Rubens at China Art Museum
Paralleling the Monet show, China Art Museum is having an exhibition of the Flemish school of artists including heavyweight names such as Rubens and Van Dyke.
The Flemish exhibition has not attracted the type of buzz that the Monet event has had, but it is still impressive. Some experts and frequent exhibition-goers say it's hard to compare the two in terms of size and quality of the venue — the Flemish exhibit is much larger and it is displayed in a big, government-supported museum.
The exhibition includes 20 original paintings by Rubens and other 80 works by big names such as Van Dyke and Jan de Cock. It is on loan from the collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein.
The opportunity to see even a couple of original Rubens canvases, not to mention 20 of his best works, is treasured by local art aficionados.
"This exhibition is worth visiting," says Li Lei, vice director of China Art Museum. "I have no comment comparing it with some other exhibitions. But this one definitely won't disappoint the visitors."
The advantages of a museum-organized exhibition is obvious since the financial pressure is not so great. Such museum exhibitions often aren't as promoted as extensively, either.
According to Xie, covering a privately organized exhibition's expenses heavily depends on admission fees and products derived from the art, such as scarves and posters.
That's why when the K11 Art Foundation agreed to offer a free venue, he immediately agreed.
Although the underground space covers 3,000 square meters, some visitors say it does seem to have problems handling the huge crowds.
"After all, the air (underground) is not so fresh. After half an hour at the site, I felt kind of like I was suffocating a bit, especially surrounded by the crowd," says Vivian Zhou, a 38-year-old bank accountant. "This is a good exhibition, but it would be better if it's in a bigger, more spacious museum."
A private art space may find it difficult to stack up against professional art museums in terms of ventilation, lighting and security.
But for Xie, who says he has already spent several dozen million yuan on the Monet exhibition, the crowds are the lifeblood.
"For me, the more visitors to the exhibition, the better," he says. "Otherwise I may hardly make ends meet for this project again."
Li, the former Shanghai Art Museum director, says he's not surprised at the Monet exhibition's organizers having to shop for the best deal.
"That's the issue of venue and rental fees for non-government-aided exhibitions," he explains. "When I was in charge of the (former) Shanghai Art Museum on Nanjing Road, if the exhibition was qualified, even if the Shanghai Art Museum was not the organizer, the museum would also offer a free space to the exhibitors. For some occasions, we even would give some financial help.
Wishing for ideal location
"But now the conditions are different. New art museums whether private ones or government-aided ones rise up in the city one after another, but there are hardly any museums that would be ‘generous' to private exhibition organizers."
Xie says his biggest hope is to have his private exhibition venue.
"I once thought of renting an exhibition venue along the Huangpu River, but the cost was too high," he says. "It would be ideal if there is an art museum inside the People's Park, which could fit in with the old Shanghai Art Museum and Shanghai Grand Theater in the neighborhood."
It was controversial when the Shanghai Art Museum moved to the China Pavilion in Pudong in 2012. Now the museum's old site, the historic racing club building, is still empty.
Xie cites the example of the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay and Musee de l'Orangerie along the Seine in Paris.
"That's exactly where art culminates, and I hope it would happen one day in Shanghai," Xie concludes.
• "Master of Impressionism — Claude Monet"
Date: Through June 15, 11am-6pm
Address: B3, 300 Huaihai Rd M.
Admission: 100 yuan
• "Masterpieces from the Collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein"
Date: Through June 2 (closed on Mondays), 9am-5pm
Address: 161 Shangnan Rd, Pudong
Admission: 20 yuan
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