In the past three years, Shanghai’s status as an international center for art continues to grow, thanks to new galleries like chi K11 and popular festivals like Art in the City. Once again, the celebration of contemporary art is back, taking over venues across the city from September 9 to October 9 with a mix of exhibitions, workshops and tours across Shanghai's most exciting art destinations. Here’s what to expect.
Take Me Out
This year’s Art in the City theme show at K11 Art Mall is all about intersections between the art world and other industries. Take Me Out focuses on how art, design and technology deal with contemporary urban life, our homes and our bodies.
V Art Center director Chen Jiaxing brings her keen eye and perspective on emerging artists and the latest ideas to the proceedings. The young local curator has joined the long-established Art in the City team of Donna Chai, Massimo Torrigiani and Davide Quadrio.
An impressive number of artists will participate including China’s famed real life invisible man Liu Bolin, the globally renowned Fujian-born contemporary artist Qiu Zhijie and the two-time World Press Photo Award winner Michael Wolf.
However, Art in the City’s main mandate is to spotlight rising artists across a range of media from digital art (Chen Xi [see cover above], Wang Yafeng [see cover image]) to videotaped performance pieces (Liu Ya). An additional project, Women’s Independence and Fashion Salutes Art, explores the relationship between the two fields.
Sep 9-0ct 9. K11 Art Mall.
Blast!
After last year’s successful debut, this open-call art contest has expanded into two categories. Blast! Visions is all about celebrating moving images, while Blast! Sound is a call for new music. The submissions are already in and a panel of renowned judges have picked eight finalists in each field. They will be presented across a variety of exhibiting spaces in Shanghai like MoCA Pavilion, Le Royal Méridien Shanghai Hu Club, The Mix Place, Creater Space, K11 and CITIC Pacific Plaza, with the eight Blast! Sound finalists already competing to perform live at the Blast! Openings. Details available at artinthecity.cn.
City Art Bus and City Art Tour
Art in the City is very much a community affair and once again they’re celebrating Shanghai’s growing art world with a City Art Bus tour and a City Art tour. From the growing hub of the West Bund (home to the Yuz and Long Museum West Bund) to the long-running contemporary art zone m50, participants will be able to get a crash course on the city’s most exciting art spots. In addition, there will be stops at other massive art festivals like Photofairs | Shanghai, as well as developments like Ferguson Lane and Hengshan Place, uncovering the artistic enclaves inside these commercial spots.
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