Art Fairs and Exhibitions in Shanghai
Historically, Shanghai has been the cradle of Chinese contemporary art, as well as a bridge with Western culture. In the last decade, the city has seen an exponentially rapid development of art galleries, museums and art fairs, reflecting the city’s ambition to become an ever-growing art hub and market.
Shanghai is home to several distinct art districts, like Moganshan Road Art District and Tianzifang, which gather artist studios and galleries featuring works from local artists. The Bund, located along the Huangpu River, is a newly redeveloped area in the Xuhui district, housing a cluster of contemporary art galleries, exhibition and performance spaces, as well as museums, including the Long Museum, Yuz Museum and the West Bund Art Center.
In addition to exhibitions and art performances happening throughout the year, the city is also known for its flagship art fairs, including ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair and West Bund Art & Design returning every year in November.
To help you navigate the cultural scene in Shanghai, we have selected eight art fairs and exhibitions not to miss.
EVENTS IN FOCUS
ART021 SHANGHAI CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR
#multimedia #painting #sculpture
With a global vision based on local root, the fair commits to provide a global communication and trading platform for galleries, museums, art institutions, collectors and art lovers. Featuring leading art and design galleries worldwide, the fair presents modern and contemporary artwork and experimental art practice at present.
7 – 11 November – Shanghai Exhibition Centre – More details here
WEST BUND ART & DESIGN
#design #multimedia #painting #sculpture
West Bund Art & Design is dedicated to providing a platform for international and local galleries to showcase high-quality modern and contemporary artworks in Shanghai. Works on view cover a variety of media such as painting, sculpture, video, and digital works, presenting a rich picture of global artistic creation.
8 – 10 November – West Bund Art Centre – More details here
GABRIELLE CHANEL: FASHION MANIFESTO
#fashion&jewellery
Co-organised by the Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of Paris, Paris Musées, this exhibition is the first retrospective devoted to the work of Gabrielle Chanel in China. It features her work from the 1910s to the 1930s and her career from 1954 to 1971. It shows how the techniques and materials used by the “couturière” remain the tangible proof of her choices and her radical positions.
Until 24 November – Power Station of Art – More details here
MIRRORS OF THE PORTRAIT: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CENTRE POMPIDOU COLLECTION VOL. III
#painting #sculpture
The Centre Pompidou and the West Bund Museum present the third part of its semi-permanent exhibition entitled Mirrors of the Portrait. Bringing together a selection of 300 works from the Centre Pompidou collection dating from 1895 to the present day, this new presentation in fifteen sections highlights the multiple facets of the art of the portrait.
Until 5 November – West Bund Museum – More details here
Amedeo Modigliani , Seated Nude With A Shirt, 1917
MODIGLIANI & MODERN ART: MASTERPIECES FROM LAM MUSEUM
#painting
Showcasing 61 pieces from 18 prominent figures of avant-garde art from France’s Lille Métropole Museum of Modern Art, the exhibition features 9 works by Amedeo Modigliani and 5 by Pablo Picasso, marking the largest display of Modigliani’s works in China to date. The exhibition is a significant project celebrating the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and France.
Until 9 February 2025 – Bund One Art Museum
Robert van der Hilst, Beijing Road, Shanghai, 1992
ROBERT VAN DER HILST: SHANGHAI: TIME & TIMELESS 1990-1993
#photography
The exhibition presents photographs by Dutch photographer Robert van der Hilst taken during his visits to Shanghai between 1990 and 1993. In the early 90s, Shanghai was going through a change like never before, some of the countless new things that transformed the city’s landscape and people’s lives. Amidst the changing urban landscape, Robert van der Hilst captured portraits of people at that particular time.
Until 3 November – Fotografiska – More details here
Marina Abramović, Great Wall Walk 1988, China
MARINA ABRAMOVIC: TRANSFORMING ENERGY
#photography
This is the first-ever museum exhibition in China by internationally renowned artist Marina Abramović. Inspired by one of Abramović’s most iconic performances, her walk across the Great Wall in China with German artist Ulay in 1988, the exhibition includes about 1,200 unseen images of Abramovic’s walk, along with a series of new artworks that have been specially created for this significant survey.
Until 28 February 2025 – Modern Art Museum Shanghai – More details here
ON TOP OF THE PYRAMIDS: THE CIVILIZATION OF ANCIENT EGYPT
#crafts #heritage #sculpture
The special exhibition features 788 precious artefacts from different periods of ancient Egyptian civilisation displayed in Asia for the first time. These artefacts have been carefully selected from seven major Egyptian museums, including the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Luxor Museum, and the Suez Museum, as well as the latest archaeological discoveries from the Saqqara area.
Until 17 August 2025 – Shanghai Museum – More details here