With its iconic views of the Lujiazui skyline and its world famous mix of high-end restaurants and glamorous lounges, the Bund is also an unheralded home to some of Shanghai’s finest art galleries. Enjoy some culture before grabbing cocktails by the riverside by making a day trip through these cultural havens.
Rockbund Art Museum
Since opening seven years ago in a 1932 Art Deco masterpiece designed by British architect George L. Wilson, the Rockbund Art Museum has consistently delivered with bold exhibitions. That continues with leading Chinese artist Song Dong’s first major solo exhibition at home in eight years.
I Don’t Know the Mandate of Heaven will mix Song’s best-known works with several rarely exhibited pieces. RAM has specifically commissioned several pieces for the show, including a transformation of the entire building overseen by Song.
Until Mar 26. Rockbund Art Museum.
Matthew Liu Fine Arts
Also housed inside Rockbund is a gallery that bills itself as “the first in China that focuses on promoting modern and contemporary Western art to Chinese collectors.” Opened by a Wall Street banker turned gallerist, Matthew Liu Fine Arts is hosting a show celebrating Beijing-based contemporary Yin Zhaoyang.
A stalwart within the mid-1990s Youth Cruelty movement in Chinese contemporary art known for their realistic portraitures, Yin continues his interest in abstract and conceptual landscape works with many pieces in New Works inspired by several visits to Songshan Mountains.
Until Feb 26. Matthew Liu Fine Arts.
Shanghai Gallery of Art
Located on the third floor of Three on the Bund, Shanghai Gallery of Art is one of the neighborhood’s oldest galleries. Dedicated to Asian contemporary art, its latest show is an ambitious project overseen by renowned international curators Massimo Torrigiani and Shanghai based Davide Quadrio.
Originally shown in Milan, The King and I arrives on the Bund in a completely different form but with the same mission of bringing “an ancient Italian palace” to the city. Nine contemporary artists have created theatrical works using Alcantra as the sole material that transport visitors to a strangely familiar setting that evokes classic fairy tales.
Until Feb 9. Shanghai Gallery of Art.
Swatch Peace Art Hotel
Known for its ongoing art residencies, the Swatch Art Peace Hotel is also housing one of the three shortlisted proposals in the 2016 Emerging Curators Program organized by the Power Station of Art. Curated by Mao Chenyu, Zhou Jing and Fen Lei, the ‘Grain God Narrative’ explores the relationship between populations in rural and urban spaces with 20 different contemporary artists from China contributing pieces that also touch on how historical events are remembered.
Until Feb 14. Swatch Art Peace Hotel.
Art +
Since relocating to its Suzhou Creek location near the Bund, Art + has been toasting emerging contemporary art and their latest show takes inspiration from its neighborhood.
However, Nathalie Perakis-Valat delves into the unheralded stories behind Shanghai’s iconic skyline in Into the Heart of the City - Building the Future. She photographs 15 construction workers behind some of the city’s towering skyscrapers bringing their unique stories to life.
Until Feb 26. Art + Shanghai.
Pearl Lam
With over 20 years of experience exhibiting Asian and Western art, Pearl Lam is a force within Asia’s art scene. In addition to her galleries in Hong Kong and Singapore, Pearl Lam Shanghai has established a reputation for championing artists who challenge cultural perceptions.
In Quotidian, a dozen of the museum’s favorite artist come together presenting pieces that “strives to transcend the ordinary” by challenging audiences to “reexperience seemingly familiar visuals in a different way.” Acclaimed artists from Turkey (Inci Eviner), Japan (Sayaka Ishizuka) and China (Pan Jian) contribute.
Until Mar 18. Pearl Lam.
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