Artron Art Group taps new growth engines

Cultural enterprise Artron Art Group is making efforts to upgrade itself, from focusing on traditional art printing to integrating art with technology as it seeks new growth engine for its business.

The company, which has bases in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, has launched a mobile application, enabling users to watch exhibitions through smartphones by using virtual reality (VR) technology.

Art lovers around the world no longer have to go to physical sites to enjoy exhibitions, but can get access to the shows at their homes.

The company is also cooperating with Palace Museum in Beijing to "digitalize" precious art pieces there.

"By integrating data gathering, cloud storage and other technologies, we provide solutions to help traditional museums turn 'smart'," Li Guozhe, executive general manager of printing business unit at Artron Art Group, said.

The Palace Museum work is a big project, which could last 10 years, Li said, as there are a large number of art pieces in the museum and workers can only get access to a few pieces a day.

But it is crucial for both sides because it is a way of preserving cultural resources and enhancing brand recognition, he said.

Meanwhile, as the number of wealthy people grows in China, the company is also spotting another trend, which has become another source of its growth.

Artron art center in Shenzhen launched an art club open to members only two years ago. Members can enjoy its facilities, including museum-like art library, art gallery, art college integrating delight and instruction.

So far, the art club has attracted more than 600 members, most of whom are Shenzhen-based entrepreneurs. Vanke former chairman Wang Shi and Tencent chairman and CEO Pony Ma Huateng are among them.

"More and more wealthy people are willing to spend on art. We didn't expect we could gather so many members in two years. We estimated 200 or 300 people," Li said.

"This shows that after living standards improve, Chinese people, especially the wealthy group, are now turning their attention to art."

Annual membership fee of the art club is 150,000 yuan ($22,388) for the first year and 15,000 yuan for subsequent years.