Charity
National Museum Of China
When discussing Parkview Group Chairman George Wong's donations to the National Museum of China, former Deputy Director and famous scholar Chen Lyusheng has provided us with a detailed analysis of the museum collection: “The national museum has 1.36 million items in its collection. Our greatest limitation, however, is our lack of international artworks. They make up a negligible portion of the entire collection.”
It was against this backdrop that George Wong donated two artworks by Salvador Dalí, Gala A La Ventana and Key, in 2013. This naturally led to a second donation shortly thereafter. This second donation consisted of eight works by Dalí, namely: Lying Woman With Two Dancers (three piece set), Laughing Horsehead, Icarus, Mercury, Terpsichore, and Winged Triton.The National Museum collection has grown considerably in recent years, “But, to date, George Wong's donation of ten Dalí works stands as our greatest single donation of foreign artworks. His donation is of immense importance to the National Museum,” says Chen, “George Wong does not collect art to lock it away for himself. He loves to share and exchange. He is a very smart collector and artist. I call him an artist not because he creates specific artworks, but because he has amassed a very large collection of artworks, which he arranges according to his own ideas to form a new artistic body. Parkview Green is his artwork.” This is Chen Lyusheng’s unique take on George Wong's collections and donations.
The National Art Museum Of China
I was granted an interview with Wu Weishan, director of the National Art Museum of China. His personality is quite similar to George Wong’s. Both are quite easygoing. The two have been friends for years. “Before I became museum director in 2006, the National Art Museum of China had several of my sculptures in the plaza. One of them, Qi Baishi, had been there for nearly a decade. When I became director, I ‘invited’ them into the warehouse.”Wu Weishan laughed as he explained he was worried that Master Qi, having stood guard over the museum gates for a decade, must have been tired by then. At that moment, he hoped to find works by great masters to occupy these important spaces. In November 2014, George Wong donated two works by Salvador Dalí, Fauno Hombre Cabeza Cuernos, and Saint Sebastian, to the National Art Museum of China to fill these empty spaces. One work stands on the east end of the museum, the othe two the west. The space to the east was where Qi Baishi originally stood.
Nanjing University Of Arts
As the earliest art school established in China, Nanjing University of the Arts is very well-known in the world of Chinese art education. The university is located in the heart of the city, along the banks of the Qinghuai River. The campus is dotted with parasol trees, with sculptures interspersed among them. Walking through the campus is like strolling in a park. The two sculptures by Spanish Surrealist master Salvador Dalí and twelve sculptures by Chinese contemporary artists donated by George Wong occupy a central position on the campus, in what is now known as Parkview Garden.These accessible sculptures dovetail with the school's open approach to learning, becoming more than just a part of the campus scenery. More importantly, they serve to enhance students’ understanding of art and inspire them in their own creations. As George Wong has said, “When the students can come in close contact with the works of masters, they can find great inspiration and insight.” Nanjing University of the Arts party secretary Guan Xiangqun remarks, “We have the utmost respect for George Wong. His actions exemplify the social responsibility of the entrepreneur, and are marks of great love and kindness. Many entrepreneurs now learn from him.”
Jimei University
In 1913, famous overseas Chinese businessman Tan Kah Kee returned to his hometown and founded Jimei University. One hundred years later, it is one of the most important universities in Fujian Province.
The Parkview Contemporary Art Corridor is an art space donated by Parkview Group, located in a central position on the university campus. It is a 400 meter pathway shaded by banyan trees, situated next to an egret habitat. The main body of the corridor consists of 33 Chinese contemporary sculptures donated by George Wong in three installments.
They are evenly laid along the two sides of the corridor. The entry of contemporary artworks into campuses is of great significance. George Wong understands this in a unique way. He feels that today’s education in China needs innovation, and that contemporary art is often subversive. Bringing contemporary art into campuses represents “disruption” of traditional ways of thinking in Chinese university education. Thus, he wants to donate contemporary artworks to schools, and to do so at a large scale. Jimei University president Su Jinwen says, “George Wong is a generous, benevolent man. I see traces of Tan Kah Kee in him. He is a successful businessman who is also actively involved in education.”
The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco
On Sharks & Humanity opened to the public on 8 June 2014, World Oceans Day, at the Oceanographic Museum. This exhibition, driven by Parkview Arts Action in cooperation with the international non-profit organisation WildAid, comprised 11 unique works created specifically for the Museum by 10 contemporary artists: each one, througn a singular prism, exploring our complex relationship with sharks and, by extension, our relations with nature.
In different rooms and on the panoramic terrace, sculptures, painting, film performance and poems have been intermingle in a monumental installation, disquieting visitors and inviting them to look beyond their preconceptions. As a complement to the Museum's sensory scientific exhibition, On Sharks & Humanity called on an artistic interpretation to highlight the indispensable role of sharks in regulating marine ecosystems and the negative impact of overfishing.
Committed to understanding and protecting the oceans for over 100 years, today the Oceanographic Institute is pleased to promote its message in collaboration with such socially responsible international organisations as Parkview Arts Action and WildAid.
The Ekaterina Cultural Foundation Moscow
The Ekaterina Cultural Foundation was established in 2002 as a non-commercial organisation. Since then the Foundation has been engaged in a variety of activities, such as organising exhibitions, publishing, collecting works by contemporary artists, and supporting cultural and educational projects.
In 2007, the first private exhibition space opened in Moscow - the halls of the Ekaterina Cultural Foundation in Kuznetsky Most. Since the very beginning the Foundation effectively cooperates with state museums, art centres, foundations and other noncommercial institutions both in Russia and abroad. One of the important aspects of the Foundation's exhibition program is the introduction of Russian and international contemporary art to the Russian pulic.
Beijing - National Museum Of China
Beijing, China (20 Aug 2015) – Today, the global art exhibition On Sharks & Humanity opens at the National Museum of China in Beijing. The environmentally focused exhibition addresses topics related to shark protection and ocean conservation. This art initiative aims to raise public awareness, through a combination of artworks, exhibitions and public cause. It highlights the unique social role of museums as humanitarian cultural institutions. Hosted by the National Museum of China, On Sharks & Humanity is organised in collaboration with Parkview Arts Action and in partnership with the international non-profit organisation WildAid. The National Museum of China is the third location in the exhibition's international tour. Through a variety of art forms, artists from China and abroad hope to improve the public's understanding of environmental protection and change the world through the power of art.
On Sharks & Humanity opens to the Chinese public from 20 August to 20 September 2015 in North Hall II and III. It features nearly 50 artworks by 34 Chinese and international artists and philanthropists, reflecting the multidisciplinary and varied nature of the exhibition. The exhibition attracted more than two hundred thousand visitors in just over one month. Many of the visitors left their heartfelt notes of support for shark and ocean protection. The exhibition was also honored to receive Chinese and international dignitaries including member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Chairman and Party Secretary of the National Committee of the People's Political Consultative Conference Mr Jia Qinglin, and European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Mr Karmenu Vella.
The Parkview Museum·Singapore
On Sharks and Humanity in Singapore was inaugurated on the 9th of March 2017 at The Parkview Museum Singapore. The exhibition features artists from Singapore, China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan), Germany and the United States with the aim to explore and analyse the interdependent relationship between sharks, the ocean, and human beings, challenging prevailing prejudices surrounding this deeply feared creature and bringing to light the importance of sharks in the marine ecosystem.
The opening reception was attended by Senior Minister of State of Singapore, Mr Desmond Lee, President of Palau Thomas E. Remengesau Jr, representatives from WildAid, participating artists of 'On Sharks and Humanity', as well as prominent executives and VIPs in Singapore. SMS Desmond Lee who had a personal walkthrough of the exhibition, praised the initiative as an effective way to raise awareness about marine conservation and to strengthen the understanding of contemporary art in the community. Mr Lu Bo, CEO of WildAid China said: "Each year fins from up to 73 million sharks are used for shark fin soup. The only long-term solution is to reduce demand. With the exhibition now at its fourth stop here in Singapore, an important market for reducing shark fin consumption, I am very confident that through these artworks, the people of Singapore will have a deeper connection to the issue and be inspired to say NO to shark fin soup".
Hong Kong Maritime Museum
As Hong Kong celebrates its 20th anniversary as a special administrative region of China, On Sharks and Humanity has been inaugurated at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum on the 28th of June 2017. Open until the end of September, the powerful collection of 36 contemporary artworks by internationally recognised artists as well as emerging artists, brings together the worlds of visual art and humanitarian action and is set to be a highlight among Hong Kong’s cultural offerings this summer.
On Sharks and Humanity demonstrates the relationship between art and society and sets out to raise public awareness of shark conservation in Hong Kong and the Greater Pearl River Delta region.Renowned artists from China, Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, France and the United States have added their voices to the exhibition with visceral interpretations of the human impact on global shark populations.