At the beginning of the year, all things are renewed. Since renewal is all things, it shows the diversified nature of all things. Like a hundred flowers blooming, a thousand colors, not bound by a single style, constantly innovating.
Chinese painting, with traditional landscapes, flowers, birds, fish, and insects as its main subjects, has been popular for thousands of years. It has been passed down to this day, and it is still flourishing and full of vitality. It is deeply loved by the Chinese people. With every stroke, distant mountains and nearby scenery, the emotions are sincere; with every flower and stone, birds and beasts, they come to life. The world of calligraphy follows the rules and regulations, with a well-defined structure, but it is also full of life and vigor, galloping across mountains and rivers. Oil painting, watercolor, photography, installation, new artistic conception, and contemporary art, although they have a short history, have emerged as a new force. They are colorful, expressing their emotions in reality; with diverse techniques, they gather their aura in innovation, advocating the expression of the soul and the manifestation of the state of mind, and are increasingly favored by the world.
Collecting needs to be diversified
Traditional collecting takes pride in the ancient and glories in the precious. Thousands of years of collecting history have saved countless antiques and treasures, preserving countless historical relics. However, it is an undeniable reality that over the past hundred years, external invasions and internal strife have destroyed a vast number of collections and cultural relics in wars and internal struggles, and they have been lost in the white water and yellow earth. In the face of this situation, today’s collection should be based on reality and adapt to the times. Diversification means expanding our horizons. We might as well start from our state of mind. Anything we like, that records historical events, bears traces of the past, or connects us to childhood memories can become a collectible. For example, a mobile phone from more than 20 years ago, a 9-inch black and white TV, or an old-style foot-operated sewing machine can all become collectibles.
Investing is an act of people investing their limited funds in profitable projects. There are two key words here, one is limited, and the other is profit. These two points determine the prudence and diversification principles of investment. Based on this, investment needs to be diversified. If all the limited financial resources are invested in a single project, the risk is single, and one loss will lead to all losses. How to diversify? Within the scope of your financial resources, experience, and interests, you can invest in fixed assets, financial products, artworks, antiques, and collectibles. The diversification of investment products, on the one hand, will increase the possibility of income, just like “the east is not bright, the west is bright, the north is dark, and the south is there”. On the other hand, it will reduce the loss, just like “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.
Nowadays, institutional collection and investment in art are becoming increasingly popular. Many companies and institutions have established their own art galleries, art spaces, and collection studios. In fact, the most mature institution involved in art investment and collection is the bank. The mission of a bank is to operate prudently, prevent risks, ensure the safety of customer deposits, ensure the appreciation of its own assets, and maximize its benefits.
In the early days of reform and opening up, the asset form of banks was only credit assets. Once the loan could not be recovered due to various reasons, it would face operating risks. With the deepening of reform and opening up, the asset form of banks has become increasingly diversified. In addition to credit assets, there are also interbank debt assets, bill assets, securities assets, property assets, advanced equipment assets, cash assets, etc. If banks further expand cultural and artistic assets, it will have a stable role in promoting the appreciation and safety of total assets.
In the last century, from 1995 to 1999, the Guangzhou branch of China Construction Bank bought a large number of works by top artists in the art auction market, including the famous oil painting “Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan”. Now the value of these works has increased by an average of 100 times, that is, an investment of 1 million yuan 20 years ago has now increased to 100 million yuan.
As everyone knows, banks have always shown a high-quality image. If a bank owns famous paintings of national or even world-class level, its identity value and cultural taste will be greatly improved. In addition, if the loan collateral in the banking industry can accept artworks, it will open up a series of businesses such as artwork valuation, artwork safe deposit box custody, artwork physical mortgage loans, and artwork circulation with banks as intermediaries. Participating in it as needed can kill multiple birds with one stone and reap rich rewards.
