It has played an instrumental role in the development and growth of the Chinese contemporary art scene. Since it first opened in 1992, the late founder Manfred Schoeni worked with today's most established artists such as Liu Ye, Yue Minjun, Zhang Xiaogang, Zeng Fanzhi etc., at a time when they had no audience. The gallery's mission was to nurture and promote rising talents and foster the growth of
the Contemporary Chinese art scene from the Mainland and from Hong Kong, where it was based. From 2004, his daughter Nicole Schoeni continued to build on the gallery’s legacy and was committed to this tradition of uncovering artists of such calibre for the future, such as Chen Fei, Chen Yongliang, Liu Guanggang, Yang Yongliang, Zhang Qiang, Zhao Fang, Zheng Lu and Zhou Jin Hua, and expanding its focus to conceptual art. The gallery's commitment to art appreciation and art experience has gone beyond just sharing expertise with collectors, it was also dedicated to educating the public and to investing in the development of the worldwide audience's understanding of Chinese contemporary art notably by organising free educational programmes and producing documentaries about the artists, available to all through the internet. Its commitment to the development of the art scene encompassed initiatives such as giving emerging artists opportunities abroad and collaborating with institutions and patrons of the arts.
