The 7th Shanghai International Art Fair opened on November 13th at the West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center. The banks of the Huangpu River were once again enveloped in a rich artistic atmosphere.
This year's art fair, building upon the "Global Art Market·Art Shanghai" framework, added the theme "Art for Life," aiming to deeply integrate art from museums and art fairs into the city's daily life. More than 300 art institutions from around the world, over 120 art events, and more than 10,000 outstanding artworks collectively construct an energetic "art platform" that connects the entire city. The West Bund Art & Design Fair and ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, both influential in the contemporary art world, also opened on the same day.
The West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center was used for the Shanghai International Art Fair press conference and the West Bund Art Fair for the first time.
From the opening of the 15th Shanghai Biennale "Can Flowers Hear the Bees?" on November 7th, to "Rome, Rome: From Olympia to Capitoline" at the World Expo Museum, and now to the West Bund Art & Design Fair and ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, art events from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign, are gradually unfolding throughout Shanghai. According to relevant sources, nearly 50 art events have taken place daily in various parts of Shanghai in the past two days.
The 15th Shanghai Biennale, themed "Can the Flowers Hear the Bees?", opened on November 7th.
Multiple art fairs joined forces to launch a joint ticket.
It is understood that this year marks the first time that a joint ticket will be launched for the West Bund Art & Design Fair, ART021, and the Shanghai Youth Art Fair during the trade week.
Launch ceremony of the joint ticket for West Bund Art & Design, ART021 and Shanghai Youth Art Fair.
Among them, West Bund Art & Design, as one of the most influential contemporary art fairs in Asia, continues to attract top galleries from around the world while also building bridges for outstanding domestic galleries to directly engage with the international community; ART021, radiating from Shanghai to the world, builds a multi-regional exchange platform and promotes Shanghai as an important stop on the global art calendar; and the Shanghai Youth Art Fair focuses on the future of the industry, providing young artists with an important stage to enter the market.
This year's West Bund Art & Design Fair uses the West Bund International Convention Center as its gallery section for the first time, encompassing five exhibition halls: West Bund Art Center Hall A, Dome Art Center, West Bund Whirlpool, and West Bund Dream Center Gate M Dream Factory. It connects the West Bund waterfront living area and is the largest exhibition area in its history.
The Gallery section of West Bund Art & Art is located at the West Bund International Convention Centre.
The exhibition brought together artworks from 65 countries and regions. Among them, works by overseas artists accounted for 60%. A reporter from The Paper observed that, in addition to the geographically dominant representation of artists from Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea, creative practices from "non-central regions" such as Southeast Asia, West Asia, Latin America, and Africa, with their unique cultural roots and vibrant expressions, collectively contributed to building a diverse and symbiotic global art ecosystem in Shanghai. At the same time, galleries and art institutions from home and abroad presented numerous Chinese artworks.
ART021, held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, brought together 141 galleries and projects from 22 countries and regions and 50 cities, including 34 outstanding galleries from home and abroad making their debut. In addition to the return of international names such as Armin Lech, Perrotin, and David Zwirner Gallery, more than 70% of the galleries were from China.
ART021 exhibition site in 2025
With a single combined ticket, visitors can freely travel between the three major exhibitions, a first in previous art seasons. Furthermore, the ticket stub unlocks exclusive discounts on hotels and attractions, extending the "art-infused lifestyle" to every corner of the city.
This integration makes the concept of "artistic living" a real thing, not just about rushing from one exhibition to another, but an artistic rhythm that spreads throughout the city.
Art is deeply integrated into the city, jointly creating an "Art-Enjoyed Life"
It is understood that this year's trade week will deeply integrate art into the urban fabric, creating a "lifestyle of art" that is tangible, accessible, and consumable.
Through the collaboration of art consumption clusters such as "Art West Bund," "Art Bund," "Art Suzhou Creek," and "Art Pudong," art is deeply integrated with consumption scenarios such as commerce, tourism, and sports. A series of events, including West Bund Week, the Bund International Arts Festival 2025, the Art Suzhou Creek 2025 Performance Season, and Pudong's first exhibitions and performances, extend the art experience to business districts, streets, hotels, and even cafes.
These activities have expanded the traditional boundaries of the "art fair," creating a tangible, experiential, and sustainable urban model for art living for collectors, art institutions, and art enthusiasts both at home and abroad, beyond its core trading function.
The innovative "Art Licensing Supermarket" and the "Micro Art Space" created in collaboration with local coffee brands aim to lower the threshold for art consumption and bring the works of young artists and Shanghai-style art elements into the lives of the general public in a more accessible way.
Introduction to the "Magnolia Selection" Art Tour
The "Magnolia Selection" Art Tour carefully connects high-quality art resources and cultural tourism consumption points throughout the city, including art fairs, galleries, auctions of cultural relics and artworks, and art museums. It offers three art routes to guide citizens and tourists to experience the unique charm of art and the city coexisting and integrating in the ARTwalk.
The trade fair also serves as an important platform for artistic exchange and mutual learning. The 10th "Shanghai Dialogue" Summit Forum will release authoritative industry indices and rankings, and delve into the latest industry trends. The China Shanghai International Arts Festival's "ARTRA Custom Art" brand and Xiaohongshu's "Art Shining Upgrade Plan" enable diverse art forms from around the world to reach the public in a more vivid and engaging way, promoting art education and cultural exchange.
Xiaohongshu's "Artistic Shining Upgrade Plan"
Whether it's the immersive visual narratives of the Biennale or the dazzling array of artworks at the art fair, visitors are invited to become part of the city's art ecosystem. Under the concept of "Global Art Scene, Art Shanghai, Art for Life," the art fair is not only a platform for international art exchange and trade, but also brings art into daily life, making it an integral part of the city's rhythm and cultural experience.
The 7th Shanghai International Art Fair will fully embody the concept of "Global Art Market, Art Shanghai, Art-Enjoyable Life" with a higher-level platform, a more integrated approach to the city, and broader dialogue among civilizations. It aims to build an important international art trading center, solidify the foundation of Shanghai's art market worth hundreds of billions of yuan, and propel Shanghai's artistic vitality and influence as an international cultural metropolis to new heights.
