Fei Dawei says "How come 85 New Wave matters? There was no market for art, yet their works are powerful in a sense. Their paintings do not cost them much and neither could profit from them. In an irony logic, we are proving, assisted by a fortune -- that money is not that important after all. The West began to get in touch with Chinese contemporary arts from the 1990s, The was the time when art became commercialized and price soared. It was all money talking in the market. At this exhibition, however we see the spiritual jumping-off point for Chinese arts. It's an oblivious chapter to the younger generation and to the West. It's important for correcting a money-tainted image of Chinese contemporary arts."
The sublime ideal has cost the Ullens' a collection of Turner watercolors, the largest ever to come on the market in more than a century. The proceeds from the sale, 21 million US dollars , were invested toward the founding of UCCA. Since it was completed it has become an artistic magnet, visited even by dignitaries.
But is it all worth it? For Ullens, the answer is yes.
Guy Ullens says "The painful part of financing is over, the part which is the why, which is am I have enough money for achieving all that. We are now be able to keep going and have the quality which everyone wants to have in Beijing. Because in a few years, we are going to have very sophisticated people in Beijing. They learn very fast and the changes are extraordinary like the economy. Though we have big challenges here, challenges and competition. It's a wonderful challenge, coz we are going to set up a new organization here. The place will have its own life."
UCCA will open a window on the world for everyone in China, and a journey into the richness of creativity for all.
(CCTV August 28, 2008)
