Struggling to please

The annual Art Beijing, which is running at the National Agriculture Exhibition Center, has developed into a local, affordable fair with more space devoted to little-known, homegrown galleries, an increased presence of design art and more works by young artists.

Giving more exposure to young artists, he says, means more works are offered at affordable prices. That also will attract young collectors, who may thereafter establish a long-term relationship with the artists and the gallery and later mature to become serious collectors.

Xia says the fair has cultivated an increasing number of local "art consumers" who purchase artworks for home decoration. He adds that they spend on original works with investment potential, instead of cheap reproductions from wholesale bases like Shenzhen's Dafen Village.

"People want to learn how to appreciate a quality piece of art," he says.

"Meanwhile, the population of 'professional' collectors (who travel extensively at home and abroad to buy art) is growing, too, and is getting younger."

Art Beijing launched a "Design Beijing" section in 2015 to add appeal to ordinary audiences. French luxury brand Lalique has brought works of its Lalique Art division to the fair for the third consecutive year. It doesn't exhibit in an area dedicated to design art but rather at the fair's main hall for contemporary- and classic-art galleries.

It shows vases and ornaments, including an artist collaboration collection designed by the late Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid.