Opening an Art Gallery in London | 我在伦敦开画廊
Written by: Song Guming | 宋谷鸣
Translated by: He Yining
Editor’s Note:
This article is excerpted from Haha! Britain — a charitable bilingual publication co-produced by The Mothers’ Bridge of Love (MBL) and River Cam Breeze. The book is a lively collaboration between 42 Chinese authors living in the UK and 36 university-based volunteer translators. With wit and warmth, the stories capture the everyday realities of Chinese communities in Britain, offering an honest look at the cultural clashes, humour, and adaptation that arise in the space between Chinese and British ways of life. Haha! Britain has been warmly endorsed by several well-known figures in UK-China relations, including Stephen Perry (former Chairman of the 48 Group Club), Luise Schäfer OBE (former British diplomat and Chamber of Commerce chair), Professor Hugo De Burgh (former BBC editor and academic), and British scholar Martin Jacques. The book’s title was handwritten by celebrated British-Chinese artist Qu Leilei, its cover illustrated by bestselling Chinese author and poet Feng Tang, and the postscript contributed by Xue Mo, a prominent voice in contemporary Chinese literature.
Illustrated by Tian Tian
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, I have been in the UK for fourteen years now. When I arrived in Newcastle for my master’s degree in 2009, I never would have imagined that fourteen years later I would still live in the UK, let alone have opened an art gallery in London. From the inception of the idea to engaging with young Chinese artists last summer, and then to finally hosting our first exhibition in September this year, the journey has been bumpy. Yet, here we are, having taken that crucial first step. As 2023 draws to a close, I’d like to share a few insights of things I’ve learned along the way.
1. The Art World is a Tough Nut to Crack
The art world is like a delicate tapestry, with artists, museums, collectors, galleries, critics, auction houses and other service providers intricately woven together by invisible threads. If you’re an outsider, it’s hard to get a glimpse of its inner workings. When I decided to open a gallery, I knew almost nothing about the art industry. My only connections to the art world were as a “tourist” in museums and galleries.
Generally, unless you’re an artist, there are few paths into the art world. One is to follow in the footsteps of your family (need I say more). Another is to study art history, museology or curating in college, then work in a gallery or auction house, or become an independent curator. A third way is to enter from related fields like finance, logistics or warehousing. The fourth way, which is how I did it, could be called “parachuting”.
“Parachuting” means free-falling into the art world from an entirely different background, without any prior experience. It’s not impossible, but it’s tough. The art world has its unique ecosystem and art is considered a luxury good that doesn’t follow typical economic rules. Even if initial investments in a gallery are substantial, cash-flow is often unstable, creating significant barriers to entry.
So why is this world so difficult to break into? It boils down to the industry’s opacity, which has long been a point of contention for outsiders. However, in the art world, high prices are intricately linked with affluence, cultivating an atmosphere where discretion, caution and secrecy become the keywords of the industry.
Yet, even being part of the most exclusive circles doesn’t guarantee entry into the art world. You need to leverage existing contacts to the max and focus on building a strong network. The art industry in London is quite small, with just a few hundred commercial and non-commercial institutions. In this circle, who you know is of utmost importance. The right people can greatly promote your career. Lacking strong connections can create many difficulties for a newcomer. Over the past two years, I’ve gone from knowing no one to gradually meeting with mentors, gallery owners, artists and even partners. Among them, one person stands out like a neon sign in my dark art alley.
2. Mr. D
It was a happy coincidence. In October 2021, I attended a short course on art history at the Barbican Centre, which was one of the first in-person classes allowed following the outbreak of the pandemic. That’s where I met Mr. D, an American who moved to London. Besides being an avid contemporary art collector, he’s a dedicated art critic and author. He had spent decades as a marketing executive at Apple but retired when the pandemic hit. After retiring, he started an independent art review website, updating it punctually and consistently every Monday.
Mr. D is of medium height and has short ginger hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes squint a bit when he gets excited. At first, we were just classmates, though I greatly admired his insight on contemporary artists. The eight-week course flew by, and as it ended, I created a group for our classmates to visit galleries together in the future. Mr. D and I worked together to organise weekend gallery visits and through this, I discovered another side to him.
I realised that his love for art was unparalleled. His website proudly claims to be completely independent, ad-free and sponsor-free, which I found to be entirely true. He’d come up with ten to 20 different exhibitions to put on our weekly schedule, from renowned displays at the National Gallery to obscure shows curated in basements. His meticulous planning left me in awe. He arranged the gallery visits a week in advance based on location, marking them methodically on his calendar. On the day of a visit, nothing short of a hurricane can deter him.
Likewise, his dedication to writing is unrelenting. As a writer, I have great respect for the craft of writing, and even more for the persistence it requires. Since starting his website in early 2022, Mr. D has written daily and weekly without interruption. Once, he had a back injury and was bedridden for three days. On the fourth day, he went out to catch up on the week’s exhibitions to ensure his review would be published on Monday.
His writing is straightforward, witty, and offers unique insights. His reviews are concise, combining direct descriptions of the exhibitions with broader reflections on the artists. He follows Jay Rayner’s school of criticism and avoids negative reviews of exhibitions he dislikes, emphasising that art appreciation is a highly subjective, personal experience.
About a month ago, Mr. D invited a group of friends and artists, including me, to view over 100 pieces of contemporary art in his private collection. During 20 years of collecting, they were separated into painting, sculpture and installation art and each of them had a story behind it. That Sunday, I lingered among the diverse styles and aesthetics of his collection, marvelling at how Rome wasn’t built in a day.
In the two years I’ve known Mr. D, he has been of immense help to me. He was able to help me decipher industry nuances and resolve issues I encountered while opening my gallery. As a seasoned collector and critic, he helped me steady my parachute and primed me for a soft landing. He is truly an invaluable mentor and friend in my life.
About the author
Song Guming came to the UK to study in 2009 and moved to London in 2011. He works in financial consulting, while his leisure hours are devoted to the Ming Gu Gallery (minggugallery. com), promoting emerging contemporary artists with a focus on traditional East Asian aesthetics. His hobbies include judo, photography and Latin dance.
不知不觉间，我来英国已经 15 年了。2009 年到纽卡斯尔读硕士的时候，我无论如何不会想到 15 年后我还在英国生活，更不会想到会在伦敦开一间画廊。自从疫情期间萌生开画廊的想法，到开始接触中国的年青艺术家，再到 2023 年 9 月份举办画廊第一次展览，一路波折，但第一步总算迈出去了。回顾这几年的经历，写下二三事，聊作纪念。
艺术圈是个很难进的圈子。艺术圈也是个小圈子，艺术家、美术馆、收藏家、画廊、艺评家、拍卖行以及其它服务提供商，组成了一个紧密的生态圈。如果你不在圈内的话，很难一窥其庐山真面目。刚刚决定开画廊的时候，我对艺术行业接近于一窍不通。除了作为“游客”去美术馆、博物馆的经历外，和艺术圈基本没有什么交集。一般来说，如果你不是一名艺术家的话，进入艺术圈，有这么几个途径：一是子承父业，这个就无须赘述了；二是大学期间学习艺术史、博物馆学、策展，毕业后在画廊、拍卖行工作，或是成为独立策展人；三是从相关行业进入，比如金融、物流、仓储等等；第四种，以我自己的经历为代表，应该可以叫“空降”。
空降，就是在没有经验的情况下，从一个基本不相关的行业，直接跳进去。空降不是不可能，但是难度确实很大。艺术圈有其独特的生态环境，艺术品又属于奢侈品，不遵循一般的经济规律。画廊的初期投入很大，现金流也往往不稳定，这些都是进入这个行业的壁垒。
为什么这个圈子难进呢？我觉得主要是因为这个行业的不透明性。艺术圈的不透明可能是一个被圈外人诟病已久的话题了。但是艺术品的高价就注定了它和财富密不可分，进而促成了低调、审慎、保密成为这个行业的关键词。这是艺术品行业不能摆脱的标签。
但是难进的圈子也是可以进的。除了最大限度地利用现有的经验，积累人脉也是一个非常重要的方面。伦敦的艺术品行业其实很小，各种商业、非商业的机构也就那么几百家。在这个圈子里，你认识谁是个非常重要的事情。认识正确的人，能给你的事业发展提供极大的助力；不认识的话，对一个新入行的人来说，难免要走很多弯路。过去两年多，我从谁都不认识，到逐渐结识一些行业内的导师、画廊主、艺术家甚至是合作伙伴。其中有一位，我觉得最值得记录下来，那就是 D 先生。
认识 D 先生纯粹是机缘巧合。2021 年 10 月，我去巴比肯艺术中心（Barbican Centre）参加一个短期的艺术史课程。那个课程是自疫情爆发以后第一批被允许现场授课的，所以感觉紧张、新鲜又有点怀旧。我和 D 先生就是在那个场合下认识的。他是移居伦敦的美国人，在苹果做了几十年市场营销高管，疫情开始后决定退休了。此人不仅是个狂热的当代艺术收藏家，还是一位孜孜不倦的艺评人和作者。退休后他创办了自己的独立艺术评论网站，每周一准时更新，至今没有间断过。
D 先生身材不高，一头姜黄色的短发搭配修剪得体的络腮胡，说话激动时有点眯眯眼。我和他刚认识的时候只是同班同学，我很欣赏他对一些当代艺术家的见解，但是我们并没有很深的交往。八周的课程很快就结束了，结束时我拉了一个同学群，准备日后一起去美术馆。很快我和 D 先生开始搭档，一起组织周末美术馆参观活动，我对他的认识也逐渐加深起来。
D 先生看画展的热情无人可以比拟。他在个人艺评网站很自豪地宣称“完全独立、无广告无赞助”。这在我看来完全属实。D先生每周要看 10 到 20 场不同的画展，从国家美术馆级别的大展到独立策展人在地下室的小展，从人人都知道的到网上几乎找不到的，没有哪场能够逃得出他的“魔掌”。他习惯提前一周按照画廊的地理位置，筹划好哪几家可以在一个下午看完，然后分门别类地在他的日历中标记好。到了观展的那一天，除了火山、地震、台风外，他雷打不动、有条不紊地把所有计划好的展览看完。条理性强得让人咂舌。
我觉得更让我钦佩的是他坚持写作的习惯。笔者向来佩服能写的人，更佩服能坚持写的人。D 先生自 2022 年初开办他的艺评网站以来，每日、每周写作，从无间断。有一次 D 先生腰伤复发，卧床三日。第四日能行动后，出门把那一周积压的展览看完，不耽误下周一发布评论。他的文字平实、诙谐、带有自己独特的见地。他的艺评简短精炼，既有对展览的直观描述，也有关于艺术家的发散性文字。在写作上，他遵循 Jay Rayner 的艺评哲学：对他个人不喜欢的展览，他尽量不做负面的评价，以显示艺术欣赏其实是一件很主观、有私人性的活动。
大概一个月前，D 先生邀请了一帮朋友、艺术家去看他的私人藏品。我也有幸欣赏了他收藏的百余件当代艺术品。这些藏品记录了他过去 20 年的收藏经历，涵盖了绘画、雕塑、装置几个不同的门类。每一件都有一个不同的故事。我很清楚地记得，那个周日我流连于不同藏品截然不同的风格和美感中，感慨罗马确实不是一天建成的。
和 D 先生认识的这两年中，我从他那里获得了莫大的帮助。很多圈内的事情、细节，或是开画廊中遇到的一些奇奇怪怪的问题，我总是能从他那里得到详细的解答。有些事情，不经历是很难知道的。他的收藏家和艺评人的双重身份和经历，以及毫无保留的分享态度，极大缩短了我初开画廊的挣扎和纠结过程，可谓弥足珍贵。D 先生于我，绝对是不可多得的良师益友。
作者介绍
宋谷鸣，2009 年赴英留学，2011 年移居伦敦。金融咨询行业从业者，业余时间经营鸣谷轩（minggugallery.com），主推专注于传统东亚美学的新晋当代艺术家。喜好柔道、摄影和拉丁舞。
Both the Chinese and English editions of Haha! Britain can be purchased at the following platforms:
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