World origination!!
Chinese present contemporary most well-known five artists, by MOT/ARTS, PPONE, Bao Yimin, refined, makes!
This is the first artist's work, turns 3D from the 2D plane three-dimensional, ART FOR THE MASSES ART TOYS presents the one breath impressive Chinese contemporary art, leads in the more people’s lives. 100 sets of whole world limit the quantity (one set of five), and starts on June 27, Yu Zhongtai lives develops MOT ARTS to carry on for a month-long display.
In 2006 New York Su Fubi spring pats starts the Chinese contemporary art tide for the first time, since then, the Chinese artist starts from all over the world the big exhibition ray, their work sets the record of the new record time and time again. Chinese contemporary most well-known artist Yue Minjun, in May's, 2008 Hong Kong honorable scholar must a night of racket, set the record of individual record once again, in the highest deal amount looked that 5,408 ten thousand Hong Kong dollars (are equal to more than 210,000,000 ten thousand new Taiwan dollars). Chinese contemporary art the amount which finalizes a deal in the international auction market, responded the global art ware collects the market to the Chinese contemporary art value; This time, is also precisely the Chinese people have never enjoyed the magnesium lamp focusing age.
This loyal peaceful life developed MOT ARTS to initiate the significance activity, invited "PPAPER" foundation member Bao Yimin, as well as Shanghai's art adviser refined, plot together “ART FOR THE MASSES” display, called together Yue Minjun, Zhou Chunya, Liu Ye, Zhou Tiehai and Jin Nu and so on five Chinese contemporary artist, created together promotes has both the catch word to make peace the artistic culture 100 sets of whole world to limit the quantity ART TOYS. Annotate the work by five artists and design team PPONE, transforms these artist's creation element, grows kindly, and makes the new life which one is unable to put down.
Yue Minjun, Zhou Chunya, Liu Ye, Zhou Tiehai, these four enjoy a good reputation the international Chinese contemporary artist, their artistic value already is subject to the market affirmation. But the Cainozoic Era artist gold neodymium, after is the China's economic reforms open the young faction, after simultaneously is also favors potential, 80,” representative. The comprehensive survey world art gallery, invited a momentum at the height of power China contemporary artist extremely to be already difficult, but this display called together the one breath to five spread-eagle contemporary in mature and Cainozoic Era's heavyweight artist, also expected that as soon as by this display, let the populace peep the impressive Chinese contemporary art.
This displays several important pioneering works: First, this is first time these five artist's work, turns 3D from the 2D plane three-dimensional, transforms the painting as lively vivid ART TOYS, so the size, the size, are global see. Next, in the conversion process, design team PPONE joined many contemporary popular visions, the cultural vocabulary in inside, the artist also participation and strict check; Each wrap limits the quantity the work to attach the written guarantee which and the serial number the artist signs personally, increases the collection value. By such bilateral surface's exchange cooperation, the loyal peaceful life develops MOT the ARTS anticipation to be able to found the brand-new art layout category for the Chinese contemporary art, does not develop in the traditional artistic collection definition, causes the Chinese contemporary art appearance to be more Yuan also to increase more possibilities.
Link to MOT Arts to view full details and toys
Art that 'resin'-ates with the masses
Art for the Masses at MOT Arts features toys by five leading contemporary Chinese artists
By Catherine Shu
STAFF REPORTER
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
Art for the Masses at MOT Arts distills art by top contemporary Chinese artists into (relatively) affordable toys.
Yue Minjun (岳敏君), whose paintings routinely sell for record-breaking prices, is generating buzz among collectors yet again.
But this time the hype doesn’t center around one of the Chinese artist’s multi-million US dollar price tags, but a 30cm resin toy that costs less than, say, a Louis Vuitton duffle bag.
The Kaws X Yue Minjun figure was created by Yue in collaboration with American artist and urban vinyl designer Kaws for Art for the Masses, an exhibit at the MOT Arts (概念館) in Taipei that also features toys by four other leading artists from China.
The five toys were produced in limited runs of 100 each, for sale exclusively in sets of five that cost US$10,000 (about NT$303,600) per box.
The exhibit, which ends on Sunday, seeks to make fine art more accessible and enjoyable for the public, says Imin Pao (包益民), the founder of PPGROUP, which produced Art for the Masses in collaboration with MOT Arts.
“Warhol took Campbell Soup, Marilyn Monroe and Mao Zedong (毛澤東) and turned them into Pop Art. It should also go the other way around,” says Pao.
On a more pragmatic note, PPGROUP and their Shanghai consultant, Bin Bin (彬彬) also figured they would have a better chance arousing the curiosity of the artists in the show, who represent the elite of the contemporary art scene in China, if they pitched an idea that was both novel and fun.
PPGROUP worked closely with four of the five artists, Zhou Tiehai (周鐵海), Liu Ye (劉野) Jin Nu (金釹) and Zhou Chunya (周春芽), to create toys based on their existing work.
Yue, on the other hand, wanted to create an original figure from scratch. Kaws, who already has a cult following among designer toy lovers, was brought on board, and the result is an amalgamation of their creative signatures. The toy’s face and Cheshire Cat grin are reminiscent of Yue’s enigmatic self-portraits, while its stance and outfit, a send-up of Mickey Mouse’s breeches, ears and gloves, are based on Kaws’ Companion figures.
Though Yue’s figure has been generating the most excitement among designer toy collectors because of his collaboration with Kaws, the other four figures, which are made from resin, plastic and porcelain, are no less notable.
Zhou Tehai’s figure is based on his Placebo series of paintings, in which his subject’s heads are replaced with the smug visage of Joe Camel, the erstwhile cigarette mascot. Liu Ye’s pure-white porcelain maiden stands demurely with a riding crop gripped tightly in her delicate hands. Up-and-coming young artist Jin Nu’s wannabe mermaid painstakingly sews a shark’s tail over her legs. Bright green velvety flocking covers the surface of Zhou Chunya’s dog, an attempt to capture the artist’s sweeping brush strokes in three-dimensional form.
The extremely limited run of the toys — the 50 sets made available to collectors in Taiwan sold out at MOT Arts within a week — and their very grown-up price tag hardly seems “for the masses.” But recreating the artists’ work in an easily duplicated form using inexpensive materials gives people who don’t have US$5.9 million (the price of Yue’s Execution, which last year set a record for the most expensive piece by a contemporary Chinese artist) a chance to own art by some of the world’s top living artists.
Pao estimates that a little more than half of the 50 sets sold through MOT Arts were to seasoned fine-art collectors, while urban vinyl connoisseurs and other first-time art buyers purchased the rest. PPGROUP expects to make the other 50 sets available at venues and galleries in cities around the world, including Paris, New York City, Shanghai and Tokyo.
Pao, himself a collector of designer toys, expects many artists to be resistant to the idea of making their artwork available on a massive scale. On the other hand, he also notes that the lines between consumer design and fine art are becoming increasingly blurred, citing Takashi Murakami as an example. The Japanese artist’s oeuvre includes giant fiberglass sculptures, Louis Vuitton bags and plush toys.
Art toys will never be “produced at the McDonalds level,” says Pao, before catching himself: “Actually, I think that would not be bad, if one of them ever made it to McDonalds.”
