8
Bel-Air |
art
InitiallyErrera found themarket challengingas it tooka
while tobecome familiarwith the appropriate curators and
get togripswith theunique relationshipbetweengalleries
andartists inHongKong.He remains conscious that nothing
replaces seeingapieceofwork inperson, and emphasises
that collectors still have access tophysical, privateviewings
through the site.
TheArtshare experience enhances apersonal connection
toart rather thanan investment. Errera says, “You canuse
the Internet inapersonalway, it’snot just for sellingbooksor
computers.With today’s technology, you can really see, enjoy
anddiscover art inyour living room. But it’s an education
process, andaswithanythingnew, it takes time. It’s all about
gaining trust.”
OpenDoor
In termsof business, Errerahasobserved
incredibleprogress inHongKong’s art
auction scenewitha significant leap in total
group salesover the last sevenyears.Hefinds,
however, that cultural awareness coulduse
rampingup, althoughpresenceofArtBasel
and theAffordableArt Fair are a step in the
right direction.
With the city’s interest in art visibly
apparent, Errera feels there is plentyof
opportunity to improve its current profile.He
explains, “I’ve seen an increase in thequality
anddiversityof the shows. There’s a lot of
publicdemand, it’s just amatter ofmatching
the interestwith something concrete like
panel discussions ormore exhibitions.We
need initiatives fromgalleries andmuseums
tomakepeople feelwelcome.”
Aware that art canbeperceivedas a relatively closed
world, Errera’sbusiness tries tomake the industrymore
approachablebyprovidingart resources toprovide the
communitywithadditional insight. To complement the
shows,Artsharehas also launcheda contributors’ serieswith
weeklyvideo interviewsof key figures in the artworld, from
artists tonews anchors andarchitects,withaparticular focus
on introducingyoung talent.
Another goal Errerawould like toachieve is to satisfy ever-
increasingAmericanandEuropean interest in contemporary
Chinese art.He says, “Talking toartists is fascinatingand
allowsme tounderstand the culture and the issues theymay
be facing.Art is amirrorof societyand I’m fortunate tobe
able todiscover it thisway. It’sbeenvery enrichingpersonally
and isnot just abusiness forme.”
