这次展览是由上海巴塞艺术中心和亚洲国际当代艺术文化促进会合作举办的, 宗旨是以推广当代艺术,培养新一代艺术家及进行国际交流。我很早就关注中国的当代艺术市场，从全球范围来看，艺术的热潮在慢慢转向亚洲，亚洲是极富活力、急速发展的地区，经济一日千里，千年传统不断更新从而伴随着中国经济等各方面的稳定快速发展，中国又是新世纪里面全世界共同关注的焦点，她显示出强大的潜能和力量，所以中国将成为这个艺术热潮的龙头。

    上海巴塞艺术中心在2007年11月在上海举办了亚洲青年艺术家推荐展，1月又在意大利博洛尼亚做了巡回展，这次又来到香港展出，参展的艺术家是由全国十几名权威艺术批评家推介的,如王林、贾方舟、冯博一、李磊、周长江、皮力、等，这次我们又请来了资深批评家杨卫老师作为我们的策展人，所以我觉得这个展览是很有学术价值的。

    我认为真正有学术价值的作品，最终会体现在商业利益上。也只有通过商业效应的传播，它的价值有了可衡量性，才会被广泛的社会所认知。如果说你自认为特有学术价值，没有人购买，没有人认可你，画廊也不收，我觉得也是没有意义的。商业价值是衡量作品价值的一部分，但学术价值和文章也是一部分，策展人的学术性体现在对艺术品的敏感性和超前性，短时间内学术价值可能体现不出作品的商业价值，但以后可能会体现出来。

所以对于收藏家来说，必须以脚踏实地、平和的心态慢慢地累积，艺术品收藏是一项文化事业，传承着一个国家的历史文明。收藏需要有长远的眼光和明确的收藏特色，优秀的藏家，必须超乎常人的敏锐感受，卓越的创造力和丰富的情感及想象力才能在众多的艺术创作者中找出真正的艺术家。在收藏道路上我一直都在走一条自己的路，有些画廊比较关注更成功的艺术家，我比较关注更年轻的艺术家，更注重一个完整的艺术史的观念，我们巴塞艺术中心一直在进行有系统和大量的馆藏，目的亦在于此。

    这次当代艺术品和古董放在一起展示，我觉得这个展览特别有创意，因为我们的当代艺术作品里面也有传统的故事、人物在里面，中国具有悠久的历史，所以虽然是当代艺术品但里面还是离不开传统历史的，若干年后我们的当代艺术品不也是变成古董艺术了吗！所以在这次展览上我们将一瞥新思维与旧传统互动所得的成果。

我希望“亚洲国际当代艺术展将在学术性、权威性、前瞻性”旗帜的引导下，成为一个被国际艺术界公认并推崇的展览。

                   Preface to Asia International Contemporary Arts Exhibition
Shanghai Basel Art Space and Asia International Contemporary Arts Promotion Association organized together this exhibition to promote contemporary art, bring up emerging artists and undertake international exchange. I have paid close attention to China mainland’s contemporary art market for a long time now. The art rush is gradually turning to Asia all over the world; with the steady and rapid economic development and other related aspects in the country, China has become a focus of the world and it is very potential and powerful, which surely would become the leader of the art rush.
The artists of Shanghai Basel Art Space are recommended by ten art critic authorities all over China, such as Wang Lin, Jia Fangzhou, and Feng Boyi. For this exhibition, we invite the senior art critic? as our curator, therefore, I think this exhibition is of both great academic value and commercial value.
I think the artworks with true academic value will be reflected in commercial profits. Only through the propagation of commerce can the academic value of the artworks be judged and widely recognized by the society. If the artist himself/herself thinks his/her artworks are of academic value, but no one would buy or approve them, or no gallery would receive them, then, in my opinion, these artworks are of no significance. Apart from the academic value and the art works, the commercial value is also one measurement of the value of the artworks. The academic aspect is embodied in their sensitivity and forward-looking to artworks. The commercial value of the artworks may not be realized in short term, but in the future, it will be achieved.
Therefore, to the art collectors, they should take the art collection down to earth, with a mild mind. Art-collection is a culture event, which carrying on the historic civilization of a country. It requires vision and unique collection feature from collectors. An excellent collector must be more sensitive than common people. Among so many art creators, only those with splendid creativity, prolific emotions and fertile imagination are true artists. I have my own way of collection. Comparing with some galleries which pay attention to the more successful artists, I concern more about those emerging artists and a complete concept of the art history, which accounts for a systematic and abundant collection of our Shanghai Basel Art Space.
This exhibition has already undergone twice, and it is widely recognized by the society and academic circles and supported by artists and galleries, but I think this is only the beginning. I hope that Asia International Contemporary Arts Exhibition, under the banner of “academy, authority and vision”, would surely be approved and valued by international art circles.

                                        --- Art Director of Basel Art Space