Sun Guosheng

“Bazaar Art” Executive Chief Editor 

 

Thanks to "Art Nova 100", the young artists of China have gained the opportunity to attract attention and show their talents right at the early stage of their career, a source of envy for their peers the world over.

 

Partly on account of my work as an editor for art magazines, I've cooperated with "Art Nova 100" several times. From what I know, there is an increasing number of art graduates who aspire to be practicing artists, while just a few years ago, many students majoring in art or art-related disciplines had to give up their art dreams because the field could not afford them a livelihood.

 

During the 2014 Shanghai exhibitions of masterworks by Yayoi Kusama and Monet, viewers had to wait in line for several hours to gain entry. Meanwhile, the exhibitions of the Impressionists held in the National Art Museum of China back in 2005 were far less popular. Such a contrast is a clear testimony to a change in the art ecology of China and the approaching era of art popularization.

 

For most of us, the works of great masters are classics that should be enshrined and worshipped, while those of young artists can be appreciated with leisure or even collected. There are an increasing number of entrepreneurs, celebrities, and even white-collar workers who have begun to collect the works of young artists. Based on its operation in the past several years, "Art Nova 100" has evolved into a platform to exchange ideas on the appreciation and collection of art. Artists involved in "Art Nova 100" are, by and large, still at the growth stage, and so need continuous or even prolonged marketing and promotion. As a program committed to offering persistent attention to young artists, it is therefore the responsibility of "Art Nova 100" to not only discover potential young artists, but also provide relentless support for already discovered talents.