Eric Huang (黃麟) quit the bottle two years ago. The scotch drinker decided in 2007 that he’d had his fill and was going to take his life in a different direction. His parents, oddly enough, opposed his decision.
“I gave up collecting single-malt scotch to collect art,” said Huang on Friday at Art Taipei. “At first my parents were against it, but I eventually convinced them that collecting art is a good investment.”
Huang, 29, said he budgeted NT$500,000 to spend on art at this year’s Art Taipei, Taiwan’s largest art fair, which ended yesterday. He hoped to add to his collection of Japanese and Taiwanese sculpture, painting and photography, a collection he estimates to be worth NT$2 million.
But while the former “brand ambassador” for Glenfiddich — he’ll return to the family business later this month — has set aside big bucks for art, many collectors were staying away from Art Taipei.
The global financial downturn and lingering devastation wrought by Typhoon Morakot were cited as reasons by organizers and gallery operators for the small crowds at Taipei World Trade Center.
Seventy-eight galleries from throughout the world — most from Taiwan and Southeast Asia — participated in this year’s Art Taipei, one-quarter less than the 111 that exhibited last year.
But the number of exhibitors was not the only figure to drop. Last year’s Art Taipei saw 72,000 visitors wander into the Taipei World Trade Center over a five-day period. This year’s exhibition attracted 50,000 visitors, said Joanne Chen (陳韋晴), marketing director for Art Taipei. Sales of artwork this year totaled US$14 million, compared with US$24 million last year.
An early indication that it was going to be a slow year came on Thursday evening — a time reserved for VIP collectors to browse and hobknob with gallery owners.
“There were fewer VIPs this year,” said Lawrence Chuang (莊國琳) of Main Trend Gallery (大趨勢畫廊), estimating the decline, somewhat anecdotally, at about one-third less. “But smaller crowds meant that it was more comfortable for viewing the art,” he added.
Big money items were also a hard sell this year, said Chen. She said that in previous years the average sale price of art would be around NT$100,000. “This year, people are more likely to buy works valued at NT$5,000 or NT$10,000,” she said.
But Morakot and the financial crisis weren’t stopping Huang from drooling over a painting by Taiwanese artist Tsong Pu (莊普). Valued at NT$540,000, it was a little over his budget.
“That’s okay,” he said. “I have a stable salary so I’m not too concerned.”
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