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In 2001, Xu was the youngest Chinese artist ever to show at the Venice Biennale. In 2006, then, he oversaw the development of the online discussion platform nowadays called Art-Ba-Ba, which remains a key online venue for the discussion of information and images regarding artistic developments in China and abroad.

Adrian Cheng, founder and chairman of the K11 Art Foundation and sponsor of "Armory Show's Focus: China." [by Roberto Chamorro. Courtesy of the Armory Show]

Looming over the Armory Show's "Focus: China," is Hong Kong-based K11 Art Foundation, founded by Adrian Cheng in 2010. During its brief existence, K11 has been lifting the frenetic energy of the art world to new heights both in China and abroad. Mr. Chang said that "the China Symposium and ‘Focus: China' exhibition gave visitors a profound experience of the creative forces that are shaping the vibrant art scene in Greater China. These initiatives will continue to inspire us at the K 11 Art Foundation as we carry forward our work to connect Chinese artists with the global art community."

Not only did K11 fund the Armory's "Focus: China" two-day symposium, but it is now simultaneously showing the first ever exhibition of 40 masterpieces by French Impressionist painter Claude Monet, including the iconic "Water Lilies," in its Chi Space at the K11 Art Mall in Shanghai. The exhibit comes in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations.

Also, as part of this landmark anniversary K11 is partnering up with the Palais de Tokyo in Paris to foster further artistic bilateral collaborations and provide a crucial platform for Chinese young artists to showcase their art while at the same time promoting Chinese culture.

A few days after the Armory Show had wrapped up, Asia Week New York, a celebration of traditional Asian Art, got underway and will run from March 14 to 22. At the international summit entitled "The Chinese Art Market: Present and Future," sponsored by Artnet and the China Auctioneers Association, many interesting topics were brought to the forefront. Two of the most important ones concerned the growth of museums in Asia and how to curb fraud at China-based art auctions.

Melissa Chiu, director of the Asia Society Museum, said that "the 19th century saw the establishment of the court and royal collections in Europe; the 20th century saw the majority of American museums being built… There is no doubt that most museum growth in this century will be in Asia... Museums play a central role in any arts ecology, so these developments will have a lasting impact on our appreciation, and the scholarship that surrounds it, of Asian art."

Although prompted by the invited audience, the Chinese auction contingent failed to address some of the key concerns of the international art community: misleading and unethical practices at Chinese auctions that lend China and its auction markets a dubious reputation. Rather than expressing a willingness to confront this issue, the Chinese auctioneer representatives said that the market was basically sound, but the media only chooses to focus on the relatively few cases of this so-called abuse. No factual evidence was offered for this point.

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