Jeff Koons and others - in Beijing
ARTinvestment.RU   17 мая 2008

In August, the eve of the Olympic Games, is expected to open new U.S. embassy building in Beijing, United States. It was purchased by the work of at least 18 American and Chinese artists

In August, the eve of the Olympic Games, is expected to open new U.S. embassy building in Beijing, United States. It was purchased by the work of at least 18 American and Chinese artists, including Jeff Koons, Cai Guo-Tsyana, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Rauschenberg, Betty Woodman, Martin Parye, Maya Lin, Yun-Fei Ji, and Hai Bo. Many of these works were created by order of the U.S. Department of State.

Collection was formed under the leadership of Virginia Shore, chief curator of Art in Embassies ( «Art in Embassies»). U.S. State Department calculates the cost of art based on the area in square meters, and according to these calculations, 800 000 dollars spent on the design of new buildings in Beijing, became the largest sum ever paid for the «facilities» Embassy art.

Ms. Shore said that the selection of works by Chinese and American artists to the collection of the Embassy, she was guided by the principles of «cultural sensitivity and diplomacy». When ordering new works, she has asked several artists «show the relationship with China», but «avoided direct allusions to any of the events». One of the examples of those principles - work «The eagle sits on the pine branch» renowned artist Cai Guo-Tsyana, an abstract figure, drawn with the help of gunpowder. According to the artist, the figure shows the «American character that connects with a Chinese archetype». One of the few works created under the impression from recent events, - «The last days before the flood», written by Yun-Fei Ji in 2006 in the style of traditional Chinese landscape painting. It depicts people whose homes were subjected to flooding during the construction of the Three gorges dam.

All work, except for a steel sculpture of Jeff Koons «Tulips», were purchased by the State Department. Koons sculpture, taken from the artist for hire for ten years, will be posted at the entrance to the building. Artworks Ellsuorta Kelly, Martin Parye, Louise Bourgeois and Mark di sovereign granted a non-profit organization Friends of Art and Preservation in Embassies, providing services in the purchase of works of art for the building of the American Embassy.

The new complex, the construction of which took 550 million dollars, was designed by the architectural bureau of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (San Francisco). Embassy in Beijing will be one of two major construction projects the U.S. outside its territory (the second - an embassy in Baghdad, the size of which will be more impressive).

Works of art will be placed in the building just before its official opening, which will be held on 8 August. The event will visit U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, who will arrive in Beijing at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Shore of Virginia has refused to name the sum paid by the State Department for certain work, noting that artists and dealers have agreed to sell the products at prices that do not fall outside the scope of the project budget.

Source: www.theartnewspaper.com