Who's afraid of criticism of the art market?

My few criticisms of the article, the art market in recent weeks caused a great rebound. Even told me in an anonymous online personal attacks, using it means that to attack a critic of the poor to achieve the scale and extent, it can be said of Chinese contemporary art over the past three decades has never been before. Can be regarded as a historical record high.

Who is afraid of criticism in the art market? I can not help but obviously the performance of the recent loss of those people, why is it so afraid of an article, an article on it can make the Chinese art market collapse overnight? This is not all collectors and investors of the IQ. If all works are really sky-high price of film and real transactions, what is afraid of. Some people fear that because the issue of the current high price of art is built on a lie based on the Community.

Even in the stage one after another by various people, in order to defend the art market, these "universal theory of the market," the firefighters were not in fact some basic facts to refute, for example, the auction price of the lies, the world's second-rate Chinese oil paintings, art production reproduction, high price does not truly represent the work of China's new art. They just bypass these problems, talk about external issues, such as market economy, to save China, to save art market capitalization, and we want to market to the benefits of how we should be deeply grateful, and so on.

In general, all opposed to criticism of the art market of the "firefighters" are deliberately stressed three points: 1) "to criticize the market" as is "no market"; 2) emphasized that "everything on the market", 3) emphasizes that we must deeply grateful to the market.

"Criticism of the market" is not a "no market"

First of all, please do not put the "criticism of the market" as is "no market." Before I wrote a series of articles have mentioned several times that the last three years to the arts capital of a free and vibrant art or provide a financial support, such as a large number of independent curatorial, art magazines, and private art gallery in the private capital support so that the vitality of art. However, this does not mean that the art market is a panacea, and the art market has now led to the commercialization of art and production transition, and even the art auction business fraud.

Despite the current art market has serious flaws in the art from a perfect system, it is not a best choice, but I do want to say, the arts capital to promote the arts, is currently the best option. Compared to Western art system, Z / F US's Biennial as well as the media, the arts capital in spite of the arts led to a tendency to lose the spirit of avant-garde, but it is currently relying on the support of all the power to choose the most base of support, After all, since it represents a local and civil nature.

It can be compared to the capitalist market economy and democratic system is not the ideal of human society's social system, but it is so far the best of human society to solve the problem, but also the best for each class to accept the social system. Because capitalism is not any other than economic and political systems more effective mode of social governance, but this does not mean that capitalism is a kind we can freely trade in the market, trading parties can hold strong bullying the weak, Hang Meng abduction, unscrupulous, and then who is tough, who would dare to cheat, who is more power, who is the winner of the market. Four hundred years in the history of capitalism, the first two hundred years is so dry, it is a cruel barbaric believed in the "jungle rules" of capitalism. I was surprised and, more recently, in this "jungle rules" of the values for art auction market and the high price to defend the so-called "money is the big brother," "There you have 10 million to deceive."

18,19 century capitalism had a utopian socialist ideas and Marx's critical theory is that all this is for the limitations, restrictions and regulations of the training kept capitalism without ethics. From the last century before and after World War II that Roosevelt's New Deal Keynesian economics, the collapse of the former Soviet Union to China's reform three decades, the system of human society the world has proven that there is no single form of capitalism, or the socialist system, all the success of the social system and even Europe and the United States, are basically a hybrid system, that is a capitalist society to absorb the values and system of socialism, a socialist society to absorb the capitalist economic system.

Market is not omnipotent, in a critical discipline in the market

This relates to the second question: there is no human society can not be a market economy, but the market economy is not omnipotent. Only the market economy by the social justice, democracy and the rule of law and regulation system bound after training in order to promote social progress. Market economy, if not binding, it will have a powerful capitalist, capitalist triad, as well as external colonial capitalism. At present, the so-called "universal art market" theory of the firefighters who tried to reform and opening up three decades of history, will last three years the market bubble and the price on this fraud against the backdrop of three decades to explain the legality of which is in fact the last few Criticism has been widespread in China's policy of economic liberalism as a replica.

Three decades of reform, the so-called "economic liberalism" theory, is that Z / F must be from the monopoly and dictatorship, complete with market economy to replace the planned economy policies, the only way to promote China's economic prosperity, a large number of middle-class culture, and eventually the abolition of authoritarian rule to democracy. Although this theory very good, in the eighties to the mid-nineties, they have to do a group of reformers and social destiny of the nation to sacrifice their own reform. However, since the reform of the last decade have proven that this policy of economic liberalism is a major defect leading to a Z / F spread of corruption, polarization intensified, 20% of the small number of people have 80% of national wealth, the rich countries poorer people associate the "Latin American" phenomenon. In politics, totalitarianism, there is no sign of loosening.

A few days ago I had just been to Sichuan disaster area to me is not the shock of the tragedy the earthquake itself, but the people of the earthquake prior to the bottom of the social life of poverty and suffering. Residents who collapse of the wall exposed to all indoor floor, the living conditions of the bottom like a social profile of each family living facilities do not add up to more than 5000 yuan money. I believe that as long as the affected areas went to the scene a little bit of conscience, will feel that the so-called works of the high price is not what it neither for the Chinese culture in assuming responsibility for, nor the academic depth, not related by blood with the realities of China links. In the past two years in the market pushed up into a high-priced works are so-called "big face" to the Chinese people are basically painted a number of "face grimly," "Na Mu-face", "smirk face" "sinister face", is that there are some theoretical works trumpeter as their access to the great history of contemporary art works, on behalf of a new culture of China's international image, the reform and opening up 30 years of the great achievements of the market economy.

Capitalism took the money, the same criticism of capitalism

This relates to the third question, that is, who is the real economic success of three decades of reform and opening up of promoters and contributors, who to share the results, who should be deeply grateful to the market economy?

Three decades of reform and opening up of China has achieved tremendous economic success, but a sizable middle class and not the formation of a free and independent civil society has not taken shape, China is still very poor in most areas of reform and opening up the main source of wealth into a small number of the hands of the crowd. Therefore, the reform of three decades of economic success, it is these few people have the wealth of the credit it? Definitely not, China's economic success in this great, vast numbers of good, hard-working, social order to comply with the workers and peasants of the people and the great sacrifices, the majority of intellectuals, civil servants, reformers, urban white-collar pay, such as the eighties than the Japanese economy to take off period also overloaded with work and intensity, is the economic success of these man-made three decades to bear the cost of development, the middle and lower classes of people do not have to make sacrifices for the reform, how can there be in today's economic success? The middle and lower strata of Chinese society than in the past people in life have indeed improved, but work with them to pay far less in comparison, they should have been more, so their income now on the progress of life, I think the Chinese community to thank them, and they do not need to be deeply grateful to the market!

Three decades of reform and opening-up who is not introduced me to, on-line discussions have been too much. It is strange that some of the recent market advocate omnipotent hand of the theory of the market could continue to preach, when God, or advocate the "Thanksgiving on the market." China's three decades of progress in contemporary art, some speculators and art auction credit investors it? Definitely not, most of them only last three to five years before coming in, in front of them where 20 years? Not generations of artists, critics, curators and even foreign curators, critics and foreign friends to help, where the art market today? The art of the last three years, investors and speculators auction only to harvest the art of the past two decades the outcome, they should be grateful to several generations of artists, critics should.

Some people say that you won the critics over the past few years the high fee, but also criticized the market? I want to tell these firefighters, I took to be critical or high fee. Because we are the pioneers of Chinese contemporary art, we took the money does not! Capitalism took the money, the same criticism of capitalism, which is the art criticism of capitalism!

Some people say that the market is critical for you,  I think most Chinese people did not but "revenge" on those, phony, extortion and breach of the rules of the game people get rich and have money do not know who he is people. Of such people in China must have a discourse. China's globalization and the market economy is a from the Opium War, the Westernization Movement, the Anti-Japanese War of more than one hundred years since the course of 100 years in this, there are some really great Chinese rich, I not only never been "revenge" over they are rich, but also to admire about them. For example, during the Westernization Movement Zhang Qian, in the South outside of the establishment of trading ports in addition to the autonomy of the construction of China's earliest modern city; Revolution and the Republic of China such as Zhang Jingjiang, Zhang all his wealth to support the Revolution, as well as nation-building in the early ; the Anti-Japanese War, such as Tan Kah Kee, who sold to support the anti-Japanese. I would not give more examples of people who claim those who listened to.

Market economy, advocating anti-authoritarian, neo-liberalism is an outdated argument

At present, the market economy can claim to the freedom of Chinese art and anti-authoritarian people, such an argument is not new. This has long been in economic circles as well as over the past decade, "study" critical journal of the same theory of the so-called replica of economic liberalism. These so-called economists to promote economic liberalism, in fact, some multinational companies, however, private enterprises or state-owned enterprises spokesman for the interest groups. This so-called market economy can be "automatic" to save the theory of China's economic scholars and economists have long been discredited in recent years, had been transplanted to this art for the defense market speculation. Their reason: China is still an early stage of primitive accumulation of capital, it must be part of the capital speculation if the art market until the market has become really leave the market, prices become really leave the price of Chinese art will be able to do truly break away from the authoritarian culture, and thus the freedom to create. This is a beautiful cake!

Wanton violation of the rules of a game the market can really promote the prosperity of art and institutional maturity it? A A League has proven that this is a daydream. Today's Chinese art market a few years ago with a more and more like A League, a large number of funds did not cause the player to enter a good practice, as well as the construction of a benign system of football, but to bring the parties to the pursuit of mad money, but did not really raise the level of . All the parties involved have to wait until after, the next generation of both A A new player has not earned any money ushered in a true football system. Four years ago the market of Chinese painting as well. An ideal of restraint and the pursuit of the art market, only a small number of irresponsible people the tools to make money, so really responsible and willing to comply with the game people were affected by interference.

Can be advocated a market economy will inevitably bring about a better outcome, and in fact, as the capital markets and to worship God, but also a soul and the theory of subjectivity. Art Web site in recent months that keep on emerging in a word called "money is the big brother" on that part of the capital has been how to make young people the values of the loss of the soul. China's reforms over the past three decades, not only did not weaken the authoritarian culture, and in fact also totalitarian oligarchy of capital and with a high degree of bonding.

I do not know some of the criticism of the market so why should we panic? If this is a solid academic foundation for meaning and truth of the art market transactions, rather than just take up a virtual shelves, what good are afraid of? Therefore, the real fear of criticism of the art market is that speculators art, as well as all of these stakeholders speculators. Because speculators left the price of these lies, on one day does not go on speculation.

I do not think the art market will all collapse. I believe that over the past three years and works really good market in a down-to-earth to pave the way Gallery works of art, will continue to rise higher and higher. Part of the art market is in transition institutions and groups, and even some experimental installation art is now also started to sell well. Therefore, I have not disappointed with the Chinese art market, of course, those High price is not the fate of works of art very good to say.

A stage crowded market bubble will soon come, and squeezed out of these market bubble, the Chinese contemporary art will still be good! China does not need a new clothes the emperor and flying all over the sky of the art market, do not need irresponsible speculation of a small minority of the art market to make money, but need a commercial to promote the academic capital of the art system, in this system, market is not a decisive factor.

2009-5-11