BEATE Reifenscheid is an art curator and critic, but best known as the director of the renowned Ludwig Museum in Koblenz specializing in contemporary art.

Reifenscheid, a frequent visitor to China over the years, visited Shanghai last week on her way to Beijing to discuss exhibitions plans in Beijing; she did not elaborate, but she has been involved in many exhibitions, exchanges and lectures.

In 1996, famed German collectors Peter and Irene Ludwig made a major and spectacular donation of contemporary European art to the National Museum of China in Beijing. It's believed to be the first time the Chinese government accepted a major art donation from the West. Reifenscheid became museum director in 1997 and oversaw the actual donation process.

Established in 1992, the Ludwig Museum Koblenz contains an extremely broad collection of contemporary art by the Ludwigs. It is one of five German museums the couple initiated and supported. The permanent collection is mainly post-1945 German and French art.

Wearing a tailored suit with sparkling brooch and exquisite rings on her fingers, Reifenscheid didn't reveal any fatigue after a long flight to Shanghai. A student of the history of art, literature, science and journalism, she first volunteered at Saarland Museum in Saarbruecken after receiving her PhD.

Reifenscheid has expanded her career into art criticism and curating, which she says is more creative than being a museum director. She has organized more than 100 exhibitions, mainly focusing on contemporary art from France, as well as China.

Reifenscheid has been visiting China regularly for nine years to work on exhibition programs, exchanges, take part in conferences and deliver lectures. She said she was impressed by Chinese colleagues' appreciation of the Ludwig's donation.

Though she deals with contemporary art, she says her personal interests lie in traditional and classical arts.

Q: Every year, the museum purchases artwork around the world. Are Chinese artists on the list?

A: The Ludwigs bought a lot of Chinese art - especially while Professor Ludwig lived. Their focus was on traditional Chinese art, which they gave on long-term loan to the East Asian Museum in Cologne. They started collecting Chinese contemporary art after their first visit to China in 1986. Many works focus on this first epoch of young, surprising art from the early 1990s. That was when Chinese art was received in the West again and a new generation started to rule the international art market. Whether major purchases were made after Peter Ludwig's death in 1996 I do not know right now.

Q: What are the criteria for purchasing art?

A: First, the museum directors are responsible for their proposals. They can ask for purchase through the members of the board, which usually decides twice a year which works they are going to buy. As the foundation does not buy at auctions, but only through galleries, there is no need for unnecessary rush. Each work has to be well considered and a proposal has to be proofed many times by scientific research. The quality of the total collection is most important for all of us.

Q: What's the most difficult part of operating a private museum? Do you have any advice for the successful and long-term running of a private art museum?

A: Sometimes private museums expect from the very beginning an immediate success by the audience or even by some profits they can gain. Building up a museum and creating a specific collection, idea, brand, etc means to take a long breath. You have to believe in what you do and you should be aware that there will be times when you might face some difficulties.

I have met museum owners only were concerned about the space or interior decoration but were either lacking a concept or an adequate collection. Running a museum should mean knowledge of international standards and a good network of curators and other collectors.

Q: Is it hard to juggle roles of museum director, curator and art critic?

A: No, just the contrary! Sometimes museum work is a tough job, which requires dealing with employee problems, legal matters, economic problems, a lot of fund raising, keeping in touch with politics and so on. Being an art critic and a curator is only a small part of the total demands of the job, but it is the part that is most creative and the part which I like the best. I love to visit artists' studios and talk with them or exchange experiences with other colleagues, talk to the media and especially write articles or essays.

Q: You appear stylish and energetic. Are there weak moments?

A: Of course you cannot be always strong … and sometimes misfortune occurs as well, which you have to overcome personally as quickly as possible. My weak moment is when I figure out that a deal is not a deal, because the other side did not take it seriously enough.

Q: What do you think of the price of some Chinese contemporary art? Is it reasonable?

A: The question is not whether I believe the prices are reasonable or not, because it is the market that makes them possible. It depends on the demands from Chinese collectors, which have raised the prices so high and far beyond ordinary people's possibilities.

For me, the problems lie more in the question of quality within an international competition, because this does not overlap totally.

This means that the Chinese market acts and reacts in some parts totally independent from the European or American market. This (disparity) is also reflected by the major museum exhibitions outside of China.

Q: Do you have a favorite artist?

A: I know so many artists who are great. Not only in the sense of being a great artist, but also being a good character, which also counts. Therefore, I wouldn't just drop some names but want to express that I believe in deep feelings and expressions. They reflect our lives, our desires, as well as our tasks. All the artists I have worked with reflect this seriousness of life and art. Superficial or chic or decorative art is not my cup of tea. Maybe this has to do with my German background.

Q: Since you're so busy, how do you balance life and work? Do you have hobbies?

A: Sometimes I do not feel balanced, since there is too much work, but the best part of life is my family. I love spending time with my two sons, 14 and 15, although sometimes school work overshadows our limited time together. I'm interested in opera, ballet, gardening and cooking, but real time for hobbies does not exist.

Q: Do you collect?

A: Sometimes I collect, but not on a professional level. It's just for my personal joy. I love hand-painted porcelain, antique European silver works, antique furniture (of course, Chinese, too) … more or less a lot of subjects, which symbolize delicacy and exquisiteness.