Shanghai prepares for ShContemporary '09

SHContemporary 09: The Asia Pacific Contemporary Art Fair at Shanghai Exhibition Center

Our third year of crashing the best art parties for Shanghai's ShContemporary art fair is approaching, and we can barely contain our excitement. If you are going to any art event this year in Shanghai, this is the one not to miss: ShContemporary is only open to the public for TWO days from September 12-13, and it's Asia’s most dynamic and international annual contemporary art fair.

Last year's ShContemporary attracted over 15,000 collectors, artists, curators and art enthusiasts, with over 140 international galleries participating from nearly 30 countries. Many of the art lectures and events are VIP and invitation only, but you can usually get away with walking in invitation-less with a friendly smile (this method is not 100 percent fool-proof, but it has worked on occasion).

SHContemporary is divided in three parts, showcasing galleries, established artists, and up-and-comers within the art world.

From ShContemporary.info:

The main section of ShContemporary, Best of Galleries, will present invited galleries from around the world, selected by the Artistic Committee on the basis of projects and special presentations. The best galleries from the entire Asian region, exhibiting along a carefully selected group of galleries from Europe and the Americas, will show the most interesting contemporary talent, with a special focus on Asian contemporary art.

Discovering Contemporary is a curated exhibition to showcase works by some of the most significant artists who came to international attention during these past two decades as well as some of the most promising emerging art in a spectacular 2000 m2 arched hall; and a forum of international experts to address, through a series of public lecturers and round tables, the urgent question being currently discussed throughout the centers of international art world: What is Contemporary Art?

Platform gives galleries representing emerging artists the opportunity for exposure. Each booth will showcase a maximum of two artists presenting work produced in the last two years, introducing a fresh new generation of artists in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.