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Arts & Communication 1980s: A turning point in the Chinese art market

China’s inaugural joint venture hotel, the Jianguo Hotel, Loss, damage, and outflow of collections pose significant
opened on April 28, 1982, followed by the construction of threats. A significant number of artwork and cultural
the Shanghai Hotel, a four-star establishment, in the same artifacts have been exported through international trade
year. The four-star international Grand Hotel was also set to and painting stores or lost. The remaining artworks were
be replaced by Shanghai’s first five-star Jing An Hilton Hotel. poorly preserved (moth-eaten, wet, and corroded) and
Following the mid-1980s, a series of foreign-related hotels subjected to man-made destruction and natural disasters.
were constructed, symbolizing China’s opening up in the Art museums struggle financially compared to other art
1980s. The galleries of these hotels also sold paintings and forms, like cinema art. This makes complete art collections
calligraphy. Most customers were foreign tourists, seeking more challenging and time-consuming, highlighting the
affordable souvenirs, and art dealers from Hong Kong and need for comprehensive reforms in China’s art collection
Taiwan. These art pieces are highly valuable as collections, and protection system.
resulting in substantial profits for the gallery as well.
3.3.1. Jingfeng Hotel
3.3. Chinese art collection systems
The Jingfeng Hotel, spanning 203 acres in Fengtai Town,
China’s art collection and protection system faced significant West Fourth Ring Road, Beijing, commenced its operations
challenges due to historical factors. First, the nation lacks in March 1981. Its auditorium was constructed in the early
reputable art museums with high-quality artworks, apart 1980s, while the main building dates back to the late 1970s,
from the National Art Museum of China. Instead, many complemented by office buildings. Over time, the hotel
provinces rely primarily on galleries and exhibition spaces expanded to include dorms, additional structures, and a
focused on planning art exhibitions, among others. Second, collection of paintings. 18
the multi-management structure is convoluted, resulting
in competitions between various entities (museums, The Jingfeng Hotel hosts receptions for significant
antique stores, painting shops, galleries, the friendship gatherings, such as the National Congress of the
store’s foreign trade department, hotel sales departments, Communist Party of China and the national Two Sessions,
and international bookshop exhibition departments) to and serves as the designated meeting place for the Beijing
acquire renowned artworks and subsequently leading to Government and central state organs. It primarily caters to
inefficiencies and lack of coordination. state, military, and social group meetings.

Financial constraints further hinder the art collection The hotel features a unique art collection, with
process. The three main categories of museum art collection contributions from approximately 200 renowned painters,
funds are fixed funds, temporary funds, and one-time including Yanshao Lu, Haixia He, Zuo Huang, Sicong
contributions. Hence, it may be financially challenging Zhou, Guanzhong Wu, Ming Yang, Boshu Liu, Dawei
for art museums to compete with collectors in the market, Liu, Wenxi Liu, and Jiaying He. Notably, these paintings
leading to limited collections. The locations, amenities, are characterized by their representational nature despite
and collections of Chinese art museums differ significantly the painters’ creative freedom. Each artwork adheres to
from those of foreign art museums; the former lack uniform dimensions, measuring 350 cm in width and 90 cm
sufficient standardization, while the latter have very few in height, akin to a widescreen display. This standardized
collections. In addition, the absence of academic research format facilitates the painters’ complete expression of their
on collection works highlights a need for professionals to creative talent, rendering each piece profoundly personal
restore, preserve, and analyze the art collections. (Figures 3 and 4).
The painting collection at the Jingfeng Hotel is known
for its freshness and distinctiveness, leveraging exhibition,
publishing, and outreach initiatives for artist loan and
collection purposes. The artists involved in creating these
works approached the collection as a significant nationwide
art project, demonstrating a high level of dedication and

Figure 2. Related literature of Beijing International Art Gallery. Left:
Modern oil painting: The first oil painting exhibition sponsored by
Beijing International Art Gallery (Album). Right: Beijing International
Art Garden oil painting exhibition (Introduction Book). Figure 3. The Chinese painting: Jiaying He’s Falling (90 × 350 cm).

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 7 doi: 10.36922/ac.2028