Who is Adrian Cheng?
Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, born in 1979, is a prominent figure in the business world of Hong Kong. He holds several key roles, including being the CEO and executive vice-chairman of the publicly-listed New World Development in Hong Kong. In addition to this, he serves as the heir and executive director of the renowned jewelry company, Chow Tai Fook. Furthermore, he is the proprietor of the prestigious Rosewood Hong Kong Hotel.
Fostering the Emergence of a Fresh Chinese Cultural Landscape
At the age of 34, Adrian Cheng, a prominent figure in Hong Kong's business landscape, stands as one of the world's youngest billionaires. However, his aspirations transcend financial success, as he is resolute in establishing his legacy in the realm of cultural development. This vision materializes through his innovative initiatives, such as the K11 Art Mall and the not-for-profit K11 Art Foundation. Presenting his endeavors as a "new museum model," Cheng has successfully brought major exhibitions, including the recent "Master of Impressionism—Claude Monet," to the art space located in the basement of the K11 shopping development in Shanghai. Moreover, he has cultivated two "art villages" in smaller cities, established artist residencies, and expanded the foundation's art collection.
Cheng, who serves as the chairman of the $16 billion New World Development, a real estate, and retail conglomerate founded by his grandfather Cheng Yu-Tung, spent a decade in the United States, attending boarding school and later Harvard University. "I have always been very fascinated with literature and the humanities," Cheng shared with ARTnews in March at the Armory Show in New York, where he sponsored a symposium accompanying the fair's Focus: China section. He also supported the Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Ink Art" exhibition.
In his mission to elevate the prominence of Chinese contemporary art, Cheng elucidated, "Emerging artists have high potential, but sometimes they are under the radar because China is very driven by the auction market and commercial interests. I am not a gallery. I don't sell any of the artworks. K11 is a nonprofit art foundation registered in Hong Kong, but we cover greater China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan."
The K11 Foundation's collection places a spotlight on international artists like Yoshitomo Nara and Olafur Eliasson, whose works have found a home within Cheng's Hong Kong shopping mall. Concurrently, his personal collection boasts a diverse array of artists, including Zhang Enli and Zhang Ding.
By channeling profits from the retail business into the art foundation, Cheng manages to produce a staggering 50 shows annually, attracting over 1,000 visitors daily. The K11 Foundation's VIP club boasts a membership exceeding 10,000. Cheng's future plans encompass collaborating with the Palais de Tokyo to introduce Chinese art to Paris and European art to China. He encapsulates his vision, stating, "I think the new contemporary Chinese art is reinventing Chinese cultural identity and building up a new Chinese culture. I am only an entrepreneur and business person, a collector and art pioneer, but I try to bring this discussion to a different platform."
K11
K11 Art Mall
K11 Art Mall is a multi-story shopping complex situated in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, within The Masterpiece development. The project was undertaken by New World Development and was completed in December 2009. Conveniently located near Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui stations, K11 Art Mall boasts seven stories in total, comprising two underground levels and five above ground.
The mall officially opened its B1 and B2 levels on November 27, 2009, with the remaining sections inaugurated on December 5 of the same year. The tenant mix within the mall includes retail outlets, making up 80% of the total, and restaurants, accounting for the remaining 20%.
B2 primarily features international cuisine, women's fashion, footwear, and cosmetics, housing well-known establishments such as D-mop zone, Mousse, ISCOV, JILL SCOTT, Mirabell, and Milan. Meanwhile, B1 focuses on daily necessities, offering a variety of options such as La Creation de Gute bakery, LensCrafters, AV Life, Dymocks bookstore, I Love Kitchen, Mannings, and Market Place by Jasons supermarket.
The ground floor boasts an array of high-end stores, including names like Longchamp, Tiffany by Soloman, Thann, Omega, Dormeuil from Italy, Y-3, D-mop, and a concept store by Chow Tai Fook. A prominent feature at the center of this level is "The Piazza," a spacious plaza adorned with a glass ceiling and a large LED screen.
Levels 1 to 3 house numerous boutiques such as AIGLE, KLASSE14, Laosmiddle, Levi's, Clarks, Fila, and mademoiselle. Additionally, the mall caters to Mainland Chinese customers with a selection of specialty stores featuring Mainland brand names like Biba and imaroon.
K11 Art Mall offers a diverse dining experience, with over 20 restaurants spread across its various floors. Dining options include B2's Miso Cool and DALAT Vietnamese restaurant, The Piazza's Espressamente illy and awfully chocolate, as well as other choices like AKU Japanese Restaurant, Al Pasha, Cool Gelato, Ginza Bairin, and Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant.
K11 Art Foundation
The K11 Art Foundation (KAF) is a not-for-profit art organization located in the heart of Central, Hong Kong. It takes its name from a shopping center of the same name and was founded by the operator of this shopping center at an undisclosed date. KAF is dedicated to nurturing the growth of contemporary Chinese art from Greater China by offering innovative platforms for creative incubation.
K11 Art Village
The K11 Art Village operates an Artist-in-Residence Programme, extending invitations to artists and providing them with access to specific resources. Additionally, the Art Village organizes events, exhibitions, screenings, and discussions for the participating artists-in-residence.
Exhibitions
The K11 Art Foundation (KAF) has been actively involved in several significant art initiatives and collaborations:
Claude Monet Exhibition in Mainland China: In partnership with the Musée Marmottan Monet, KAF organized the very first exhibition of Claude Monet's works in mainland China. The exhibition featured 40 original Monet paintings on loan from the Musée Marmottan Monet, including iconic pieces like "Water Lily" and "Wisteria," as well as 12 original paintings by Impressionist artists Berthe Morisot and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The exhibition took place at the Chi K11 Art Museum inside the K11 Art Mall in Shanghai from March 8 to June 15, 2014, drawing a remarkable 3,409,000 visitors.
The China Symposium in The Armory Show: KAF provided support for the China Symposium during the 2014 Armory Show held on March 8–9. This symposium shed light on the landscape of Chinese contemporary art by featuring 17 established and emerging galleries from mainland China and Hong Kong, many of which had never exhibited outside China before. It featured speakers from various fields, including artists, journalists, curators, collectors, gallerists, and academics, offering insights into the Chinese contemporary art scene.
Inside China – L’Intérieur du Géant: This exhibition marked the commencement of a three-year collaboration between KAF and Palais de Tokyo (Paris) with the aim of showcasing emerging art scenes in China and France. The exhibition made its debut at Palais de Tokyo in Paris in October 2014 before being exhibited in Hong Kong in 2015. The participating artists included Cheng Ran, Item Idem, Mathis Collins, Renaud Jerez, Li Gang, Edwin Lo, Jonathan Martin, Nadar, Aude Pariset, Wu Hao, Yu Ji, and Zhao Yao.
The 2nd “CAFAM Future” Exhibition: The Reality Representation of Chinese Young Art: This exhibition was part of a three-year collaborative plan between KAF and the Central Academy of Fine Art Museum (CAFAM). It aimed to discover and support young Chinese art talents, showcasing the works of over 90 Chinese artists. After a successful exhibition in Beijing in January 2015, a Hong Kong exhibition followed in May 2015.
Event Horizon: KAF partnered with the British Council for the Hong Kong station of Event Horizon, a global public art installation project by English artist Sir Antony Gormley. Thirty-one sculptures by Antony Gormley were installed across a kilometer-wide area in Hong Kong's Central and Western district, making Hong Kong the first Asian city to host these sculptures following presentations in London, Rotterdam, New York, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.
Media—Dalí: KAF collaborated with the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation to present the temporary exhibition "Media-Dalí" at Chi K11 Art Museum in K11 Art Mall, Shanghai, from November 5, 2015, to February 15, 2016. The exhibition featured 240 original works and media works by Salvador Dalí, sourced from archives in Figueres, Spain. It also included contributions from Chinese contemporary painters such as Wang Xingwei, Zhou Tiehai, and Zhang Enli.
WE: A Community of Chinese Contemporary Artists: This exhibition, presented by KAF at Chi K11 Art Museum in K11 Art Mall, Shanghai, showcased over 50 artworks in various mediums, including painting, sculpture, installation, performance art, and theatre performance, highlighting the diversity of Chinese contemporary art.
In addition to these major exhibitions, KAF also participated in various other art initiatives, including the Billboard Project featuring Felix Gonzalez-Torres, "The Tell-Tale Heart" exhibition, the Chai Wan Mei Art and Design Festival 2015, Tianzhou Chen Solo Exhibition, and the Cinematheque event held at the chi K11 Shanghai Art Museum. These initiatives reflect KAF's commitment to supporting and promoting contemporary art and artists.
Interview with Adrian Cheng
You are known as an innovative individual in the business world, an influential philanthropist, and a significant art collector. Which identity do you resonate with the most?
I see myself more as a curator of life, a curator of creativity and innovation. I curate everything that pertains to people, creative things, and things I can imagine. I'm like a conductor guiding many people to think creatively, both in the business world and in their normal lives. I don't consider myself a creator in the traditional sense. I believe in assembling many different elements of life, humanity, and people to create something special, with its own unique magic.
Your family boasts a rich legacy of business triumphs both in Hong Kong and on a global scale. How have you managed to amalgamate your entrepreneurial heritage with your fervor for art, culture, and fashion?
There exists a shared sense of values. In the realm of business, our focus revolves around our customers and catering to their needs. Customers hold utmost significance. In contemporary times, our clientele is in pursuit of something distinctive and extraordinary, a concept that benefits not only them but also the community at large. Constructing this sense of community through art, design, creativity, and imaginative thinking aligns seamlessly with their values. When you blend these elements or discover common ground, it wields tremendous influence.
Do you subscribe to the notion that art, fashion, and design share interconnectedness?
All of these facets are products of human ingenuity. Art, fashion, and various forms of creative expression may possess distinct histories and fundamental principles, yet they possess the capacity to intersect. The methods of storytelling may diverge among different domains, and even the business dynamics can exhibit disparities, but ultimately, they all fall under the umbrella of creativity and the embodiment of personal feelings, beliefs, and ideals. It all serves as a conduit for conveying a message to the world. Consequently, there exists a fluidity wherein everything can be exchanged, elucidating the rationale behind the proliferation of exhibitions that blend art, fashion, and the various realms of design.
Your dedication to championing contemporary art and cultural heritage is well-known. What motivated you to become such a staunch advocate, and what contributions have you made to the advancement of art, not only in Hong Kong but also on a broader scale?
When you consider everything, from the realm of business to the essence of human existence, it becomes imperative to uphold a set of values that define who you are and what you stand for. This forms the very core of life. Cultural heritage, in particular, serves as a repository of a city's value system. Therefore, when you sense the need to preserve this facet, you are essentially safeguarding the very essence of your roots. This underscores the vital importance of heritage, especially in Asia, where there is a pressing need to foster and disseminate these value systems.
Selena Mattei
