PRESS RELEASE Christie’s Launches Hong Kong’s First-ever Solo Exhibition on Vincent Van Gogh
Christie’s is proud to host Hong Kong’s first-ever solo exhibition on Vincent Van Gogh, one of the greatest artists of all time whose artistic expressions profoundly influenced subsequent generations of artists across cultures and genres.
Entitled Eye of the Genius, the exhibition will showcase seven exclusive works by Van Gogh, all painted in the last five years of his life. The exhibition will be opened to public from 23-28th November. The works are on loan from prominent art collectors in Asia.
Van Gogh’s artistic genius was marked by the intensity of his vision, his wonderful sense of colour and his extraordinarily innovative and bold style, which together, have become the inspiration of many pop-culture phenomena even to this day.
Though van Gogh’s painting career was cut short with his untimely death, he filled the final decade of his life with unique masterpieces that would be an enduring source of inspiration for subsequent generations of artists, heralding the development of Fauvism, Expressionism and Modernism schools of the 20th century counting among them renowned Chinese contemporary artist Zeng Fanzhi.
Rebecca Wei, President, Christie’s Asia: “Christie’s Asia is honoured to host the first ever solo exhibition of this celebrated artist by collaborating with private collectors in the region who have generously loaned Van Gogh’s masterpieces to give art lovers in Hong Kong a glimpse of his genius.”
Along with the exhibition, a special forum entitled Van Gogh: Fascinations with the East, will be held on 24th November at 11:30am-12:30pm. The event will feature prominent panelists including Mr Axel Rüger, Director of Van Gogh Museum; Mr Teio Meedendorp, Senior Researcher of Van Gogh Museum and Mr Jussi Pylkkänen, Christie’s Global President.
”More than 125 years after his death, Van Gogh still inspires, with the contemporary Chinese artist Zeng Fanzhi being a huge admirer. This selection of works from the last five years of his life explores the struggle and energy of Van Gogh’s life and art illustrating the artistic language that later generations relied upon. The works offer a glimpse of his mental turmoil that had built up over the years as he drifted from Holland to Paris and finally as a penniless painter in Southern France where he died at the age of 37.” said Ben Clark, Deputy Chairman, Christie’s Asia
Of note are also landscapes paintings on show which, to quote Van Gogh’s own words in his letter to his brother Theo in 1888, “As for landscapes, I’m beginning to find that some, done more quickly than ever, are among the best things I do.” Some art critics think that in landscapes, Van Gogh found the peace of mind and balance that was missing from his own life.
Notes To Editors
Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn Sales: 23th- 28th November 2018
LOCATION: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong