Yang Bin, Thomas Shao, She Yong, and Philip Tinari. (Davidoff Art Initiative) The last year and a half has seen the rise of art education programs for China’s growing contingent of wealthy collectors as art and luxury items continue to grow in popularity as investment pieces. With a background in Caribbean art, the Davidoff Art Initiative joined these initiatives with its first Art Dialogue program, a panel held at Duddell’s in Hong Kong in collaboration with Beijing's Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA). “This first conversation was as an opportunity to put three very different Chinese collectors together before the public, and to explore the questions facing them, and by extension, the entire Chinese art world, in a relaxed and intimate setting.” said UCCA director Philip Tinari. The program is designed to instill not only an understanding of art history, but also the economic and cultural tenets of investment in works of fine art. With a second part scheduled for 2014 in Beijing, Davidoff's panels are just one of many created to meet growing demand for art education in Greater China. The panel hoped to drive conversation about contemporary art in China, providing “in-person access to renowned collectors and other key figures in the Chinese and the international art scene, to explore different facets of art collecting. “ Desire for art education in China has swelled recently as mainland collectors look to gain insight into the cultural and investment opportunities of Chinas's growing art auction market. Looking to differentiate themselves in matters of taste while enjoying the stability of smart art investment, the prospective market of Chinese art collectors has also been embraced by major auction houses like Christies and Sotheby’s, who now strive to cultivate a new generation of discerning art patrons in the mainland. With no shortage in sight for China's demand in arts and auctioneering education, it’s probable that the influx of elite cultural history and art economy know-how into China's art market will only continue to drive historically successful sales in China.
