West Bund Art & Design Shanghai’s Evelyne Zhang On What to Expect

While the recent Art Basel and UBS collector report confirmed a general slowdown, the outlook for Asia—particularly China—was considerably more optimistic: high-net-worth individuals from Mainland China had the highest expenditure on art and antiques in the first half of 2024, with a median of $97,000, more than double that of any other region. As Arts Economics founder Clare McAndrew explained at the report launch conference last month, in China, art and antiques are regarded differently from personal luxury goods; they are seen as cultural assets, which helps explain why that market has remained resilient even as other luxury sectors have slowed. Additionally, according to the survey, 70 percent of respondents plan to buy art next year.

Buoyed by these promising data, the West Bund Art & Design fair is gearing up for its 2024 edition, which opens to the press and VIPs on November 7 and runs through Sunday, November 10. Held at the West Bund Art Center (Halls A and B), West Bund Dome, GATE M Dream Center and ORBIT, the fair will feature work brought by 121 galleries from forty-nine cities across twenty-three countries and regions, with many international galleries returning after a pandemic-induced hiatus. Established in 2014, the fair has become a pivotal event in China’s global art market, blending a curated selection of regional and international contemporary art with cutting-edge international design.

This year marks the eleventh consecutive appearance for leading galleries such as Hauser & Wirth, Ota Fine Arts, Pace Gallery, ShanghART Gallery, White Cube and WHITE SPACE, all of which have supported the fair since its inception. Among the forty-one new participants are Lucie Chang Fine Arts (Hong Kong), CHINI Gallery (Taipei), CON_ (Tokyo), Ferris Gallery (Shenzhen), Karma (New York, Los Angeles), KORNFELD Galerie (Berlin), Nan Ke Gallery (Shanghai), SIMULACRA (Beijing) and THE SHOPHOUSE (Hong Kong). Other prominent international galleries presenting this year include Gagosian, GALLERIA CONTINUA, Sadie Coles HQ, MASSIMODECARLO, Xavier Hufkies, Lisson Gallery, Perrotin and Esther Shipper.

The fair will feature several curated sections, including “DREAM xiàn chǎng,” supported by GATE M Dream Center, which will showcase expansive artworks from approximately forty invited artists, with pieces installed both inside and outside the venue. Meanwhile, “perspective” will provide a platform to highlight the latest developments in art institutions, locally and globally, fostering exchanges and collaborations. Additionally, Louis Vuitton is organizing a series of industry-specific discussions, titled “LOUIS VUITTON West Bund Voice,” in partnership with the fair, featuring prominent guests from China and abroad. Simultaneously, Baer Faxt will present Finnish design master Eero Aarnio’s first major exhibition in Asia, with his latest outdoor sculpture displayed in the plaza of West Bund Art Center Hall A.

Coinciding with West Bund Art & Design, the Art021 art fair will run from November 7 to 10 at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. This year, Art021 will present 125 participating galleries and projects from forty-three cities across twenty countries and regions. Founded in 2013 and one of China’s earliest and largest art fairs, Art021 even predates West Bund and recently launched a new edition in Hong Kong. With thirty international galleries participating, Art021 continues to expand its global presence, with returning galleries such as Galerie Chantal Crousel (Paris), OTA Fine Arts (Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai), Mennour (Paris, London), Almine Rech (Paris, New York, London, Brussels, Shanghai, Monaco), White Cube (London, Hong Kong, Paris, New York, Seoul), David Zwirner (New York, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, Paris), Kurimanzutto (Mexico City, New York) and Taka Ishii Gallery (Tokyo, Kyobashi, Kyoto). New additions include APALAZZO Gallery (Brescia), CARLOS/ISHIKAWA (London), Fergus McCaffrey (New York, Tokyo, St. Barts), Saatchi Yates (London), THE SHOPHOUSE (Hong Kong), X Contemporary Art (Changsha) and ZIAN Gallery (Hangzhou).

Observer spoke with Evelyne Zhang, West Bund Art & Design’s director of business development, to learn more about what to expect from this year’s edition ahead of its opening next week.

What can you tell us about the highlights of this edition, and what in particular are you looking forward to?

In 2024, the fair has expanded to five venues: West Bund Art Center Hall A, Hall B, West Bund Dome, Orbit and GATE M Dream Center. The fair stretches from the northern end of Longteng Avenue to the south, encompassing a significant area and radiating vibrancy throughout Shanghai and neighboring provinces, thereby fostering the flourishing development of the art ecosystem.

Shanghai has a vibrant art scene, with a growing number of institutions and a wide variety of galleries sprawling across the different city districts. How will the fair expand beyond the venue to interact with the local art scene?

Every year, West Bund Art & Design collaborates with local galleries and art institutions in Shanghai through various forms of engagement. Galleries and museums have been accustomed to launching their most important exhibitions of the year in November. For instance, the Power Station of Art (PSA) will present artist Yin Xiuzhen’s solo exhibition “Piercing the Sky.” Overseas galleries also choose to hold pop-up exhibitions in Shanghai during this time. This year, Paula Cooper Gallery presents a group exhibition titled “Resonance” at Yuhua New Village.

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Additionally, local art institutions will launch various events simultaneously at West Bund Art & Design and its main venue. For example, London artist Daniel Crews-Chubb, who will have a solo exhibition titled “Immortals” at Long Museum in November, will also participate in the West Bund Art & Design forum. The George Rickey Estate will share insights at the fair while showcasing three large dynamic sculptures displayed at Jing’an Sculpture Park.

Now that China is in its post-lockdown era, do you anticipate a significant increase in international visitors? Who is the target demographic for this year’s fair? 

At the fair, domestic galleries will present high-quality works, leveraging the fair as a platform to attract international visitors and collectors. Meanwhile, international galleries will also utilize this opportunity to engage with a broader audience of local visitors and collectors. For example, this year, we are happy to welcome a large delegation from France to the fair.

With the rise of new art fairs across Asia, many are questioning which will become the most important in the region. How does West Bund Art & Design aim to position itself amid the growing competition from Art Basel Hong Kong, Frieze Seoul, Tokyo Gendai and others?

In 2014, when the art fair was established, there were already many fairs in Asia, such as SH Contemporary, Art Stage, Art Taipei, KIAF and Art India. While the number of fairs has been growing, some have also disappeared. Over the past decade, this ecosystem has undergone continuous changes. We share a common goal with most fairs worldwide: to build a bridge between international and local communities, promoting mutual communication and strengthening interactive connections in art and multidisciplinary creativity. We hope we have achieved it partly.