NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s Education announced its first-ever virtual international academic conference on 26 to 27 November 2020. This conference will be the third in its International Art & the Market Series, which launched in 2016 in London with Creating Markets, Collecting Art, followed in 2018 in New York by Celebrating Female Agency in the Arts. The conference will explore the global impact of the Chinese art ecosystem from both historical and current perspectives.

Sara Mao, Director of Christie’s Education Asia: “Together with my co-conveners, we are delighted to be presenting the third Christie’s Education academic conference following Female Agency in the Arts in New York, and Creating Markets, Collecting Art in London. Through this global virtual conference, I am excited to explore exchanges and conversations around China’s contribution to the arts throughout the centuries, its influences and as well as the many exciting recent changes from a historical, aesthetic and cultural perspective. Hong Kong continues to offer a valuable vantage point as a hub of cultural exchange and as a melting pot of cultures, offering a unique East meets West identity and outlook. For the first time, this conference will be held virtually and in dual languages, and I greatly look forward to hearing from internationally renowned scholars in the field of Chinese Art on a stimulating range of topics. Building on previous conferences and from last year’s Art + Tech Summit, I am also thrilled to be revisiting and building on these ideas through our sessions “Women and the Art Market” and “Art + Tech in Asia: Tech Disruptions & Opportunity in Museum Curation.”

The international conference covers a wide range of disciplines which consider China’s contribution to the arts from a transnational and trans-historical perspective. Throughout the two days, sessions will address issues of cultural exchange, artistic cross-fertilization and appropriation, the circulation of works of art, collecting networks and the economics of taste and value, as well as today’s art market.




Dr Véronique Chagnon-Burke, Academic Director, Christie’s Education, New York: “My co-conveners and I were delighted by the breadth of proposals we received from all over the globe. In selecting the sessions we hope to foster dialogue between scholars and art world professionals, supporting the idea that artistic exchanges have enriched cultures for many centuries. In addition we would like to highlight the role Hong Kong plays in the global art ecosystem, by connecting the past with current events when it comes to art market and technological developments.”

Across thirteen sessions the conference will explore diverse aspects of the Chinese art market and its ecosystem including the collection, circulation and exhibition of artworks in the East and Southeast Asia region; the emergence of Hong Kong as a global art centre; navigating the nuanced relationship between women and the art market with discussions about the dynamics of gender, power, and culture focusing on Southeast Asia; the central role played by Paris in facilitating the appropriation of western modern art styles and techniques by Asian artists; the acceleration of digital technologies associated with economic and social changes reshaping artistic creations in China; and investigating the current state of the Chinese art market, focusing on the auction system, technological innovations, and broader developments in professional practice. It will conclude with a panel discussion on the demand for Western art in China creating dialogue that delves into the nuanced East-West dynamics that play a significant part in China’s society and culture.

Dr Cecily Hennessy, Academic Director, Christie’s Education, London: “We are delighted to be able to host this virtual conference and bring together rich scholarship and expertise on many aspects of Chinese art, its history and its markets including current issues.”

This conference is intended for art historians and art professionals focused on Chinese art, the Chinese art market and its ecosystem, as well as for those interested in historical and current perspectives of China’s contribution to the arts in a global context.

Further information, including programme and registration details, is available on the Christie’s Education Conference 2020 website.The conference will be bi-lingual in English and Mandarin with translation provided.