Adrian Cheng and his achievements for China

The heir of one of the richest families in Hong Kong, Adrian Cheng, likes to call himself a « cultural entrepreneur ». He is quite interested in his native land, and does a lot for the evolution and development of China. Academies have been established to encourage young Chinese artists. He has taken many initiatives in order to encourage the evolution of young people in society, we will share with you some of the projects that have been set up.

The K11 Foundation and its artistic projects

K11’s rapid rise to ubiquity in the art world illustrates Adrian Cheng case, as well as the undeniable shift of the art world to Asia. Since its inception in 2010, the K11 Foundation has developed residency programs in Wuhan and Hong Kong, built exhibition spaces there, and organized more than 60 exhibitions that have helped define the vanguard of Chinese contemporary art. 

The foundation’s first exhibition organized without an international partner (instead by its new artistic director, Venus Lau), as well as the opening of a new museum in Guangzhou with an exhibition by photographer Chen Wei, marked the beginning of the foundation’s main growth phase at Art Basel in Hong Kong.

Evolution of the artistic project throughout the territory

A second K11 opened in Shanghai in 2013, following Hong Kong in 2009. Adrian Cheng, who is married to Jennifer, a former banker, has in the meantime established the K11 Art Foundation. This non-profit corporation sponsors emerging Chinese painters and organizes international exhibitions. The largest exhibition of Claude Monet ever presented in China was organized at K11 in Shanghai, in cooperation with the Marmottan Museum. 

The young Chinese artist Tianzhuo Chen made his debut at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. The K11 foundation also brought designers from ECAL to Shanghai in 2013. The art world has taken notice of the young Hong Konger. He was recently ranked 100th on Art Review’s list of the 100 most important people in the art industry.