Artwork: Cold transitional period

2014 has been a magnificent curtain call. For the art market, this is a year full of opportunities, transformations and a period of great suffering. According to the statistics of Yachang Art Network, as of December 18, 2014, the turnover of the domestic art auction market decreased by 18.26% compared with the same period of 2013, and the turnover decreased by 17.37%. As a whole, the domestic art market is still in a deep adjustment trend. The major auction companies can use all the means to adapt to the market adjustment under high pressure and lead the Tibetan community with innovation, academics and culture.

â–  Cold

"Unbalanced development" is the most prominent phenomenon in the current domestic auction market. In 2014, the number of auctions and auction prices both declined and decreased. According to statistics, the total turnover of the four major auction companies of China Guardian, Beijing Poly, Beijing Yishi and Beijing Hanhai was 7.33 billion yuan in autumn 2014, a decrease of 6.72% compared to the total turnover of 7.858 billion yuan in 2013. Among them, more than 70% of the turnover was created by painting and calligraphy. In other words, once the Chinese painting and calligraphy market suffers from a sluggish market, domestic auction companies will face difficulties in their operations.

To this end, China’s Guardian will be able to demonstrate its professional qualities in such areas as special events, valuation layouts, catalogue compilations, and tour exhibition promotions. Beijing Yishi also extended from the three major plates of paintings, paintings, and artifacts to various auction items such as purple sand, tea items, Buddhist art, contemporary ceramics, and jewelry, attracting more buyers to the art market. Beijing Poly is focusing on brand influence, and launched special events such as “Qing Yun of Wumen – Fanjing Fan of Guoyunlou” and “History of Witness – Mountain Art Collection”.

According to the data, the total turnover of Beijing Poly Auction in 2014 reached 5.9 billion yuan. On December 2, at the night of the ancient calligraphy and painting stage in Beijing Poly, a group of four Qianlong emperors calligraphy written in the “Bai Ta Shan Ji” sold for 116.51 million yuan, which became the only billionaire in the mainland auction market in 2014. Lots, to a certain extent, inspired the market. Beijing Poly, said: "Data is the most realistic reflection of the market, demand and consumption are the same as the perpetual motivation for the art market to provide vitality."

Despite this, compared with the grand occasion of billions of auctions in previous years, the number of auctions was somewhat bleak, and the total turnover of autumn auctions by major auction companies was only compared to that in 2013 and Beijing in 2014. The turnover of the sea has increased, and the turnover of China Guardian, Beijing Poly, and Beijing 匡 has dropped compared to the same period last year. Dong Guoqiang, chairman of Beijing Everbright Auction Co., Ltd., said: “From the autumn auction market in 2014, whether it was from the initial solicitation or to the subsequent auction, this was the most difficult time since the establishment of Sui Shi. Looking ahead to 2015, the art market will face A very serious challenge."

â–  Willfulness

After several years of eruption, the art market has become more rational. In 2014, the funds flowing into the art market became tighter, and buyers' control of prices was more rational. With the increase of collectors' cultural education and appreciation ability, art works with high gold content and strong academic knowledge are undoubtedly favored by the market.

Therefore, all major auction companies have simultaneously launched special thematic lectures during the preview period in 2014 to strengthen cultural promotion. China’s Guardian launched the “Gade Lecture Room” and Beijing Bianshi launched the “Natural History Series Lecture” and other public welfare activities. The “Poly Chinese Art Week” organized by Beijing Poly during the 2014 autumn preview also invited dozens of industry experts to conduct the event. Public lectures. In addition, the auction company has also launched a private negotiation business in response to the needs of collectors and different focus of attention.

In addition to the auction company's "big handwriting," art buyers are also "pretty much". In April 2014, collector Liu Yiqian took the Ming Cheng Hua Dou Cai Crock Cup at Hong Kong Sotheby’s with 281 million Hong Kong dollars, which refreshed the world auction record of Chinese porcelain; on November 4, the Huayi Brothers (26.340, -0.03, -0.11%) Chairman Wang Zhongjun captured Van Gogh's "Still Life, a vase full of daisies and flowers" for US$55 million; on November 26, Liu Yiqian took another photo with 348 million Hong Kong dollars. In the fifteenth century of the king of Thangka, "Ming Yongle emperor embroidered Thangka." For a time, "rich, capricious" became a new synonym for the art market. It can be seen that although the art market has experienced "winter", it still can not stop the collectors' buying passion and placard desire.

As for the composition of buyers, the company’s capital has increased in a larger range in 2014, and art collections are shifting from personal hobbies to institutional collections. According to industry analysts, astronomical prices have injected temperature into the market, which is conducive to the inheritance of cultural heritage. However, there is also hidden concern behind the sky price. The art market still needs reasonable supervision and guidance.

â–  Transition period

According to statistics, from January to September 2014, the turnover of Chinese art auctions for cultural relics was 15.3 billion yuan, slightly lower than in 2013. Ouyang Shuying, deputy secretary-general of the China Auction Industry Association, said: “Although the auction market is undergoing continuous adjustment, we are also faced with many changes. Market competition is internationalized, market taste is diversified, collectors’ levels are younger, and collections and investments are between consumption. The boundaries are getting more and more blurred."

Indeed, in terms of competition, traditional auctions are facing the impact of e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Yibei, and Alibaba, and the competition is expanding. In terms of collecting taste, high-precision works, famous classics, and special features still lead the market. Traditional paintings such as Chinese painting and calligraphy, porcelain crafts, etc. are still the highlights of the show. However, in the autumn of 2014, artists such as Hao Liang, Wang Guangle, Jia Lili, and Liu Xiong were particularly sought after by post-80s artists. Jia Lun's "Crazy Scene 1" was sold for HK$11.8 million; Liu Wei's "Purple Air Series H2" also sold HK$3.4 million. These works are rich in resources, demand is strong, and the price is reasonable. It can be seen that the Tibetan collection system is changing.

As more and more young collectors flock to the auction, the buyer community is getting younger. Their aesthetic orientation is obviously different from that of the older generation of collectors, and it tends to be more contemporary art that is easy to understand, highlights individuality, and has an identity of the times. The entry of young artists' works will gradually change and transform Chinese contemporary art.