Directed by former Italian magazine editor Massimo Torrigiani, the 2011 SH Contemporary is the fifth edition of this annual art fair. According to the online art newspaper Artdaily.org, it will “disclose the world's most compelling choice of Chinese and Asian contemporary art, alongside a selection of Western artists and galleries”. It will take place from September 8th to 10th, with preview on the 7th, in downtown Shanghai, at the extraordinary Shanghai Exhibition Center, and with a joint 4-day programme of openings, studio visits and events, in cooperation with the city’s leading galleries and cultural initiatives. SH Contemporary 2011 will see also the launch of a new section on photography, with specialized galleries, solo shows and offsite round tables hosted by M on the Bund, introducing the first edition of the Asia Pacific Photography Prize, awarded by an international jury of artists, editors and curators.

Mirroring the Asia Pacific art systems in the city that is the hub of the region, SH Contemporary highlights the work of galleries that promote innovative practices and research and nurture the creative movements that are crossing China and Asia, changing the global cultural landscape.It is organized into 2 main sections, providing visitors with a selection of cutting-edge and emerging art, including video, film, photography and new media.

1.The Art Show for selected established galleries and a New Entries section for emerging art and photography galleries, participating to the fair for the first time.

2.SH Contemporary Special Projects 2011, organized in cooperation with Arthub Asia:

?First Issue, featuring Asia Pacific artists who had their first show or important presentations in 2010-2011.

?Hot Spots presents monumental and site-specific works by established artists.

?The Video Room holds screenings selected by a group of contributors.

?The Search project initiated by RogueArt (Malaysia) displays the ways in which Southeast Asian art is categorized through literature, exhibitions, archival projects, the market and the media.

Spearheaded by a dynamic team of curators and producers - Davide Quadrio, Defne Ayas and Qiu Zhijie - Arthub Asia is a non-profit contemporary art organization devoted to art creation across Asia. In collaboration with museums and other public and private spaces and institutions, Arthub Asia initiates and delivers projects through a sustained dialogue with performance and new media artists. With the clear mission of contributing to the international development of the Asian art scene, SH Contemporary will focus on new works by famous artists, as well as on emerging artists and galleries and on international galleries who are actively developing their approach to the market in the Asia Pacific region.

Together with the introduction of new themes, such as the photography section, this renewed fair structure will make sure that SH Contemporary continues to offer experienced collectors a sense of discovery, while creating enthusiasm in a new, growing generation of art lovers and putting the contemporary art scene in contact with a new public to provide a good entry level for new buyers. By visiting Shanghai during the days of SH Contemporary, collectors and visitors will have a sense of the energies that are reshaping the art world, while international galleries will have the opportunity to take a central stage in an evolving market, exposing their artists to a public that is highly enthusiastic about contemporary art.

Courtesy of SH Contemporary 2011

For more details, please visit http://www.shcontemporary.info/en/