"China is building museums every week," says David Elliott, director of arts at the British Council in China. "Major things. They're huge. Massive infrastructure projects."
The Tate organized a Turner show at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing in 2009. In addition, the British Council planned a huge festival of UK culture during the 2012 London Olympic Games.
China has been described as the largest growth for the art business and a lot of galleries moved east.
Let’s make a list of them!
Massimo de Carlo
The opening of the Hong Kong venue coincided with Hong Kong Art Basel 2016 edition and the gallery’s 30th anniversary.
Pace
Pace gallery was the first Manhattan-based gallery to move to Bejing. The opening was in 2008, during Bejing Summer Olympics games. Then, they expanded to Seoul and Hong Kong.
Perrotin
The famous gallerist Emmanuel Perrotin is known as the person who brought the art of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to the Western art world. The gallery opened spaces in Hong Kong in 2012, in Seoul in 2016, and in June 2017 in Tokyo.
Simon Lee
Hong Kong was the second city, after London, for Simon Lee Gallery. In addition, it also was the first Western gallery to present a group show of just Hong Kong artists.
White Cube
This famous gallery inaugurated its Hong Kong venue in 2012, with an exhibition of Gilbert and George.
Gagosian
One of the first Western galleries (with white Cube and Pace) to perceive Hong Kong’s potential. Gagosian established in the city in 2011. This venue was the gallery’s 11th global outpost.
Hauser & Wirth
The gallery already opened venues both in Bejing and Shanghai, and it’s planning another gallery opening in Hong Kong in spring 2018.
David Zwirner
After London and New York, the gallery will open another space in Hong Kong in January 2018. The first exhibition will be dedicated to the Belgian artist Michaël Borremans.
Action houses moved East as well. Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips have offices across Asia. Sotheby’s has salesrooms in Hong Kong, Christie’s both in Hong Kong and Shanghai, and Phillips in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Tapei.