Can you tell us more about the curator behind the exhibition ?

I have been engaged in art for more than ten years as a full-time job. As a curator, I have also curated more than 80 exhibitions (some big exhibitions and some small ones, including bringing 50 Chinese artists to exhibit in Paris in 2014).

My artistic background is that I have studied traditional Chinese paintings and Chinese calligraphy since I was a child. Later, I spent one and half year studying Western painting techniques in oil painting and sketching before I got involved in art business. I've [also] been studying the history of art.

Taking advantage of the two years of the pandemic, I also completed a master's degree in Wealth Management. Learning financial knowledge systematically has allowed me to better understand how art assets can be considered as an alternative investment in the financial field. It also allowed me to understand both art and finance.  

I think there is a social responsibility as a curator and gallerist to launch and patiently cultivate a respectable and truly famous artist, not just to launch a ‘superstar’ artist.

Yan Xun, Curator , Xun Art Gallery Luxembourg

What’s the story behind your selection of artists for this exhibition ?

I am making a very selective selection of Chinese contemporary artists to add to our portfolio and to be presented to the public. They represent the current Chinese artistic scene and tendencies. I am also selecting artists whose artworks will go up in value in the upcoming years. Those artworks can also be seen as investments besides the pleasure to possess them. I also put the focus on selecting very different styles of contemporary artworks.

I spend almost all of my time to deeply knowing and understanding my artists. The key is to fully and deeply know and understand the artists ; it is not only to understand their skills, creativity, potential and background, but also the abilities that ordinary people do not have.

I think there is a social responsibility as a curator and gallerist to launch and patiently cultivate a respectable and truly famous artist, not just to launch a ‘superstar’ artist.

What does this exhibition represent for Luxembourg-China relations?

50 years of Luxemburg-China relations was an opportunity to make [and] discover established and emerging Chinese contemporary artists in Luxembourg.

In the exhibition, we show older artists (over 60 years) as well as younger emerging artists. They reflect the last decades of Chinese contemporary artworks tendencies. The exhibition shows a mix of artworks from female artists as well as male artists. It also exhibits artworks from a father, WANG Huanqing, a well established artist and from his daughter (WANG Weiran), a promising emerging artist.

I also wanted to exhibit independently a selection of Chinese artists, for their quality, their representativeness of the Chinese contemporary art scene, without any influencing external factor. There is no politics behind the exhibition, it focuses purely on the art.

What’s next following the exhibition opening? 

We are currently organising private visits of the exhibition. A finissage will take place on 15 December that will be open to public.

The “50 years Luxembourg-China, artworks of Chinses artists” exhibition is organised in collaboration with Art Work Circle.