I am delighted to be travelling from the UK to China soon to visit galleries and arts spaces in a number of cities.
I work as Projects Director for The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust, managing their commissioning programme and strategically developing the organisation. The Sculpture Trail is known for its permanent artworks and my wish is to extend the programme to include temporary works and interventions.
I am presently studying for a doctorate, my research focussing on the Trail and the rural context in which it exists. Since the Trail opened in 1986, art practice has changed substantially and I am particularly interested in how the Trail can continue to remain relevant.
One issue that intrigues me about art practice in China is the manner in which Western concepts are being embraced by Chinese artists, in parallel to a comparatively traditional approach to creating sculpture parks and trails. I understand that there has been a huge wave of public arts commissioning in China and would like to know more about this rise in activity, such as who commissions public and rural artworks, who funds them and are the works in them for sale on the open market?
Visit the Sculpture Trail online....