BEIJING — Hong Kong-based stalwart de Sarthe Gallery, which represents a diverse roster of international artists with a particular focus on French Impressionism and modern and postwar Chinese painting, opened a new space in Beijing’s Caochangdi gallery district on April 4.The inaugural exhibition at de Sarthe Beijing is devoted to the work of the Beijing-born multimedia and installation artist Zhou Wendou, who completed advanced studies in fine art at the University of Complutense in Madrid after graduating from the Central Academy of Art and Design in Beijing.Prior to the opening of the show, BLOUIN ARTINFO caught up with Vincent de Sarthe, director of de Sarthe Beijing, to discuss Zhou’s solo exhibition as well as the current state of the contemporary art scene in the Chinese capital.Zhou Wendou has lived and worked in Spain — a relatively off-the-radar choice, perhaps, considering the profiles of other Chinese artists of his generation. What unique perspectives do you think this background has given to his art?Zhou Wendou’s time studying, living, and working in Spain has given him a unique global perspective. As with any artist who travels away from their home, Zhou is able to look at domestic situations with an outside perspective, resulting in new and different views. Being in a European country immersed him in an entirely different culture and way of life, and we see this come across in his works, where he commonly examines the development of global society and China’s place within this new world order.In our Hong Kong gallery, we specialize in Asian and Western masters, including the second generation of Chinese artists such as Zao Wou-Ki, Chu Teh Chun and T'ang Haywen, all of whom spent a good portion of their artistic career abroad. The interesting trend that we are now noticing is that a number of these artists are now choosing to return to China and work here, serving to further illustrate the importance of the role that China plays in art today.What will be the focus of de Sarthe Beijing's programming, and how do you see the relationship between this new Beijing gallery and de Sarthe Gallery in Hong Kong? Our Hong Kong and Beijing galleries have and will continue to work very closely with one another. Also, we have shown Chinese contemporary artists at the Hong Kong gallery before. The focus at the Hong Kong space tends more towards modern postwar masters with whom we have been working over a period of almost four decades, with a mix of both Western and Asian artists.Our Beijing space will retain the intimate, carefully curated feel of the original gallery while serving as a platform for displaying more contemporary Chinese artists. There will be an ongoing energy to the space.Caochangdi continues to be a major hub for both Chinese and international galleries who maintain spaces in Beijing, while many also decry the increasing commercialization of 798, which is now also full of fashionable cafes, souvenir shops, and so on. What, in your view, makes Caochangdi special as an art gallery district within the context of Beijing and China?Although many say that 798 has become over-commercialized, I feel that there are still many great art institutions and galleries there. It is not necessarily a bad thing to have a lively community built up around 798 to bring in people who would otherwise not usually visit a gallery or museum. On the other hand, we have Caochangdi, which I feel very lucky to be a part of. Here, when you have someone walk through the doors to your gallery, you know that they are 100% there for the art! This allows the community here to stay truly focused on our goals. Caochangdi is a community that has grown from the ground up — in some ways, it is very suited to the mission we have of cultivating contemporary artists through de Sarthe Beijing.Zhou Wendou’s “Borderless” runs at de Sarthe Beijing (328-D Caochangdi, Chaoyang District 100015, Beijing) through May 24, 2015.Follow @ARTINFOHongKong
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