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I thought I would head off to China as we had a few days to spare before the opening of Toby’s new show.
While 176 Team and Ziegler Team were beavering away I was visiting my adopted little sister Yana Peel. She was so proud of her new country and showed me her fabulous new project space called Para/Site. Then we visited Hong Kong’s biggest art space The Hong Kong Art Centre, which was really quite small and met one of Hong Kong’s most favoured artists Tsang Kin Wah.
Yana and Tsang Kin Wah
We had a coffee with Jehan Chu who was full of great advice. We managed to stop by at China’s only Asian art archive run by Claire Hsu. It was most interesting and Claire is singlehandedly archiving the whole of the Asian art world. We bumped into Nick Simunovic the new Managing Director of Gagosian Gallery in Hong Kong and shhhhh it is a secret the new location but I can say the space is more than impressive and huge for Hong Kong! We dropped by to see the Ben Brown Gallery also an impressive space. I laid my eyes on Lars Nittve’s new amazing museum. Like all things in China it will just appear like magic I am sure. Lars certainly has his hands full I hope he takes Claire’s archive into his museum.Then we dropped by for a few days once again into the amazing Beijing. In four years the town had changed dramatically, skyscrapers had shot up, every shopping mall was heaving with luxury brands and no clients, the back streets were heaving with cheap luxury brands and a huge amount
Unlike China evolving in the last four years sadly the art has not. We spotted a couple of future greats one at the Beijing Commune called Liu Wei. Pace had an amazing show also called Great Peformances with a few highlights, their new space was totally magnificent.
I loved this work by Yang Maoyuan at Pace.
There was a wonderful looking Gallery called Xin Dong Cheng with the most incredible Cuban Art.
More Cuban art
798 has moved on leaps and bounds since I was there last. There was only one little cafe and a few spaces; the Ullens’ space had not even opened then, now the area has turned into a Lower East Side with cafes, galleries and shops all over the place.
The outdoor art was admired by all even little dogs.
Then it was back to England we dropped straight into Sadie Coles and saw the incredible show by Urs Fisher.
Then in the evening the night before Toby’s show in 176 we had a festive dinner at home.
Toby’s opening and our third anniversary was incredibly special. As my friend Marsha pointed out that now 176 had been claimed by its audience and had its own momentum. This is exactly how it felt, 176 now has a life of its own. We now have an incredible improved cafe, art library and shop and somehow a new life has breathed its way into our space. Of course these things do not happen on their own thanks to our wonderful 176 team our advisors James Lingwood, Thomas Dane, Brian Boylan and with Lizzie at the helm.Toby’s show I believe was a big success and everyone was very proud.
Great picture at the end of the evening sums it up with Lizzie, Mark Rappolt and Toby looking as satisfied as the Fischli & Weiss cat plays in the back room.
Not only did the babies come so did the adults. Mark Titchner’s and Claire's Baby Ellis.
And also Baby Inez came to check it out.
Liam Z also was joining in on the festivities.
Rob Diament had a fabulous new hairstyle. His old pop star dreamy look had given way to his gallerist establishment look.
It was lovely as our Belgian friend Wim Delvoye, dropped by and hooked up with his matching T Shirt with matching pop corn bag friend Ron Arad who tells me he has just finished his studio extension and has a fabulous showroom just round the corner to us in Camden. I cannot wait to visit. Sometimes places that are nearer are the most difficult to visit, human nature is strange!
New news to me but old news to everyone else! I was so excited to see that lovely Ben Lewis (who by the way liked the show) and Maria Marshall had hooked up together. This made me very happy.
I introduced Oliver Michaels, one of the artists chosen by Toby, to David Blandy who coincidently had visited his studio six years ago and had loved his work in Brooklyn. At the time he had a toy train running around the house, I loved his work then.
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