourgeoning art scene, which has become home to major international players who have recently opened up their first Asian outposts in the city, such as White Cube and Gagosian, as well as a new international art fair and a plethora of smaller commercial galleries and contemporary art spaces.
Set against the context of the fastest growing contemporary art market in the world and ahead of the first edition of Art Basel Hong Kong (23-26 May 2013), this seminar responds to the rapidly growing level of interest in the developing Hong Kong art scene.
We are delighted that Philip Dodd will share his specialist insight into Hong Kong and China’s dynamic contemporary art scene and its evolution in recent years. Philip Dodd was Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts London from 1997-2004. He is acknowledged to be among the first individuals in Europe to recognise the cultural importance of contemporary China, and staged two shows in Beijing and Shanghai in 1998, to coincide with a visit from Tony Blair, the then British Prime Minister. He also commissioned the exhibition, Revolutionary Capitals: Beijing-London in 1999 at the ICA, which featured many of the artists from China who would become globally recognised some years later. More recently he has been on the advisory board of ART HK and continues for the third year to stage a Private Museums Forum for what is now called Art Basel Hong Kong. He is also Chair of the advisory board of ART 13, which has just taken place in London. Philip is curating a major show of western and Asian abstract painting in Singapore later this year; and also a UK exhibition of Chinese contemporary woodcuts, including work by Xu Bing in the UK. He is chairman of Made in China (www.madeinchinauk.com).
