Best art galleries in Shanghai(2)
Beaugeste Gallery
At the other end of the photographic spectrum is Beaugeste Gallery. Decidedly out of the way in a fifth floor walk-up in Tianzifang, it is less a gallery than a salon, carefully tended to by photography aficionado Jean Loh.
The work he shows often seems out of time, channeling masters like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Marc Riboud instead of more recent trends.
Loh specializes in Chinese documentary and humanistic photography, and makes education a priority before collecting.
“Lu Guang (winner of W. Eugene Smith Grant) for his documentary of China's pollution, Lu Yuanmin for his humanistic view of Shanghai, Wang Fuchun for his incredible 8x10 large format documentary of the 'North East Men,' and of course Yan Changjiang, an under-valued talented photographer and author, for his Papermen series, which he still pursues,” recommends the French-Shanghainese.
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Beaugeste Gallery, Room 519, Building 5, Lane 210 Taikang Lu, near Ruijin Er Lu 泰康路210弄5号楼519室 , 近瑞金二路, +86 21 6446 9012, Monday-Friday by appointment; Saturday-Sunday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., www.beaugeste-gallery.com
Shanghai Gallery of Art
Shanghai Gallery of Art (SGA) certainly has the best location in Shanghai. Overlooking the Bund is the 1,100-square-meter space, which is often mistaken for a private museum. As well as it should be.
Since 2004, SGA has shown art heavyweights such as Zhang Xiaogang and Xu Bing, who made a giant tiger skin rug out of 660,000 cigarettes rested on end for the 2004 exhibit "Tobacco Project: Shanghai."
Under the direction of American curator Mathieu Borysevicz, who splits his time between Shanghai and New York City, the bund art institution has taken a more international path.
The ongoing show "dAfT" showcases examples of modern-day banality. The exhibition features iconic (and filthy) artist Paul McCarthy and filmmaker Ryan Trecartin, whose video series "Any Ever" was hailed by Roberta Smith as a “game changer” and Peter Schjeldahl as the most important artist since Jeff Koons.
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Shanghai Gallery of Art, 3/F, Three on the Bund, 17 Guangdong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 广东路17号外滩三号3楼, 近中山东一路, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.(daily), +86 21 6321 5757, www.shanghaigalleryofart.com
ShanghART
Since its opening in 1996, ShanghART has been firmly established as one of the best galleries in Shanghai, and one of the most important destinations worldwide for Chinese art.
Lorenz Helbling, the Swiss founder of the gallery, has some of the best taste in the game. How else to account for his early support of today’s Chinese art stars: Xu Zhen, Zhou Tiehai, Zeng Fangzhi, Yang Fudong, et al.
In 2000, ShanghART was the first gallery in all of China to be invited to Art Basel, the international art show.
In addition to historical importance, ShanghART is a physical landmark in Shanghai. The Gallery and its affiliated H-Space are two requisite stops in M50, and their new complex in Taopu is helping to develop what might be the city’s next art district.
ShanghART (Main), Building 16, 50 Moganshan Lu, near Nan Suzhouhe Lu 莫干山路50号16号楼, 近南苏州河路, +86 21 6359 3923, + 86 21 6276 2818, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.(daily), www.shanghartgallery.com
ShanghART H-Space, Building 18, 50 Moganshan Lu, near Nan Suzhouhe Lu 莫干山路50号18号楼, 近南苏州河路, +86 21 6276 2818, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.(daily)
ShanghART Taopu, Building 8, 18 Wuwei Lu, near Qilianshan Lu 武威路18号8号楼, 近祁连山路, +86 21 3632 2097, +86 21 6359 3923, Tuesday-Sunday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.. Take Metro Line 11 to Qilianshan Lu station, then walk 10 minutes on Qilianshan Lu to Wuwei Dong Lu, then turn right.
