China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd. (CMBC) announced that they
would officially manage the Yan-Huang Art Museum at a press
conference held on December 11. He Juxing, the Brand Image
Department Manager of CMBC, will also act as curator of the art
museum concurrently.
Wang Shitong, the president of CMBC, said Minsheng Bank would
transform Yan-Huang Art Museum into a first-class public art museum
via continuous fund injections from Minsheng Bank. The art museum
will then become a venue for the public to raise their aesthetic
skills as well as an open window for Beijing and foreign countries
involved in cultural exchanges. The final goal is to promote the
arts.
Negotiating began in July. He Juxing emphasized that this act is
purely a philanthropic act, without any attempt toward engendering
profits or commercial speculation. It was simply a strategic
selection the bank has made in order to take on social
responsibility.
The Yan-Huang Art Museum, founded in 1991, is Beijing's first
large modern art museum. The celebrated Chinese painter, Huang Zhou
(1925-1997), also the first curator of the museum, sponsored the
museum. Huang, whose original name is Liang Shunian, decided to
build the art museum after his solo exhibition experienced great
success in Singapore in 1986.
The collection consists mainly of contemporary Chinese
paintings, and also includes ancient Chinese paintings and
calligraphy, cultural relics and other works of art.?
Zheng Wenhui, the ex-curator of the Yan-Huang Art Museum and
widow of Huang Zhou, said that people suggested naming the museum
as Huang Zhou Art Museum but her husband refused. Huang said he
himself was too much a lightweight painter to name a museum. And he
insisted that the museum's aim was to serve the public. Ultimately
the museum got the name of Yan-Huang Art Museum due to the fact
that the Chinese believe they are all descended from Emperor Yan
and Emperor Huang.
She said it took her a long time since the time her husband
passed away in 1997 to search for and find a sponsor who could give
the museum new life and who was willing to inherit her husband's
principle of serving the public. When she found that Minsheng Bank
shared the same point of view she willingly allowed them to manage
the museum.
He Juxing also swore to continuously uphold the Huang Zhou's
principles and to direct the museum to take on more social
responsibilities.?
He said that the Minsheng Bank had made and will continue to
make many contributions to the art world. The bank issued the
nation's first art fund in 2007 to ensure that more investment
would be injected into the art market. Also, they plan to built a
new art museum, perhaps called the Minsheng Mordent Art Museum,
which would be the first art museum totally funded by a financial
institution. The bank is also planning to hold an Asia Art Forum to
directly promote the arts in the academic world.?
Founded on January 12, 1996 in Beijing, China Minsheng Banking
Corp., Ltd. (CMBC) is the first national joint-stock commercial
bank in China with stocks mainly held by non-state-owned
enterprises. In March 2007, CMBC was nominated for the "2006 China
Charity Award".
Specializing in portraying grand scenes and group
images, the late Chinese painting master Huang Zhou's works always
serve to grace such places as the Great Hall of the People, the
Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and Zhongnanhai. Besides figure
paintings, Huang's animal works are acclaimed as vivid and
successful.
He Juxing, the new curator of the Yan-Huang
Art Museum, is giving a speech at the press conference.
?
Zheng Wenhui, the ex-curator of the Yan-Huang
Art Museum and widow of Huang Zhou, is making a speech at the press
conference.
?
The Yan-Huang Art Museum.
(China.org.cn by Chen Lin December 13, 2007)
