VOLTA VOICES: MICHAEL XUFU HUANG

Kamiar Maleki: Dear Michael, tell us a bit about yourself and your experience as an art collector?

Michael Xufu Huang: I am Michael Xufu Huang, the founder of X Museum in Beijing. I am also a collector and curator who has a strong passion for art and endeavor to establish a platform for young excellent international artists. I started collecting art when I was 16 while studying in Dulwich college in London. The art galleries and museums in London are really where everything started. It has such great retrospective exhibitions for artists. I still clearly remember when I was camping with my friends in St Ives in 2012. There was an exhibition in particular of beach paintings by Alex Katz presented at Tate St Ives. I really felt connected with the work. Since then, I grew my passion for art. Later, I was studying in University of Pennsylvania majoring in art history and marketing. While I was living in New York, I always visited the galleries in the Lower East Side. There were many exhibitions of experimental art by young artists. These works arouse my interest. Their works are usually related to technology and the Internet. I also grew up in the post- Internet era., so I had strong resonance with these artworks.

KM: How did you start collecting, what was your background?

MXH: I started collecting art as a teenager and my parents bought me a lithograph by Helen Frankenthaler for my birthday. Since then, I amassed a collection of of-the-moment work, including pieces by Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Jesse Darling, and Amalia Ulman, and etc. I accomplished my bachelor degree from the University of Pennsylvania major in art history and marketing. Actually, my artistic enlightenment was initially brought by visiting museums in London. When I was in high school in Dulwich College. I formed a habit of visiting art galleries and museums frequently. We need to clarify the source of inspiration and creative intent for the art class in school. It became an opportunity for me to initially contact with contemporary art. I also have a deep interest in the technology and consumption field with a focus on innovative products and platforms, of which I invests in.

KM: Do you collect mostly contemporary Chinese work or work from outside China?

MXH: In terms of collection selection, I am more focused on collecting the works of younger artists, such as Simon Denny, who held an exhibition at MoMA PS1, and the works of Amalia Ulman and Nicolas Party. The media they use are not traditional, so their creation needs more attention from the art museum. In the past, I was focused on collecting foreign artists, 90% of whom were from countries that are outside of China. Now I have paid more attention to young Chinese artists. Some Chinese artists’ works are exhibited abroad whose creative intention and process are very international. I also have resonance for the artworks related to technology, multi-media and VR etc. Their works that have unique style and reflect the life nowadays. Now I devote most of my energy to discover and promote excellent young artists both within and outside of China.

KM: You just opened your new Space in Beijing X Museum, could you tell us about its ethos and direction?

MXH: It’s important to support artists of my generation and to encourage other young people to see the value of visual art and culture. We want to make a platform that cultivates new talent and use our resources to do more charity work on spreading art education in China. We will be very multidisciplinary, showing not only artists, but also architects, scientists, engineers, musicians, and designers. “X” is the intersection of two lines, as well as the conversation of innovative concepts between disciplines and their endless possibilities. Based on critical perspectives and experimental concepts, X Museum is committed to cultivating and supporting emerging artists within a global context while embracing innovative practices, aiming to build an art institution that celebrates new cultures and new ideas. There is a global set of contemporary art spaces as my inspiration for the X Museum, from the revered New York non-profits Artists Space and the Swiss Institute to Hong Kong’s Para Site, London’s Zabludowicz Collection, the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, and West Texas’s Ballroom Marfa. The greatest inspiration was come from New York City’s trendy New Museum.

KM: What is your advice to young collectors?

MXH: My advice to young collectors is to start collecting as early as possible and form art collecting into a habit. I would suggest combine your interests with your current financial situation and gradually build your own collection system. The establishment of a collection system is not achieved overnight. More importantly, we learn how to build a complete collection system in the process of discovering new artists and artworks. Visit art fairs, galleries and museums as often as possible. Get involved in the art world and stay connected with other people in the art field. I kindly advise young collectors to see more artworks and know more artists. I believe people’s tastes are significantly different. In this way you can find what is your real interest and dive into their works.

KM: What is your relationship to art fairs and have you visited any VOLTA fairs in the past?

MXH: I was invited to attend a large number of art fairs every year, including both Chinese and foreign art fairs. I think it is a good chance to discover more new excellent artists and get updated about the latest artworks and exhibitions. For me, art fair function as a platform where various galleries have dialogues. It is also a great opportunity for art professionals such as artists, collectors, art scholars and dealers to collaborate and communicate. I really appreciate it that VOLTA Art Fair fosters galleries in staging outstanding solo and group exhibitions. It actively focuses on compelling visual artworks by emerging and established artists, cultivating a vibrant and approachable environment for international collectors. I know that VOLTA runs editions in New York, Basel, and Miami, it has built a foundation and platform for younger galleries. I have not been to the VOLTA art fair yet and I really hope that I could take a visit if there is an opportunity.

KM: As someone that also collects and curates for a living, tell me how you balance the two when you’re at a fair or when you discover new artists?

MXH: As a collector and curator, also the co-founder of X Museum. I think it is beneficial for me to have both of the two identities. As we all know, curatorial work is multi-faceted. Curator as an ambassador for the represented institution, has direct responsibility for developing the interpretive material, study, care and identify materials in the collection. Curatorial job requires in-depth knowledge about the artworks, professional education and experience. Normally I would conduct original research and develop scholarship that contribute to the advancement of body of knowledge for an exhibition. I think institution, collectors and curators are inseparable parties that support each other to fulfill a successful exhibition. Many private museums today were founded by collectors’ donating and exhibiting their extensive art collections. As a collector, I often consider about how to preserve my collection and share the pieces I find significant with other people. I believe collectors can shape the contemporary art history because of their unique taste and connections with other major market players in the art world. When discovering new artists or at the art fair, I do research of the artists to give me a better understanding of artworks by not simply looking at artists’ financial value but also considering their artistic value. As a collector and curator, I exhibited my own collection to provide a platform exhibiting young excellent artists’ works. I would carefully consider the selection of artworks, its venue and how to illustrate a concept and engage the public.

KM: How have you changed your tactics in this all-encompassing virtual art world? What tools and platforms do you feel work the best for you? I see there is a special virtual version of your museum?

MXH: From my point of view, Internet and technology are inseparable from artistic creation in today's world. In particular, the art exhibition of immersive experience and interactive design can be realized only with the support of technology and programming. I believe that VR will be a trend in the future, including games, interactive arts and so on. However, we should also look at the role of technology in the development of art dialectically. For example, should contemporary art be bound up with VR and technology? Will the uniqueness of art be forgotten under the impact of innovation of technology? These are all issues worth discussing. For example, the first edition of X Museum triennial mainly focuses on the concept of coexistence of human beings and technology. Art is not only a medium, but also an important element that closely associated with our life and society. Art and technology are impacting each another. The X Virtual Museum links online and offline in a spatial way, encouraging and trying various experimental interactions between virtual and physical. It was designed and created by Pete Jiadong Qiang, an artist with an architectural background. These "shattered walls" made up of codes make it possible to "float" to watch the exhibition in front of the screen. Your body is the medium in contact with the outside world. The virtual museum provides an immersive experience for viewers online.

KM: Where do you discover most of your art?

MXH: I obtained my artworks from galleries and exhibitions across the world, also including art fairs. Besides, I browse Instagram or other social platforms and websites to discover excellent new artists. Some artists I know them from events or collector friends introduce them to me. The artwork itself is the key point for me to decide whether it should go to my collection or not. No matter on what occasion I discover it, I would appreciate the artwork for its quality and creative ideas. If I can feel the resonance with the artists, I will take the artwork as a good collectible choice.

Follow Michael Xufu Huang on Instagram at @michaelxufuhuang and @xmuseum_official