The dust of the candidacy of curator for the Guangdong Museum of Art has settled finally with . Professor Luo Yiping from the School of Communication and Design of SYSU passing the recruitment process of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and becoming the new curator of the Guangdong Museum of Art's, thus bringing an end to the half-a-year “curator window period” of the museum. The new director had taken up his post last Thursday, and the source said the provincial department of culture would release the appointment soon.

A six-month of vacancy after the resignation of Wang Huangsheng

Since the resignation of the former curator Wang Huangsheng in last August, the post of the curator of the Guangdong Museum of Art had been vacant. There had been a range of speculations as to who would succeed in becoming the new curator of the most important museum in the southern China. The self nomination of Artist Chen Dong's had caused ripples. Chen pointed out that many art galleries in china are like funeral homes, and that the future of Guangdong Museum of Art will become a lifeless exhibition hall for the art of Guangdong if managed inappropriately. His views were shared by many. After his resignation, Wang Huangsheng had continued to serve as the artistic director for several important exhibitions during the vacancy. On 20th.Aug, the provincial department of culture made the recruitment announcement to the public, stating the qualifications of Candidates, particularly individuals with high professional ranks and a certain degree of influence and reputation in the field . At last, professor Luo yipping from the school of Communication and Design of SYSU passed the segments in qualification, examination and assessment of the organization and succeeded as the third curator in charge of the Guangdong Museum of Art after Lin Kangsheng and Wang Huangsheng.

Luo yipping taking up the post

Prof Luo had taken up his post last Thursday, and made initial contact with colleagues, accompanied by several deputy directors. They also visited the leased spaces for the art museum institution. Although the news of his arrival had not been formally released, the new curator had already started working. Prof Luo said that he had completely replaced Wang Huangsheng and is now in charge of the work at the Guangdong museum of art.

A prolific art researcher with extensive curatorial experience

Luoyiping is little known to the arts community in Guangzhou as he rarely engages himself in local arts activities. Prof Luo was graduated from the Art History Department of the Central Academy of Fine Artswith a doctorate of Fine Arts, and had stayed with the school till he transferred from the Central Academy of Fine Arts to the SYSU in 2001, where he worked until present.

His resume reveals that he is a prolific writer in the arts, and has written and edited a total of 17 books. His curatorial task involves mainly the planning of Asian International Exhibition of Contemporary Art. And he had taken up posts as curator,and host for 6 consecutive terms for the Asian International Contemporary Art Exhibition in Romania which has been held for 24 terms.

Sponsored by the Hong Kong Paper Art Fair, the Asian International Exhibition of Contemporary Art is an art exhibition taking in a form of art expo and had collaborated with the Fukuoka Art Museum, Singapore National Art Museum, and Guangzhou University City Museum.

An arduous task for the new curator

Responding to the appointment of Prof Luo, many artists expressed concerns over the present curator’s tasks in taking over the works from his predecessor and of the challenges he is to face in terms of the ongoing development of the museum, the maintenance of its lead in the aspects of contemporary art and photography, with the goal of becoming one of the prestigious museums in the world. Whether or not Prof Luo would find ways to cope with the malpractice of the personnel system that poses as a hindrance to the development of the art museum, as pointed out by the former curator at his resignation, is another challenge for Luo.