West Bund Art & Design and Art021 Open With Great Enthusiasm But Slow Sales

West Bund Art & Design opened yesterday (Nov. 7), in Shanghai’s arty West Bund, alongside the Art021 art fair and several exhibitions at museums and galleries across the city. Hall A of West Bund Art & Design quickly became crowded when the doors opened at 1 p.m., and attendees appeared engaged, asking for prices, conversing with the gallerists and displaying a sophisticated awareness of the value of the international works on view. Before the fair opened, several dealers told Observer they were hopeful that this year would be better than 2023’s catastrophic edition, as the Chinese market is slowly returning in force after a significant dip. Still, sales were reportedly slow to materialize throughout the day, and few exhibitors were willing to share feedback once the preview closed.

Near the entrance, Gagosian’s booth presented the work of American artist Cameron Welch, who also has work on view at their Hong Kong space following his introduction at West Bund. The gallery also showcased various artists exploring different aspects of abstraction, including Derrick Adams, Maurizio Cattelan, Urs Fischer, Helen Frankenthaler, Cy Gavin, Simon Hantaï, Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami, Oscar Murillo, Albert Oehlen, Nam June Paik, David Reed, Sterling Ruby, Ed Ruscha, Mary Weatherford, Stanley Whitney and Zeng Fanzhi. Blue-chip names were also featured at Timothy Taylor’s booth across from Gagosian, which showed works by Eddie Martinez, Alex Katz, Kiki Smith, Tàpies and Daniel Crews Chubb, who is the subject of an extensive solo exhibition at the Long Museum.

Sadie Coles HQ used this fair as an opportunity to introduce the artists they aim to promote in the region, including Georgia Gardner Gray, who is set to have a show in the city next year. Paintings and drawings by Katia Seib and Japanese artist Yu Nishimura—who currently has an exhibition at the gallery’s London location—were already sold out before the fair opened. Also displayed in the booth were miniature sculptures by Chinese artist Nabuqi, known for her intimate and mesmerizing landscapes; born in the 1980s, Nabuqi recently exhibited at Myuz Beijing and was also included in the “China: A new generation of artists” show at Centre Pompidou (which was facilitated by the Centre Pompidou × West Bund Museum Project partnership).

Perrotin’s booth brought blue-chip names popular in the region, including new works by Korean artist Lee Bae and historical pieces by Matthieu and Lynn Chadwick, who had a show open at the gallery’s Paris location during Art Basel Paris.

MASSIMODECARLO, which operates two spaces in Asia between Beijing and Hong Kong, reported several early sales at the close of the first day, incliding Wang You’s 城堡 Act III The Castle Act III, 2024, priced at $35,000; Bodu Yang’s In the Museum 6:28, 2024, priced at $30,000; a set of four panels by Rob Pruitt titled A Week of Sunsets (Last Week of Fall), 2023, priced at $55,000; and a work by France-Lise Mcgurn, which sold for £80,000 as her reputation continues to rise.

Next door, White Cube showcased a large diptych by Georg Baselitz as its central piece, with an asking price of $2.2 million, along with a piece by Indigenous Shipibo artist Sara Flores, whom they introduced in China last year. By the end of the day, the gallery had sold an early work by Lee Ufan from 1988 for $1 million and a neon piece by Tracey Emin for $50,000.

Hauser & Wirth’s presentation in Shanghai featured an emulsion on the wall by Martin Creed that wrapped around the entirety of the booth’s exterior. Inside, a prime space showcased significant new work by Angel Otero, which sold on the first day for $285,000 to a private collector from Mainland China, along with a small study by Avery Singer and a work on paper by Louise Bourgeois. Among the first day’s notable sales were Philip Guston’s Untitled (Red and Black Book), 1969, which sold for $1,000,000 to a private collection in Asia, and a bronze sculpture by Camille Henrot, Dependent Personality Disorder, 2014, which sold for $40,000. A large-scale sculpture by Henrot is currently on display at Shanghai’s newly opened Jing’an Sculptural Park.

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“We’ve participated in West Bund Art & Design since its first edition because it’s a wonderful opportunity to come to Shanghai and connect in person with our close friends here, the astute collectors and curators in the region,” Lihsin Tsai, senior drector at Hauser & Wirth, told Observer, adding that the gallery had felt the effects of a resilient Chinese art market. “There is great positive energy and anticipation around our new street-level space in Hong Kong and upcoming programming, as well as our artist museum and institutional projects.” These include significant showings of works by Louise Bourgeois. Hauser & Wirth will have a Bourgeois solo exhibition in Hong Kong in March, while the current Bourgeois retrospective at Mori Art Museum in Tokyo will travel to Fubon Art Museum in Taipei next spring and Hoam Museum of Art in Seoul next autumn.

A separate section of the art fair was reserved for Grimm, Karma and Gdm. Karma sold a work by Ulala Imai for $100,000 before the fair began. Next door, Grimm reported early interest in sought-after artists, such as Caroline Walker and Anne Craven, and increasing institutional attention in the work of Peruvian artist Arturo Kameya. Early sales were reported by local gallery Hive Contemporary, which sold works by in-demand painter Yuang Fang before the opening. In their booth, the gallery showcased works by Zhang Ji, whose fantastical, hypnotic abstractions were priced in the $30,000-50,000 range and had opened in a new show at the gallery the day before.

The New York-based YveYANG Gallery was optimistic in the early hours, presenting a selection of young artists from China and its diaspora. “This year, we’re showcasing works by eleven artists, many of whom are being introduced to Chinese audiences for the first time,” co-founder Yve told Observer. “We’ve seen an enthusiastic response from collectors, particularly for the larger works in our booth.”

Berlin gallery Neugerriemschneider mounted an ambitious solo show of works by Andreas Eriksson. However, most other galleries played it safe, opting for group exhibitions of well-known artists who presumably already have a market presence in China. The only truly bold presentation in Hall A came from Beijing-based gallery Spur, featuring an installation and performance by Rong Bao: a whimsical fabric washing machine with a plush star spinning inside, creating a cartoon-like effect.

Hall B also had some notable solo presentations, including one by emerging Shanghai-based gallery Cub_ism Art Space, which dedicated its entire booth to the work of young RCA graduate Sonia Jia. The booth displayed a carefully curated selection of her delicate oil paintings and installations crafted from found materials, evoking personal memories and family trauma.

Also in Hall B, local gallery Nan Ke’s booth impressed with its multilayered staging of works by Lingrou Xe, Hao Zou and Meng Zhou—the latter presenting a large sculpture at the entrance of the pavilion as part of the Gate M Dream Center’s selection of large-scale outdoor installations. The dramatic booth design paid off, as the gallery reported six sales by the end of the first day. There was also a positive response to Hungarian and Vienna-based artist Paul Robas, whose work sold out in his solo presentation in Hong Kong during the last Art Basel. Here, two of his pieces were being shown by Hong Kong-based gallery SHOPHOUSE.

Meanwhile, several sales and works on hold were reported during the VIP opening of Art021, held in a majestic venue in Shanghai with an architectural grandeur rivaling the Grand Palais. The building, with its blend of Russian and Empire neoclassical style combined with Stalinist neoclassical innovations, was originally conceived in 1955 as the “Sino-Soviet Friendship Building” to commemorate the alliance between China and the Soviet Union.

In this setting, a few standout highlights elevated the tone of a fair that, despite its impressive venue, suffered from underwhelming curation, with only a few gems scattered among uninspiring booths—many galleries seemed to approach this edition of Art021 more as a bazaar than an art fair. Nan Ke Gallery created another scenic setup here, using wood panels to stage a dialogue between Xiaochi Dong’s subtle works and Killion Huan’s bold representations of man, finishing the day with eight works sold, mostly on-site. In its return to Art021, Make Room LA showcased a selection of its best-selling contemporary artists, including Yoab Vera, Jacopo Pagin, Christian Quin, and Youngmin Park. Founder Emilia Yin told Observer in the afternoon that they’d had a very busy morning, with a steady flow of visitors already resulting in some sales.

Mixed feelings, but overall optimistic—this was the sentiment expressed by Berlin-based KORNFELD Galerie when we spoke with the founder toward the evening. This year marks the gallery’s sixth participation in Art021; they are also exhibiting at West Bund Art & Design. “China and Southeast Asia, alongside Europe, are our most significant markets, with robust relationships with both private and institutional collectors, as well as notable large-scale projects in cities like Wuxi and Wuhan with the acclaimed Georgian artist Tamara Kvesitadze,” Alfred Kornfeld told Observer. “Our commitment to China and Southeast Asia remains strong even in today’s slower market.” Before the opening, the gallery successfully placed two works by Georgian artist Rusudan Khizanishvili at West Bund. The gallery also revealed that they are finalizing a commission worth over $1 million for a large-scale kinetic sculpture by Kvesitadze, whom they are presenting at Art021 in collaboration with Chinese partner LEO Gallery.

The curated “Young Chinese Artist Award” presentation, featuring works by painter Weng Hang and a pink ribbon metal sculpture by Yale graduate Joy Li, proved to be an excellent opportunity to discover local talent. Nearby, the booth of London-based Saatchi & Yates was busy all day, capturing the attention of Chinese collectors with an elegant painting of a porcelain cat by Will St. John. Other works on view included pieces by Angela Santana and Omar El Lahib, the latter also featuring in a pop-up exhibition in the French Concession district organized by the gallery in collaboration with a local collector. Hive Contemporary also presented a large booth at Art021, showcasing works by prominent Chinese artists like Xiam Kim and Haung Yuxiang. Meanwhile, Carl Kostyal continued to affirm its investment in Asia with a solo booth of paintings by Camilla Engstrom, priced in the $10,000 range.

True gems were on display in the booth of Shanghai-based Gallery Vacancy, which received an enthusiastic response for intimate close-up oil paintings, priced under $10,000, by Spanish artist Natalia Gonzalez Martin. The booth also featured works by Rute Merk, Danny Sober, Hang Ko Wei and Alessandro Fogo. Almine Rech showcased works by artists popular among Chinese collectors and Asian auctions, such as Vaughn Spann and Roby Dwi Antonio, along with pieces by Thu Van Tran and Chloe Wise. Another high-quality presentation in the main hall was David Zwirner’s, which primarily featured paintings by blue-chip artists like Marlene Dumas, Luc Tuymans, Mamma Andersson and Scott Kahn. And White Cube, mounted a compelling dialogue between Bram Bogart and Korean artist Lee Jin Woo, while Carlos/Ishikawa’s booth was dedicated to art star Issy Wood, who currently has a major exhibition at Tank Shanghai.

Despite the clear enthusiasm from local and international visitors and a vibrant art week packed with events and exhibitions, sales activity at both Shanghai fairs this year was noticeably slower than what dealers were accustomed to in China just a few years ago. This trend reflects a local market now aligned with the global shift toward more cautious and measured collecting. However, the fairs are not over yet, and dealers are still hopeful for an upswing over the weekend.

West Bund Art & Design and Art021 continue through Sunday, November 10.