Eli Klein interviewed in Hi Art magazine’s November, 2011 issue

We would like to direct your attention to an interview with Eli Klein in the November, 2011 issue of Hi Art magazine, the most widely read contemporary art magazine in China.

Eli discusses the Chinese art market, his relationship with some of China’s most prominent artists, and more.

http://www.ekfineart.com/files/Hi_Art_November_2011.pdf

English translation:
Every fall, New York’s Museum of Modern Art presents their annual “New Photography” exhibition showcasing the works of photographers from around the world. This year, the26th anniversary of the exhibition, features the renowned Chinese artist Zhang Dali. Other artists include: George Georgiou from the UK, Deana Lawson and Doug Rickard from the USA, and Viviane Sassen from the Netherlands. MoMA is showcasing a fascinating and internationally diverse pool of contemporary photography. Zhang Dali’s contribution, entitled “The Second History,” investigates the Mao era and the Cultural Revolution. His process of culling through old magazines and historical articles, finding the original negatives of the photographs featured, culminates in the attempt to unveil the truth behind the tampered collective history.

Zhang Dali is represented by New York based gallery, Eli Klein Fine Art. Eli Klein was the primary driving force behind Zhang Dali’s participation in the exhibition. At thirty-three, Eli Klein is owner and director of his Soho gallery. Raised in a family of lawyers, following their inevitable footsteps was always the expected. However, Klein realized his true passion lies in art, Chinese contemporary art.

Eli Klein Fine Art is one of the two galleries in New York that specializes in Chinese contemporary art, the other is Chambers Fine Art in Chelsea. After being open in New York for four years, Klein decided last year to open up a galley in a second location, Beijing. Klein wants to bring American artists into China. The gallery director also tries to promote and further develop the careers of young Chinese artists, including Liu Bolin and Han Yajuan. Though confident about his concept and direction, Eli Klein recognizes that there is a significant disparity between the global status of contemporary Chinese art and the focus of Western galleries. In other words, even though blue chip artists like Zeng Fanzhi are now working with top-tier galleries like the Gagosian, most contemporary Chinese artists have not yet reached a level of such global exposure. Eli Klein has seized the opportunity to merge the art worlds of the east and west, determined to influence the international , academic perspective .The future will be determined not just by his gallery’s performance, but by the ever-increasingly focus of the global art market on Chinese contemporary art.

Hi: How did you become a businessman in the art world?
EK: My family is made up of art collectors and connoisseurs. Because I have been exposed to art from such a young age, I had developed a zealous passion for it early on. In 2007, Eli Klein Fine Art opened its doors in New York, and since then it has become the foremost gallery in the United States specializing in Chinese contemporary art. We will continue to focus on promoting and propelling Chinese contemporary art, and hope that global audiences will develop an appreciation for it, and that the works will continue to expand into western markets.

Hi: Why did you initially choose to delve into the realm of contemporary Chinese art?
EK: I have been drawn to Chinese contemporary art for a long time now. When I was first confronting the decision to open up a gallery I couldn’t help but notice the lack of galleries in the United States that specialized in this niche. China is a dynamic country which is undergoing unprecedented growth; the art market has simultaneously followed suit and become influential in its own right. As Chinese society continues to expand, Chinese contemporary art will evolve as well. I noticed this fascinating and inevitable phenomenon, and then made a decision to specialize in the exhibition of Chinese contemporary art.

Hi: Could you talk about the Chinese contemporary art scene in America, especially in New York?
EK: The popularity of Chinese contemporary art in America is growing rapidly among collectors. Our continued collaboration with an ever increasing number of museums, collectors, curators, art critics, and media outlets has contributed to the proliferation of Chinese contemporary art throughout the USA. Unfortunately, the galleries in America that represent and promote contemporary Chinese artists are scant.

Hi: After the 2008 economic crisis, did Eli Klein Fine Art experience the threat of a shrinking or deteriorating art market? A lot of people have also said that the art market has recovered, especially since 2010; what are your thoughts?
EK: The 2008 economic crisis had a profound effect on the art market, but we didn’t have to alter our mode of operations. Truthfully, I think the effect of the crisis has led to notable changes to the Chinese contemporary art market. Prior to the economic crisis, many contemporary Chinese artists were demanding exceedingly high prices for their works due to speculation in the market. After the crisis, corrections were made to the market, and so the trickling down process then brought the prices to more a realistic range. For some artistic works, this meant a rather sharp decline. And as a consequence, many New York galleries specializing in Chinese contemporary art, other than EKFA and Chambers Fine Art, closed their doors.

Hi: Has EKFA formulated strategies for combating the economic crisis?
EK: I am extremely careful about which artists the gallery chooses to represent.

Hi: How is your Beijing gallery faring since its opening last year?
EK: My Beijing gallery has held numerous quality exhibitions over the past year, including China’s first group exhibition for black artists. Lowery Strokes Sims, the curatorial consultant for the show, presented the works of major African-American artists including Rashawn Griffin, Whitfield Lovell, Senga Nengudi, Shinique Smith, and Saya Woolfalk. This was the first ever all African-American group show in China.

We also hosted a show titled “Material ? Object” and participant artists included Gao Rong, Li Hongbo, and Wang Lei. After operating for one year in 22 International Art Plaza, I decided to relocate the Beijing gallery to another space. When I have decided exactly where that will be, I will be sure to inform your readers.

Hi: Do you travel to Beijing often?
EK: I travel to China around four times a year and spend two months there doing business. I have a full-time staff in Beijing, and my team in New York is made up of specialists who are well-versed in contemporary Chinese art.

Hi: What is the current breakdown of nationalities of art collectors who buy art from EKFA?
EK: Most of the collectors who come to us are not Chinese; however, of course we do sell art to Chinese collectors. The benefits of owning a gallery in Beijing is the opportunity that the city brings, and then identifying those opportunities and seizing them.

Hi: Zhang Dali recently had an exhibition at the MoMA-how do you perceive his position within the international art circle?
EK: We are very excited that Zhang Dali is a part of the MoMA’s annual “New Photography” exhibition. We have been collaborating with the museum since August 2010, working out the details and negotiating matters related to the show. Presently, we are also in the process of working with the MET regarding the inclusion of Zhang Dali’s work in a group exhibition scheduled for next year. It is terrific to have Mr. Zhang involved in so many riveting shows and established spaces. Having Mr. Zhang show at both the MoMA and the MET illustrates his prominence in the international art circle, and I am confident his recognition as an extraordinary artist will only continue to develop.