Hello everyone! 🎨

 

Welcome to my curatorial blog.✨

My name is Hanyun Xue, but you can also call me Vivien. I’m a girl born in northern China but grew up in the south. Having lived in many different cities during my childhood, I developed a habit of observing human behaviors across diverse communities and cultural environments. This experience shaped my keen sense of perception and sparked my fascination with the intersection of art, sociology, and anthropology.

 

 My Background: The Making of an Art Player

 

 

If curating is an adventure, then my journey has been all about exploring on different fascinating paths. Here’s my “starter pack” of experiences:

 

•🎨 Dual-degree player: During university, I simultaneously pursued degrees in Fine Arts (Painting) and Management. 🎨📊 Days were spent painting, and nights were filled with report writing. This interdisciplinary learning allowed me to delve deeply into the charm of art creation while also understanding the operational side of the art industry. 🖌️💼

•🏛️ Local art curation: In 2023, during my internships at the Powerlong Art Center in Shanghai and the Liaoning Museum, I got hands-on experience in exhibition planning, public education programs, and artwork display. From installation art to regional culture, I began to truly understand the effort and joy behind curatorial work.

•🖼️ Apprentice in the auction house: In 2024, I had the privilege of interning at Sotheby’s, where I witnessed how the high-end art market operates. 💎 From preparing artworks for display to executing pre-auction previews, I learned how to assign market value to art pieces and understood the cultural symbolism and social power hidden behind the art world.

•👩‍🎨 Collaboration with an artist’s family: I also assisted my father—an artist—in managing his personal art museum. From curating exhibitions to engaging with collectors, I learned how to tell the story of his artworks through curatorial practices. This experience deepened my understanding of managing cultural resources.

 

This journey, from theory to practice, not only gave me a profound understanding of the art market and curatorial field but also solidified my belief that art is a language of social and cultural interaction.

 

Why Start This Blog?

 

Good question!

🤔

I want to use this platform to document the growth of my curatorial projects and share the “sweet and sour” moments behind the scenes. In the upcoming posts, you’ll see:

•My research and reflections on curatorial themes (still to be decided); 💡📚

•Fieldwork and eye-opening exhibitions and artworks; 🖼️✨

•Unexpected challenges and lessons learned during the curatorial process (believe me, there will be plenty of “trial and error” stories). 😅💭

 

 

Adding a Visual Touch

 

To make your reading experience more engaging, I’ll be sharing some visual elements directly from my perspective, such as:

1.📷 Photos from my internships: Capturing moments that shaped my journey, like assisting with Sotheby’s auction previews or curating exhibition spaces at Jiuzhou Art Gallery.

2.✍️ Curatorial sketches and notes: You’ll see my brainstorming in action—market logic diagrams, quick concept sketches, and ideas that sparked the beginnings of my curatorial themes.

3.🖌️ Artwork examples: Pieces that inspired me along the way, with personal captions and reflections that add context to their relevance in my projects.

 

 

 

Final Words

 

What is curating? To me, it’s the process of transforming art into stories and connecting people, culture, and society. I hope this blog will be a place where we can explore the power of art together. If you’re curious about the curatorial field or simply want to hear some behind-the-scenes stories, make sure to stop by often!

 

 

 

🎉 Are you ready to “curate” a new world with me?