Private Museum Insights - Creating First-Time Contemporary Art Experience in His Hometown
Newly established in September 2021, the Xiao Museum of Contemporary Art occupies two floors in a skyscraper in the heart of Rizhao city, with eight exhibition spaces of a total area of over 5,500 square meters. Born in 1994, the founder Ding Yixiao is one of the youngest collectors in China to own a private art museum. Having graduated from UCLA in 2015, Ding Yixiao began collecting contemporary art in 2018. With the support of a professional curatorial and operation team, he has transformed his private collection into a publicly accessible art space in his hometown, Rizhao, away from the popular top-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai. In doing so, he is bringing first-time contemporary art experience to some of the local audience.
LARRY’S LIST spoke with Ding Yixiao about his collecting journey; why he is attracted to artworks that are linked to the artists’ own cultural and social background; his motivations to establish the Xiao Museum of Contemporary Art and to set it up in Rizhao; why we should pay attention to the current inaugural solo exhibition; and his future plans for his collection and private museum.?