K11 alternative diplomacies
Penetrating the global arts markets
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21875754 |
|---|---|
| Authors | N Grincheva (0000-0002-3955-6351, LASALLE College of the Arts, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 371-388 |
| Publication date | 2023-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2051-7041 • E-ISSN: 2051-705X |
| Publisher | Intellect (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1386/jcca_00090_1 |
| OpenAlex | W4389510291 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 18 |
This article explores structure, motivations and cross-cultural mechanics of operations of alternative cultural diplomacy in China, performed by K11. The K11 Art Mall franchise, opened in Hong Kong in 2008 by Chinese billionaire Adrian Cheng, has established its visible presence in the global arts markets by supporting contemporary Chinese artists and sponsoring major international arts residencies and large-scale events and exhibitions. Deconstructing and exploring the neo-liberal multilateral nature of K11 diplomacy, the research questions how K11 operates and navigates the international communication complexities within the global arts market. It analyses how this diplomacy is different from government-led bilateral cultural diplomacy of China and why it creates less frictions and contradictions on the international level. The article reveals that the rapid integration of K11 into the international art market is a combination of different factors. Beyond the economic power of K11 to sponsor major international events in collaboration with prestigious partners, it also possesses more flexibility and tolerance to navigate the normative environments of the ‘epistemic community’ of the global arts world, which do not always work well with national authoritative regime’s pressures. However, positioning itself as an apolitical player with a global vision, K11 is dominating a niche within the national art market, where it does not compete with state authorities. Moreover, it generates a high economic and cultural capital in China by nurturing contemporary Chinese arts and raising their prestige and value on the international level
China · Diplomacy · Exhibition · Globalization · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · The arts · European Union Policy and Governance · History · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · State Capitalism and Financial Governance
Official Art Organizations in the Emerging Markets of China and Russia
The branding of contemporary Chinese art and its politics
A critical perspective on corporate social responsibility
A Multilayered Approach to Public Diplomacy Evaluation
Global norms and heterogeneous development organizations
International Contemporary Art Fairs in a ‘Globalized’ Art Market
Playing the Chinese card’
The Spaces of Democracy and the Democracy of Space
Governing the world at a distance
Art World Fields and Global Hegemonies
Let's Argue
Introduction
Homology and isomorphism
How to become a judgment device
Introduction to special issue on Global art markets
Power Shift
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |