Behind the Mystery of Art for New Collectors
Written by Ting Zhang
Translated by The Fête Chinoise Team
Photo Credit: MChe Lee
對很多人來說藝術品市場神秘而又陌生，與此同時藝術品收藏又是極具吸引力的. 據瑞銀與art basel的最新統計， 2020年全球藝術市場總值約為64.1 billion 美元,其中24.2 billion 美元來自拍賣市場。據我所知，很多朋友接觸藝術，認識藝術是在博物館裡；而擁有第一件藝術品是通過拍賣會。與畫廊不同，拍賣公司的公開性與市場宣傳為很多新人藏家敞開了大門，讓他們一步步接觸藝術品。那麼藝術品收藏應該如何開始呢? 當你開啟你人生中收藏大門時 應該注意些什麼呢？下面我將會和大家了解一下收藏的定義，以及分享在購買藝術品時候的一些參考策略。
什麼是收藏 ？
在中文中，“收藏”是兩個行為組成的一個過程。收表示收集，藏表示保存。當你看到自己喜歡的東西，把它們收集起來並保存一段時間就是一個收藏。收藏取決於收藏者的收藏目的，財力有些時候是一些運氣。收藏也取決於收藏者的愛好興趣，藝術修養，美學理解以及收藏觀念.
“在中文中，“收藏”是兩個行為組成的一個過程。收表示收集，藏表示保存。當你看到自己喜歡的東西，把它們收集起來並保存一段時間就是一個收藏。”
在中國歷史上，最早有明確記載的收藏開始於晉唐時期， 而第一個收藏的高峰出現在宋代。文人士大夫在皇家的影響下競相開始收藏古畫，青銅器玉器等器物，並對這些古物研究並且將在自己的研究心得與朋友交流分享。
在西方，儘管在公元前三世紀就出現類似收藏的行為，但是我們普遍認為現代收藏起於15世紀歐洲，源於當時風靡一時的cabinet of curiosities 珍奇屋的興起。自此之後， 藝術市場，古董商， 畫廊以及拍賣行等藝術行業陸續出現在歷史的舞台。
很多朋友把收藏視為一個既可以投資又可以提高社會影響力的一個興趣。從20世紀至今，很多社會學家，心理學家還有哲學家都對收藏這一行為進行了解析和研究。比如說， 西格蒙德 佛洛依德描述收藏是一種對兩性活動的一種代替。法國社會學家Pierre Bourdieu 則把收藏和審美品味視為鞏固自己社會地位和區分自我與其他社會階級的一種行為。近年來， 一直關注博物館學和人類學的學者沙朗麥克唐納德Sharon Macdonald 也對收藏做出了解釋，她提出收藏是一種本能行為，在人類甚至一些動物中普遍存在，她強調了應該區分收藏與其他一些類似行為的不同性， 她給出收藏的定義為“ a self-aware process of creating a set of objects conceived to be meaningful as a group. ” “有自我意識的創建一組被認為是有意義的對象物品的過程。”
What is a collection?
In Chinese, the term "collecting" is comprised of two characters that describe a process composed of two behaviours: to receive, which means to collect; and to hide, which means to preserve. When you see the things you like, collect them and keep them preserved for a period of time into a collection. What a collection includes will depend on the collector’s purpose, preferences, and financial resources… and sometimes luck. A collection is also unique to the hobbies and interests of the collector, artistic accomplishments, aesthetic understanding and themes for collecting.
“In Chinese, the term “collecting” is comprised of two characters that describe a process composed of two behaviours: to receive, which means to collect; and to hide, which means to preserve. When you see the things you like, collect them and keep them preserved for a period of time into a collection.”
The earliest clearly recorded collections in Chinese history began in the Jin and Tang dynasties, and the first peak of collections appeared in the Song Dynasty. Under the influence of the royal family, literati and doctors competed to collect ancient paintings, bronzes and jadeware and other artifacts, studied these ancient relics, and shared their research experiences with friends.
In the West, although similar collections occurred in the third century BC, we generally believe that modern collections began in Europe in the 15th century, originating from the rise of cabinets of curiosities, which were all the rage at the time. Since then, art markets, antique dealers, galleries, and auction houses have successively appeared on the stage of history.
Many friends regard collecting as an interest that can both be used as an investment and a way to increase social influence. From the 20th century to the present, many sociologists, psychologists and philosophers have analyzed and studied the act of collecting. For example, Sigmund Freud described collecting as a substitute for gender activities. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu regards collection and aesthetic taste as an act of consolidating one's social status and distinguishing oneself from other social classes. In recent years, Sharon Macdonald, a scholar who has been paying attention to museology and anthropology, has also explained collection. She proposed that collection is an instinctive behaviour that is common in humans and even some animals. She emphasized that collections should be distinguished. Different from other similar behaviours, she defined collection as "a self-aware process of creating a set of objects conceived to be meaningful as a group."
在了解為收藏的概念以後， 如何在收藏過程中，做到心有所往，藏而有道 最終從年輕藏家變成受人尊敬的史詩級藏家呢？以下幾點建議分享給你：
1 確認收藏門類
建立收藏是一個需要時間和精力的過程， 當你認真決定要開始收藏的旅程時 第一個問題是需要明確自己的喜好，確認自己的收藏門類。藝術品的種類琳瑯滿目拿我熟悉的中國藝術來說裡面也包含了明清瓷器， 高古瓷器，青銅器，書畫，當代藝術，佛教藝術等眾多門類，而每個藏家的審美和喜好更有不同，比如說上海的龍美術館，館長王薇女士對中國現當代藝術家的繪畫作品有著濃厚興趣，而她的老公同是龍美術館的創始人的劉益謙先生則是著名的中國明清官窯瓷器的收藏家。當然興趣也不是一旦決定就一成不變的。就拿M Woods 博物館創始人的收藏家林翰來說，他最初的興趣來自對當代藝術家的學習，隨著創辦自己的博物館，他開始對中國古代藝術產生了興趣，在2019年的木木美術館舉辦的david hockney的展覽中，把出自宮廷畫師的康熙南巡圖加入到david hockney 展覽之中，通過中西方的構圖法，嘗試把中國古代藝術與當代藝術做一個結合使古今的藝術家在觀眾眼前做了對話，同時這一舉動也完成了木木美術館從當代美術館到集中國古代藝術和現當代藝術的綜合性美術館的轉型。
After understanding the concept of collection, how can we achieve what we want in the process of collection, and how can we hide and do so, and finally turn from a young collector to a respected epic collector? The following suggestions are shared with you:
Step ONE: Confirm the Collection Category
Establishing a collection is a process that takes time and energy. When you seriously decide to start the journey of collecting, the first question is to be clear about your preferences and confirm your collection category. There are many types of art. Taking the Chinese art that I am familiar with, it also includes Ming and Qing porcelain, ancient porcelain, bronze, calligraphy and painting, contemporary art, Buddhist art and many other categories, and each collector has different aesthetics and preferences. For example, at the Long Art Museum in Shanghai, the curator Ms. Wang Wei has a keen interest in the paintings of Chinese modern and contemporary artists, and her husband, Mr. Liu Yiqian, who is also the founder of the Long Art Museum, is a famous Chinese Ming and Qing official kiln. Collector of porcelain. Of course, interest is not set in stone once it is decided. Take Lin Han, the collector of the founder of the M Woods Museum. His initial interest came from studying contemporary artists. With the establishment of his own museum, he became interested in ancient Chinese art. In the David Hockney exhibition held in the museum, the Kangxi Southern Tour from the court painter was added to the David Hockney exhibition. Through Chinese and Western composition methods, an attempt was made to combine ancient Chinese art with contemporary art so that ancient and modern artists were present in the audience. There was a dialogue in front of me, and at the same time, this move also completed the transformation of Mumu Art Museum from a contemporary art museum to a comprehensive museum integrating ancient Chinese art and modern and contemporary art.
2 確認藝術品的真偽性
這一點尤其對於對古代藝術品感興趣的藏家尤其重要。藝術品的真偽性直接影響到藝術品自身的價值以及收藏價值， 但是並不是所有的仿品都是沒有價值的， 對藝術品仿造從古代就開始了，有些特定時期的仿品本身也是一件工藝高超的藝術品。比如在中國瓷器史上，很多後朝的君主例如清朝的康熙 雍正 以及乾隆皇帝都下諭旨讓工匠們對前朝的瓷器進行仿製從而表示去先代藝術品的喜愛與致敬。此類藝術品雖是仿品但是在品質上並不是粗製濫造，有些仿品甚至被定為名品，有很高的收藏價值。
Step TWO: Confirm the authenticity of the artwork
This is especially important for collectors who are interested in ancient art. The authenticity of the artwork directly affects the value of the artwork itself and the value of the collection, but it is important to note that not all imitations are worthless. The imitation of artwork has a long history, having begun since ancient times, and the imitations of certain specific periods are also a special kind of classified imitation. It can be considered a piece of art with superb craftsmanship. For example, in the history of Chinese porcelain, many later monarchs, such as Kangxi, Yongzheng and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, issued orders for craftsmen to imitate the porcelain of the previous dynasty to express their love and tribute to the art of the earlier dynasty. Although such works of art are imitations, they are not shoddy in quality. Some imitations are even designated as famous ones and have high collection value, despite not being an original work.
3 充分了解該作品或者藝術家是不是夠fashion
這個時尚可以簡單理解為曝光率，比如相關信息包含近期在博物館會有該藝術家的展覽，某位藝術家與時尚品牌聯名成為流行符號，某位藝術家的作品在拍賣會上拍出破紀錄的天價等。這些信息的曝光都會或多或少的在一定時間內影響藝術家或者藝術品的市場價格。比如最近非常火的Daniel Arsham 憑藉和時尚品牌Dior的合作 一舉成為當下受追捧的年輕藝術家。受追捧的藝術家的知名度代表了其市場的廣度，廣度上升，市場上的收藏需求隨之上升，市場價格也會上升。
Step Three: Fully understand whether the work or artist is fashionable enough.
This fashion can be simply understood as the exposure rate. For example, relevant information includes that there will be an exhibition of the artist in the museum in the near future, an artist and a fashion brand have jointly become a popular symbol, and the works of an artist have been sold at record-breaking prices at auctions, etc. . The exposure of this information will more or less affect the market price of artists or artworks within a certain period of time. For example, Daniel Arsham, who is very popular recently, has become a sought-after young artist in a short time, mainly because of his collaboration with the fashion brand Dior. The popularity of sought-after artists represents the breadth of the market. As the breadth rises, the demand for collections on the market rises, and the market price also rises.
4 確認這件作品、藝術家在藝術史上的影響力
藝術家的影響力影響其作品的價格，名家的作品往往高於同一時期其他藝術家的作品。 2017年，文藝復興巨匠 萊昂納多,達芬奇的油畫作品Salvator Mundi 在紐約拍出了450million 美元的天價 一舉成為了世界上至今最昂貴的藝術品。
Step Four: Confirm the influence of this work and the artist in the history of art
The influence of an artist affects the price of his or her work, and the works of famous artists are often higher than those of other artists in the same period. In 2017, Renaissance master Leonardo and Da Vinci's oil painting Salvator Mundi sold for a sky-high price of US$450 million in New York and became the most expensive artwork in the world so far.
5 此幅作品是否是藝術家巔峰時的作品 ？
我們都知道每個行業都有其所謂的巔峰時期，在藝術家的領域也是如此，在這個時期藝術家的藝術水品發揮到了極致，或者受到藝術評論家的評價最高，那麼在此期間創作的藝術品的價值就會高於同一個藝術家其他時期的作品。舉個例子，斑點女皇日本當代女性藝術家草間彌生其70年代繪畫的南瓜作品從市場價位上要遠遠高出2000年後的南瓜作品。又比如說即將在香港進行拍賣的美國黑人藝術家巴斯奎亞特的作品“戰士”的起拍價為31million 美元高價，大家都這副作品寄予希望，其中的一個原因是因為這幅作品是在1982年完成的，而1982正是該藝術家的藝術生涯的巔峰時期。
Step Five: Is this work of the artist at his peak?
We all know that every industry has its so-called peak period, and the same is true in the field of artists. During this period, the artist's artistic water quality has reached the extreme, or the art critics have the highest evaluation, then the artworks created during this period The value will be higher than the works of the same artist in other periods. For example, the spotted queen Japanese contemporary female artist Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin works painted in the 1970s are far more expensive in the market than the pumpkin works after 2000. Another example is that the black American artist Basquiat’s work "Warrior", which is about to be auctioned in Hong Kong, has a starting price of 31 million US dollars. Everyone has hope for this work. One of the reasons is that this work was in 1982. It was completed in 1982, and 1982 was the peak period of the artist’s artistic career.
6 此幅作品是否有代表性？
根據統計，具有代表性的作品對於新買家或者收藏家都是最想要的作品。比如說乾隆時期的洋彩瓷器， 徐悲鴻先生的奔馬，又或者是徐冰先生的天書。
Step Six: Is this work representative?
According to statistics, representative works are the most wanted works for new buyers or collectors. For example, the foreign-coloured porcelain of the Qianlong period, the running horse of Xu Beihong, or the heavenly book of Xu Bing.
7 作品的主題
作品的主題多種多樣，靜物，花草，又或者是裸女，有時候藝術品的主題也會主導藝術品的價格和升值空間，比如說在明代清代官窯瓷器上繪有嬰戲圖吉祥圖案主題的作品一般會高於其他主題的作品， 在西方，人物作品一般來說會高於其他主題的作品，然後在人物主題中，裸女的作品往往高於其他人物主題作品。
Step Seven: The theme of the work
The themes of the works are varied, such as still life, flowers and plants, or nude girls. Sometimes the theme of the artwork will also dominate the price and appreciation of the artwork. For example, the official kiln porcelain of the Ming and Qing dynasties is painted with auspicious patterns of infant play. Themed works are generally higher than other themed works. In the West, character works are generally higher than other themed works, and then in the character theme, nude works are often higher than other character themed works.
8 作品本身的品相也非常重要
如果藝術品存在品相問題或者風險， 我都會建議買家三思而後行。
Step Eight: The appearance of the work itself is also very important
If there is a quality problem or risk in the artwork, I would advise the buyer to think twice.
9 作品的來源
好的來源是指這幅作品來自哪裡，是否來自知名畫廊，是否有齊全的文件證明，是否有參展記錄，之前在哪家博物館展出過，又或者是來自某一個偉大的收藏家或者偉大歷史人物的收藏，這些都將影響作品的價值。
Step Nine: Source of the Art Piece
A good source refers to where the work comes from, whether it comes from a well-known gallery, whether it has complete documentation, whether there is a record of participation, which museum has been exhibited before, or it is from a great collector or a great history The collection of characters will affect the value of the work.
10 將自己對藝術品的喜愛融入自己的生活
簡單來說就是多花時間去和藝術接觸， 把喜歡的藝術品擺在家中，讓它成為生活中的一部分，閒暇的時間和朋友一起去博物館畫廊看展覽，參加art fairs ，不知不覺，你的眼睛便會記錄下這些藝術品的曲線，造型，顏色質量等等。多和朋友分享你認為美的藝術品，並慢慢的訓練你的審美和選擇性。當你變得越來越挑剔的時候，恭喜你，你距離一個藝術評判家的距離已經不遠了。我通常會建議我的朋友一周至少去一次畫廊或者博物館，當然當有重要的展覽的時候，我總會拉上我的朋友盡可能的多去幾回，多抓住這些難得的機會，當然和藝術品一起拍網紅照是必不可少的啦。
“To put it simply, it means to spend more time in contact with art, put your favourite artwork at home, and make it a part of your life.”
Step Ten: Integrate your love of art into your life
To put it simply, it means to spend more time in contact with art, put your favourite artwork at home, and make it a part of your life. In your spare time, go to museum galleries with friends to watch exhibitions and participate in art fairs. Unconsciously, your eyes will record the curves, shapes, colour quality, etc. of these artworks. Share the artwork you think is beautiful with your friends, and slowly train your aesthetics and selectivity. When you become more and more critical, congratulations, you are not far from an art critic. I usually recommend my friends to go to galleries or museums at least once a week. Of course, when there are important exhibitions, I always draw my friends to go as many times as possible to seize these rare opportunities. Of course, and It is essential to take online celebrity photos with artworks.
11 和藝術家，畫廊，藝術顧問還有其他收藏家交流
和行業內的專業人士交流是一個非常重要的環節，通過交流你可以擴展更多的知識，也能看到很多不一樣的建議和角度，更重要的是可以降低買錯的風險。
以上問題都是需要你在買一件藝術品前做的功課，但是千萬不要給自己壓力，其實買藝術品也可以像買一件家庭裝飾一樣簡單。然而充足的功課，不僅會豐富你對藝術的了解，提升個人在收藏中的樂趣， 還能做到藏之有道，為自己帶來更多其他的收益。
Step eleven: Communicate with artists, galleries, art consultants and other collectors
Communication with professionals in the industry is a very important link. Through communication, you can expand more knowledge, and you can also see many different suggestions and perspectives. More importantly, you can reduce the risk of wrong buying.
The above questions are all homework you need to do before buying a piece of art, but don’t put pressure on yourself. In fact, buying a piece of art can be as simple as buying a piece of home decoration when the timing and fit is right. However, doing sufficient preparation will not only enrich your understanding of art and enhance the personal fun in the collection, but also make it a good way to “hide” (store) your treasures and reap the maximum benefits.
