Center inaugurated to promote artwork trade

The Shenzhen International Art Auction Center was officially inaugurated at a ceremony yesterday at the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning in Futian District to promote international artwork trade and collection.

The center is the city’s first comprehensive whole artwork industry chain service and trading venue, and has been listed in the city’s measures to promote the innovative development of the art industry and build an international art auction center.

Representatives from six companies and the Shenzhen International Art Auction Center sign business partnership agreements at a ceremony held yesterday afternoon to jointly promote the development of the center. Wang Jingli

Zeng Xianglai, director of the Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, said at the ceremony that the development of the art industry and its capability of collecting art resources are important indicators of the city’s soft power.

“The inauguration of the center marked a new development stage of the city’s art industry,” Zeng said, adding that Shenzhen will take this as an opportunity to attract leading artwork institutions at home and aboard and to hold related exhibitions and events.

After the inauguration session yesterday, the municipal culture bureau and Rong Bao Zhai, a comprehensive cultural enterprise that markets paintings and calligraphic works, inked a deal to support the development of the city’s art industry. Set up in 1672, Rong Bao Zhai was formerly known as Song Zhu Zhai.

Some 18 auction and exhibition institutions, transport insurance companies, art galleries and cultural organizations also signed a cooperation agreement with the Shenzhen International Art Auction Center during yesterday’s event. The center and these companies and organizations will deepen cooperation to attract high-end art resources to jointly build the center.

To attract renowned auction institutions and the country’s top 10 auction institutions, Shenzhen will offer a one-time subsidy of 2 million yuan (US$293,400) and encourage each district to offer financial support, according to the measures.

In addition, Shenzhen will introduce internationally influential art fairs to hold exhibitions and gather world-renowned art management institutions, collectors and professionals to visit Shenzhen regularly.