AsnightfellonJune30,2016,UllensCenterforContemporaryArt(UCCA)andtheUllensFoundationreleasedajointstatementattheirofficialwebsite,declaringthatGuyUllens,founderofbothorganizations,wasplanningtotransferUCCAandhispersonalcollection,anannouncementthatsparkedconcernfromtheartcirclesacrossChina.
GuyUllensisaBelgiancollectorwhobeganacquiringmodernChineseartin1987.Today,80percentofhis2,000-pieceChinesecollectionheldinSwitzerlandiscategorizedascontemporaryart,makinghimtheforemostcollectorofmodernChineseart.
InNovember2007,UllensfoundedUCCAinBeijing’s798ArtDistrict,justastheareawasbeginningtoblossom.DesignersJean-MichelWilmottefromFranceandMaQingyunfromChinapreservedtheoriginalarchitecturalstyleofa1950seraworkshopwhentransformingitintoan8,000-square-meterartisticspaceforinternationalexhibitions.
October2007:GuyUllensandhiswifeatthespacebeforeUllensCenterforContemporaryArtiscompleted.
UllensCenterforContemporaryArt(UCCA),foundedin2014byBelgiancollectorGuyUllens,hasbecomeoneofthemostglobally-influentialprivateartgalleriesinChina.Well-knownChineseartcriticandeventplannerFeiDaweiwasrecruitedasUCCA’scurator,andhethemeditsinauguralexhibition:‘85NewWave:TheBirthofChineseContemporaryArt.“Chinaexperienceditsfirstzenithofartisticcreationin1985,formingthebasicstructureofcontemporaryartinrelationtoitsarthistory,”explainsFei.
TheexhibitionbecameChina’sfirstshowingofglobally-influentialcontemporaryChineseart.Notonlydidtheeventshowcasetheexhibitionspace’suniquearchitectureandtheworks’profundity,butitleftamassiveimpactontheChineseartmarket,arousingretrospectivefeverandreflectiononChineseartduringthe1980s.Forquiteawhile,UCCAwaspraisedasa“goodexampleofmuseum-caliberprivateartisticspaceformodernChineseart,”andUllens,itsfounder,gainedasterlingreputationinChina.
Afterabeautifulinauguralexhibit,UCCAhostedover100exhibitionsacrossthesubsequentdecadeandwelcomedmorethan4millionvisitors.CoveringawidearrayofcontemporaryChineseart,itilluminatedtheveinsandstagesofdevelopmentwithgroupexhibitionslike“BreakingForecast:8KeyFiguresofChina’sNewGenerationArtists(2009)”and“ON/OFF:China’sYoungArtistsinConceptandPractice(2013),”highlightedthecharmofmodernChineseartviasoloexhibitionsofartistslikeLiuXiaodongandDiaoDeqian,andtracedideologicaltrendsandculturalphenomenathroughexhibitionslike“RauschenberginChina(2016).”ThesemajorexhibitionshaveeachgiftedUCCAwithdistinctivefeaturesandenhanceditsreputationuntilitbecameaninternationalbrand.
BookfromHeaven,amasterpiecebyfamousChineseartistXuBing,ondisplayatUCCA.TheUCCA’sinauguralexhibition,“‘85NewWave:TheBirthofChineseContemporaryArt,”becamethefirstexhibitionofmodernChineseartinthecountrytoexertinternationalinfluence,thanksinlargeparttothepainstakingeffortbyFeiDawei,thenUCCA’scuratorandafamousChineseeventplannerandartcritic.
June-August2016:Acolorphototakenin1982byRobertRauschenberg,anAmericanmasterartist,ondisplayatthelargeexhibition,“RauschenberginChina.”Overthelast10years,UCCAhashostedmorethan100exhibitions,drawingsome4millionvisitors.
2014:“LosAngelesPlan”coversUCCA’sentireexhibitionhall,showcasingartbysevenofthemostinfluentialartistsfromLosAngeles.“UCCAhasbecomethetopchoiceforsoloexhibitionsformanyworkingartistsfromaroundworld,”declaresXieSuzhen,aneminentexhibitionplannerandartdirectorofYinchuanModernArtGallery.
In2009,UllensbegansellinghispersonalcollectionofChineseart,whichcausedtwospikesintheChineseartmarket.Inbothspringandautumnthatyear,PolyAuctioninBeijingsawsalesofanumberofbig-ticketChinesecalligraphyandpaintingworks,bothancientandmodern.Amongthem,EighteenArhatsbyWuBinoftheMingDynasty(1368-1644)andacalligraphicworkbyZengGong,oneoftheeightgreatcalligraphersoftheTangandSong(618-1279)dynasties,eachsoldformorethan100millionyuan.In2011atSotheby'sspringauction,ForeverLastingLovebycontemporaryChineseartistZhangXiaogangsoldforHK$79.06million.
NeverbeforeweresomanyquestionsaskedaboutUllens,asadebateroseaboutwhetheraWesterncollectorwasaboutto“sellout”contemporaryChineseart.
InAugust2011,XueMei(right)waspromotedfromretaildirectortoCEO,andinJanuary2012,JérômeSans,anItalian-Americanworld-renownedcurator,wasrecruitedascuratorofUCCAduringrestructuringofthethird-generationleadingbody.
InMay2012,UCCAStore,oneofthehighest-profileartstoresinChina,establishedUCCAStore@Design,acreative“lab”forartmarketingthatbirtheditsownbrand.
CrisisorOpportunity?
TherapidspreadofthenewsthatUCCAwasabouttobesoldbotheredmanyChineseinvestorsandartlovers.“Becauseofitsboardofdirectorssystem,itwilleffectivelytransformintotheoperationalmodeofafoundation,”opinescuratorWangChunchen.“Mr.Ullensannouncedthedecisionsosuddenly,thatthetrajectoryofUCCA'stransitionisundoubtedlychallengeable.”
BothUCCAandotherartgalleriesinChinafaceacommonchallengeindetermininghowtomergesuchpublicplatformsintothe“personalizedera.”
IntheWest,manyartgallerieshavealreadybeensuccessfullytransformed.Century-oldprivategalleryTateBritain,forexample,smoothlytransformedintoapublicinstitutionbyusingtheoperationalmodeofafoundation.UCCA’spresentturningpoint,however,ismorecomplicatedthanTate’s.
“UCCAmustaccomplishthemissionoftransformingitselfatitsowncostviaitsownoperationsandfundraising,whilealltheexpensesatTate,includingrent,water,power,andlabor,werefinancedbythegovernment,”illustratesXieSuzhen.“UCCAcan’tjustfollowwhatTatedid.”
Overthelastfewyears,stakeholdersofUCCAhavemadetirelesseffortsandachievedtentativesuccess.InAugust2011,XueMeiwaspromotedfromretaildirectortoCEO,andinJanuary2012,JérômeSans,anItalian-Americanworld-renownedcurator,wasrecruitedascuratorofUCCAduringrestructuringofthethird-generationleadingbody.InMay2012,UCCAStore,oneofthehighest-profileartstoresinChina,establishedUCCAStore@Design,acreative“lab”forartmarketingthatbirtheditsownbrand.ByOctoberthatyear,UCCA'ssponsorshipcouncilandacademiccommitteehadbeenfoundedandrequiredmembershipduesforaccesstovariouscampaignsorganizedbytheUCCA.Attheendoftheyear,UCCAhelditsfirstannualcharityauction.
Suchmoveshavebroughtdramaticchangestotheorganization’smethodsofraisingworkingcapital.In2015,UCCAspentatotalof40.92millionyuan,25percentofwhichwasfromUllens,25percentfromenterprisesponsors,20percentfromcharity,20percentfromitsstore,and10percentfromprivatesponsorship,namelymembershipofthecouncil.
SomewelcomedUllens’decisiontosellUCAAasanewchallenge.OthersconsideritanopportunitythatotherChineseprivateartgalleries,financedcompletelybytheirrespectivefounders,willneverget.Manylongtobecomepublicinstitutionswithfoundationsystems.
ExactlyhowtomakeagracefultransformationisapressingissueformanyprivateartgalleriesinChina.TheauctionofmuchofUCCA’scollectionislikelyonlythestartofthisjourney.
2015:AUCCAauction.Attheendof2012,UCCAlauncheditsannualcharityauction.In2015,theprofitsfromsuchauctionsmadeupto20percentofitsoperatingcosts.