Shanghai 21st Contemporary Art Fair

The 13th ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair 2025 was successfully held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from November 13 to 16. This edition served as a featured program of the 24th China Shanghai International Arts Festival and an integral part of the 7th Shanghai International Art Fair Week. Zhou Dawei, co-founder of ART021, stated that the fair aims to inspire the public to reconsider the very nature of art through conceptual practices.

In terms of exhibition scale, this year’s fair brought together 141 participating galleries and projects from 22 countries and regions, spanning 50 cities—up from the previously announced 139. Among them, 34 distinguished domestic and international galleries made their debut. The fair was organized into five major sections: the Main Gallery Pavilion, the APPROACH Pavilion, the DETOUR Pavilion, the BEYOND Public Pavilion, and Special Projects. Guided by the principle of “rooted locally, with a global outlook,” over 70% of the exhibiting galleries hailed from China, underscoring strong support for the domestic art ecosystem.

The exhibitor lineup exhibits both international reach and top-tier prominence. Internationally renowned galleries included Gagosian, which participated for the tenth time, presenting curated works by artists such as Félix González-Torres, Mamma Andersson, and Catherine Bernhardt; its iconic blue curtain piece valued at one million dollars drew significant attention. Almine Rech showcased paintings by Larry Poons, Hans Op de Beeck, and Michael Kagan. Other prominent participants included Perrotin, Sant’Art, Melonhe Gallery, Lisson Gallery (making its debut), and Greene Space (also debuting), each presenting a roster of heavyweight artists.

Local galleries make a powerful entrance. Beijing Commune presented works by Feng Shan, Hong Hao, Liang Shuo, Liang Yuanwei, Mao Yan, Song Dong, Sui Jianguo, Wang Guangle, and Yin Xiuzhen. Tang Contemporary Art Center engaged more than twenty artists in a dialogue exploring diverse painting languages. Yingspace highlighted representative works by four key artists: Yu Youhan, Xu Lei, He Duoling, and Shang Yang. Hive Center for Contemporary Art brought 34 artists to the fair; gallery director Summer Wind remarked, “Over the thirteen years since ART021’s inception, Hive has participated in every edition—for a simple reason: outstanding sales performance, a steadily growing collector base, and the resulting market influence.” Additionally, numerous local galleries—including Triumph Gallery, Shiwan Space, Lion’s Tongue Gallery, AYE Gallery, and Surrounding Art Gallery—offered meticulously curated exhibitions.

Southeast Asian artistic forces convene for the first time. YGO, a non-profit coalition of next-generation Indonesian art galleries, introduced eight Indonesian galleries—including D Gallerie, Nadi Gallery, and Vice & Virtue Gallery—to ART021 for the first time, bringing a diversified global perspective to the fair. ROH Gallery from Jakarta exhibited the Philippines’ artist Maria Taniguchi’s signature “Brick Paintings” series. Meanwhile, the DETOUR Pavilion spotlighted three regional galleries—ROH (Jakarta), Lawrie Shabibi (Dubai), and PA Gallery (Moscow)—presenting thought-provoking exhibitions infused with cultural strategies.

The APPROACH Pavilion highlights emerging talent. This year’s APPROACH Pavilion welcomed 20 cutting-edge galleries from China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, France, Russia, Azerbaijan, and beyond—half of which were making their debut. GALERIE DE BUCI (Paris), Mengmingge (Hong Kong), POP/OFF/ART (Moscow and Baku), SISTEMA GALLERY (Moscow), and One Place Art (Hong Kong) all appeared for the first time at a mainland Chinese art fair. Eucalyptus Gallery, which debuted in the APPROACH Pavilion last year, has now advanced to the Main Gallery Pavilion.

Special projects and cross‑brand collaborations shine brightly. CINDY CHAO, a museum‑level fine jewelry brand, returned with a stunning new collection from its 2025 Master Series. Dior unveiled its limited-edition Dior Lady Art #10 collaboration, inviting contemporary artists worldwide to reimagine the iconic Lady Dior handbag. Porsche China presented an exhibition showcasing works by winners of the 2024–2025 “China Young Artists Biennial Selection.” Meanwhile, Glenfiddich partnered with architect Ma Yansong to create the immersive “Deep Realm” art space, and JNBY collaborated with Chinese contemporary artist Yu Hong to launch a joint product line.

A rich array of concurrent forums and public events. On the opening day, four ART021 forums gathered artists, curators, and industry veterans, addressing core topics such as the art market, cross‑disciplinary collaborations, and contemporary practices among young artists, attracting audiences from diverse fields who actively engaged in lively discussions. The BEYOND Public Pavilion integrated large-scale sculptures and site-specific installations, creating immersive contemplative spaces within the exhibition venue. The fair also forged deep ties with the “Art on the Suzhou River” 2025 showcase season, specially designing the “ARTYWALK Route” to connect key art institutions in Jing’an District. This edition drew nearly a thousand international visitors and further expanded public art education through partnerships with platforms like Xiaohongshu.

ART021 Shanghai has played a pivotal role in shaping the local ecosystem of contemporary Chinese art, while its influence within the global art market continues to grow. It provides a professional platform for galleries, artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts, helping to promote “Shanghai as an Art Destination” on the world stage. The next edition of ART021 will be held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center in November 2026.