The 2011 edition of SH Contemporary - the most prestigious contemporary art fair in mainland China - will take place from September 8th to 10th, with preview on the 7th, in downtown Shanghai, at the extraordinary Shanghai Exhibition Center, and with a joint 4-day programme of openings, studio visits and events, in cooperation with the city’s leading galleries and cultural initiatives.
Mirroring the Asia Pacific art systems in the city that is the hub of the region, the fair highlights the work of galleries that promote innovative practices and research and nurture the creative movements that are crossing China and Asia, changing the global cultural landscape.
Under the new direction of Massimo Torrigiani, the 2011 edition is organized into 2 main sections, providing visitors with a selection of cutting-edge and emerging art, including video, film, photography and new media.
1. The Art Show for a comprehensive selection of top Chinese galleries and a choice of other Asian and Western galleries including, among others, Beijing Art Now, Beijing Commune, Boers-Li, Continua, Eigen+Art, James Cohan, Lin & Lin, Long March Space, Nature Morte, Pace, Platform China, ShanghART, Star Gallery, Tang Contemporary, Tina Keng, and a selection of young galleries and photography galleries participating at SH Contemporary for the first time.
2. The special projects will be organized in cooperation with Arthub Asia:
• First Issue, an invitation-only curated exhibition, featuring Asia Pacific artists who had their first solo show in 2010-2011. This section will provide collectors and art lovers with a careful selection of the best, newest, least-seen emerging art from the region, including new video, film and animation works.
• Hot Spots, by invitation only, a special curated section, displaying site-specific projects produced by some of the most important Asia Pacific and international artists, supported by their galleries, for various spaces inside the fair.
• The Asia Pacific Photography Prize - for established and new artists presented by their galleries - awarded by an international jury of photographers, editors, curators and critics.
Spearheaded by a dynamic team of curators and producers - Davide Quadrio, Defne Ayas and Qiu Zhijie - Arthub Asia is a non-profit contemporary art organization devoted to art creation across Asia. In collaboration with museums and other public and private spaces and institutions, Arthub Asia initiates and delivers projects through a sustained dialogue with performance and new media artists.
To support Chinese art institutions and foster institutional collecting, the fair will also host the first convention of the newly established Private Art Museum Alliance, which groups 28 Chinese contemporary art private museums, such as Minsheng, Rockbund, Today, Zendai Himalayan Art Center, which will jointly run a lounge presenting their activities to the public.
A series of satellite events, from museum presentations - as the preview of Minsheng Museum’s exhibition on 20 years of Chinese video art - to gallery shows, performances, talks, video screenings, and parties will give art lovers a sense of the energy and novelty running through the Chinese and Asian art world.
A full VIP and collector’s programme - part of the CDP, the Collector’s Development Programme implemented by SH Contemporary - will be available, including tailor-made services, private exhibition views, guided tours, special dinners and parties, in collaboration with institutional partners and sponsors.
Dates and Hours
8-10 September 2011
Preview: 7 September
Preview
Wednesday September 7th 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Vernissage
Wednesday September 7th 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Open to the Public
Thursday September 8th 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday September 9th 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday September 10th 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information of the fair and most updated VIP programme, please visit: www.shcontemporary.info
