Johnson Chang

{{short description|Chinese art curator (born 1960)}} '''Johnson Chang''' (Cantonese: Chang Tsong-zung;<ref name="AZC" /> {{zh|t=張頌仁}}) (born 1960) is a curator and dealer of contemporary Chinese art. He is a co-founder of the Asia Art Archive (AAA) in Hong Kong and a guest professor of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou.<ref name="Wharton">{{cite web |url=http://www.whartonbeijing09.com/bio-tchang.html |title=Johnson Chang |last= |first= |date= |website= |publisher=Wharton University of Pennsylvania |access-date=July 4, 2023 |quote=}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' described him as "a force in contemporary Chinese art since the 1980s",<ref name="NYT" /> and Sotheby's described him as "the godfather of contemporary Chinese art".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.thevalue.com/articles/sothebys-johnson-chang-chinese-contemporary-art-collection-auction-hong-kong |title=Sotheby's Presents Masterpieces from the Collection of Johnson Chang, the Godfather of Chinese Contemporary Art |last= |first= |date=August 20, 2020 |website=Sotheby's |publisher= |access-date=July 4, 2023 |quote=}}</ref>

== Career == Chang Tsong-zung was born in 1960 in Hong Kong; his father was an engineer and his grandfather was a banker.<ref name="AZC" /> He graduated from Williams College in 1973.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://alumni-awards.williams.edu/bicentennial-medal/tsong-zung-j-chang-2/|title=Tsong-Zung J. Chang, Class of 1973|website=Williams College|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref> He has been curating art exhibitions since the 1980s. He founded Hanart TZ gallery in Hong Kong in 1983.<ref name="Hanart">{{cite web |url=http://www.hanart.com/ |title=Home |website=hanart.com}}</ref> Artists that Chang has discovered include Feng Mengbo, Gu Wenda, Liu Wei, Fang Lijun, Wang Guangyi, Yue Minjun, Zhan Wang, and Zhang Xiaogang.<ref name="AZC" />

It was through his gallery that he organized exhibitions of the Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming at the Singapore Art Museum in 1986 and Place Vendôme in Paris in 1997. It was also with Hanart that he staged "China’s New Art Post-1989," which debuted at the 1993 Hong Kong Arts Festival and then toured the United States from 1995 to 1997.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

In Shanghai in late 2010, Chang organized "West Heavens," a contemporary art collaboration between China and India.<ref name="NYT">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/arts/11iht-scshanghai11.html?scp=1&sq=joyce%20lau%20johnson%20chang&st=cse#|title=Shanghai Art Scene |website=The New York Times|first=Joyce Hor-Chung |last=Lau|date=Dec 11, 2010}}</ref>

In their annual "The Power 100" listing, ''Art Review'' named Chang, alongside Claire Hsu, for their co-founding of the AAA.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.artreview100.com/people/736/ |title=86. Johnson Chang Tsong-zung & Claire Hsu - the ArtReview Power 100 |access-date=2010-12-20 |archive-date=2010-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122213046/http://www.artreview100.com/people/736/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Personal == Chang is known for wearing old-fashioned Chinese-styled outfits with Mandarin collars.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

He was a friend of the late Sir David Tang, founder of Shanghai Tang.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com.hk/around-town/features/14212/johnson-chang-tsong-zung.html|title=Johnson Chang Profile|publisher=Time Out Hong Kong|first=Claire|last=Morin|date=Dec 11, 2010|access-date=December 20, 2010|archive-date=June 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619063502/http://www.timeout.com.hk/around-town/features/14212/johnson-chang-tsong-zung.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Chang helped Tang put together the China Club's art collection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/David-Tang-Chinese-Puzzle_7507 |title=David Tang: Chinese Puzzle | News & Features | Cigar Aficionado |accessdate=2010-12-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207100431/http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/David-Tang-Chinese-Puzzle_7507 |archivedate=2011-12-07 }}</ref> Chang is an active part of Hong Kong's social scene and has been listed in Asia Tatler's "Top List."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.asiatatler.com/hk/top_list.php?cat=c |title=500 List | Asia Tatler |access-date=2010-12-20 |archive-date=2010-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101021070437/http://www.asiatatler.com/hk/top_list.php?cat=c |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He has two sons.<ref name="AZC">{{cite web|url=http://www.artzinechina.com/display_vol_aid172_en.html |title=In Search of Johnson Chang | ArtZineChina.com | 中国艺志 |accessdate=2010-12-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003121705/http://www.artzinechina.com/display_vol_aid172_en.html |archivedate=2011-10-03 }}</ref>

== Shows and projects== * "China’s New Art Post-1989" (1993) * Special Exhibitions at the São Paulo International Biennial (1994 and 1996) * Hong Kong participation at São Paulo Biennial (1996) * The Venice Biennial (2001) * "Power of the Word" series of exhibitions * "Strange Heaven: Chinese Contemporary Photography" * "Open Asia International Sculpture Exhibition" in Venice (2005) * "Yellow Box" series, Guangzhou Triennial (2008)<ref name="Wharton" />

== References == <references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chang, Johnson}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Chinese art historians Category:Chinese curators Category:20th-century Hong Kong historians Category:21st-century Hong Kong historians