25/09/16
Interview: Douglas Kotwall
The third-generation heir of one of China’s most influential business
families, Adrian Cheng set up the K11 Art Foundation (KAF) in 2010 when he
realised the talent of some of the young artists working in Beijing at the
time. With the goal of incubating and promoting their potential, as well as
bringing big name western artists to China, the foundation has gone from
strength to strength, and now has international collaborations with, among
others, the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, the Centre Pompidou, the Palais de
Tokyo, the Metropolitan Museum and the Serpentine Galleries and ICA in London.
The K11 art mall in Shanghai is claimed to be the world’s first art mall. Cheng
is said to have spent HK$20m (£1.98m) placing numerous artworks – mostly by
local artists – on each floor. The venue also has 19 exhibition panels in a
museum in the basement, where exhibitions change every three months. An art village
and an associated artist exchange programme are further aspects of the non-profit
foundation.
Read this interview here