In Shanghai, ART021’s 2023 Edition Sees an Influx of Young and International Collectors

Amid a crowded November calendar of art world events in Shanghai, ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair has returned to the Shanghai Exhibition Center in the city’s central Jing’an district. Since it was founded in 2013, the fair has expanded from 29 participants at its first edition to 150 this year, which represent 16 countries and territories worldwide. More than 100 of these exhibitors are from 17 cities and regions of China, echoing the fair’s aim of bridging together a local and global presence while also mirroring the country’s multifaceted contemporary art milieu.

“This edition is the first time since 2019 [that] we are seeing a flurry of foreign visitors, which will bring much-needed energy back,” said Mathieu Borysevicz, founder of BANK, which was founded in Shanghai in 2013 and has participated at ART021 since 2014. “ART021 is our hometown fair and it’s always a big moment, not just for us, but the city and country. It, along with its counterpart West Bund, has their provincial flair while at the same time reaching globally.”

The gallery is celebrating its 10th birthday after the opening day of ART021, and is well-suited to trace the evolution of the fair. Its booth in the DOME section at ART021 presents young emerging artist Wenjue’s new series of paintings, “Wunderkammer,” as well as a series of sentimental installations by Zhang Yibei.

Borysevicz also noted that “ART021 and the Shanghai art market is going strong despite the pandemic hiccups, economic bumps, and global politics. There are more galleries, private institutions, and collectors than ever imaginable back in 2013.”

This year’s ART021 is also taking place in a Shanghai art scene that appeared to be very much in its pomp. In addition to the city’s concurrent fair West Bund Art & Design, the 14th Shanghai Biennale opened one day before, along with a string of exhibitions and events across the city.

Amid such hype, this year’s ART021 sees a broad scope of artworks on view, varying in medium, size, and price point.

Works by blue-chip artists such as Dan Colen, Josef Albers, Maurizio Cattelan, and Imi Knoebel are present; along with heavyweight galleries including Gagosian, David Zwirner, Perrotin, and White Cube. A number of international galleries, returning to the city for the first time since the pandemic, said on opening day they were excited to meet their collectors and friends again, such as ATELIER AKI from Seoul and Galerie Marguo from Paris. Berlin-founded Peres Projects, which this year opened a new gallery space in Seoul, was among them. “This is the only fair we do [in] mainland China, so for us, it is quite important,” said the gallery’s founder, Javier Peres. “It’s a very important part of our global strategy, particularly for our Asia focus.”

At its tasteful, pastel-vibed booth, the Berlin-founded gallery is showcasing works by rising Chinese artists Li Shuang, Ziping Wang, and Tan Mu, as well as other leading lights of its program, including Donna Huanca, Manuel Solano, Ad Minoliti, and more. “We brought a really interesting and dynamic group of artists, some of them had shows in China before and people know them already, and some artists that we’ve been working with since before we’re able to come back,” Peres added.

Like many other gallerists and collectors participating in ART021, Peres also noted the prominence of younger collectors in the market. In the decade since it was founded, Shanghai-based Antenna Space has “witnessed some remarkable changes in the market over the years,” said Huang Le, the gallery’s manager. “We have observed a growing interest and appreciation for contemporary art among collectors from the younger generation. Our sales figures have been steadily increasing, thanks to the loyal support of our existing collectors and the enthusiasm of the new ones.”