West Bund Artwork & Design opened yesterday (Nov. 7), in Shanghai’s arty West Bund, alongside the Art021 artwork truthful and a number of other exhibitions at museums and galleries throughout town. Corridor A of West Bund Artwork & Design rapidly turned crowded when the doorways opened at 1 p.m., and attendees appeared engaged, asking for costs, conversing with the gallerists and displaying a classy consciousness of the worth of the worldwide works on view. Earlier than the truthful opened, a number of sellers advised Observer they have been hopeful that this 12 months could be higher than 2023’s catastrophic version, because the Chinese language market is slowly returning in pressure after a big dip. Nonetheless, gross sales have been reportedly gradual to materialize all through the day, and few exhibitors have been prepared to share suggestions as soon as the preview closed.
Close to the doorway, Gagosian’s sales space introduced the work of American artist Cameron Welch, who additionally has work on view at their Hong Kong house following his introduction at West Bund. The gallery additionally showcased numerous artists exploring completely different facets of abstraction, together with 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 have been additionally featured at Timothy Taylor’s sales space throughout from Gagosian, which confirmed works by Eddie Martinez, Alex Katz, Kiki Smith, Tàpies and Daniel Crews Chubb, who’s the topic of an in depth solo exhibition on the Lengthy Museum.
Sadie Coles HQ used this truthful as a possibility to introduce the artists they purpose to advertise within the area, together with Georgia Gardner Grey, who is about to have a present within the metropolis subsequent 12 months. Work and drawings by Katia Seib and Japanese artist Yu Nishimura—who presently has an exhibition on the gallery’s London location—have been already offered out earlier than the truthful opened. Additionally displayed within the sales space have been miniature sculptures by Chinese language artist Nabuqi, recognized for her intimate and mesmerizing landscapes; born within the Eighties, Nabuqi just lately exhibited at Myuz Beijing and was additionally included within the “China: A brand new era of artists” present at Centre Pompidou (which was facilitated by the Centre Pompidou × West Bund Museum Challenge partnership).
Perrotin’s sales space introduced blue-chip names common within the area, together with new works by Korean artist Lee Bae and historic items by Matthieu and Lynn Chadwick, who had a present open on the gallery’s Paris location throughout Artwork Basel Paris.
MASSIMODECARLO, which operates two areas in Asia between Beijing and Hong Kong, reported a number of early gross sales on the shut of the primary day, incliding Wang You’s 城堡 Act III The Fort Act III, 2024, priced at $35,000; Bodu Yang’s Within the Museum 6:28, 2024, priced at $30,000; a set of 4 panels by Rob Pruitt titled A Week of Sunsets (Final Week of Fall), 2023, priced at $55,000; and a piece by France-Lise Mcgurn, which offered for £80,000 as her repute continues to rise.
Subsequent door, White Dice showcased a big diptych by Georg Baselitz as its central piece, with an asking worth of $2.2 million, together with a bit by Indigenous Shipibo artist Sara Flores, whom they launched in China final 12 months. By the top of the day, the gallery had offered 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 across the entirety of the sales space’s exterior. Inside, a primary house showcased vital new work by Angel Otero, which offered on the primary day for $285,000 to a non-public collector from Mainland China, together with a small examine by Avery Singer and a piece on paper by Louise Bourgeois. Among the many first day’s notable gross sales have been Philip Guston’s Untitled (Pink and Black Ebook), 1969, which offered for $1,000,000 to a non-public assortment in Asia, and a bronze sculpture by Camille Henrot, Dependent Character Dysfunction, 2014, which offered for $40,000. A big-scale sculpture by Henrot is presently on show at Shanghai’s newly opened Jing’an Sculptural Park.
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“We’ve participated in West Bund Artwork & Design since its first version as a result of it’s an exquisite alternative to come back to Shanghai and join in individual with our shut buddies right here, the astute collectors and curators within the area,” Lihsin Tsai, senior drector at Hauser & Wirth, advised Observer, including that the gallery had felt the consequences of a resilient Chinese language artwork market. “There’s nice constructive vitality and anticipation round our new street-level house in Hong Kong and upcoming programming, in addition to our artist museum and institutional initiatives.” These embrace vital showings of works by Louise Bourgeois. Hauser & Wirth can have a Bourgeois solo exhibition in Hong Kong in March, whereas the present Bourgeois retrospective at Mori Artwork Museum in Tokyo will journey to Fubon Artwork Museum in Taipei subsequent spring and Hoam Museum of Artwork in Seoul subsequent autumn.
A separate part of the artwork truthful was reserved for Grimm, Karma and Gdm. Karma offered a piece by Ulala Imai for $100,000 earlier than the truthful started. Subsequent door, Grimm reported early curiosity in sought-after artists, equivalent to Caroline Walker and Anne Craven, and growing institutional consideration within the work of Peruvian artist Arturo Kameya. Early gross sales have been reported by native gallery Hive Up to date, which offered works by in-demand painter Yuang Fang earlier than the opening. Of their sales space, the gallery showcased works by Zhang Ji, whose fantastical, hypnotic abstractions have been priced within the $30,000-50,000 vary and had opened in a brand new present on the gallery the day earlier than.
The New York-based YveYANG Gallery was optimistic within the early hours, presenting a number of younger artists from China and its diaspora. “This 12 months, we’re showcasing works by eleven artists, lots of whom are being launched to Chinese language audiences for the primary time,” co-founder Yve advised Observer. “We’ve seen an enthusiastic response from collectors, notably for the bigger works in our sales space.”
Berlin gallery Neugerriemschneider mounted an bold solo present of works by Andreas Eriksson. Nonetheless, most different galleries performed it secure, choosing group exhibitions of well-known artists who presumably have already got a market presence in China. The one actually daring presentation in Corridor A got here from Beijing-based gallery Spur, that includes an set up and efficiency by Rong Bao: a whimsical material washer with a luxurious star spinning inside, making a cartoon-like impact.
Corridor B additionally had some notable solo shows, together with one by rising Shanghai-based gallery Cub_ism Artwork House, which devoted its complete sales space to the work of younger RCA graduate Sonia Jia. The sales space displayed a rigorously curated number of her delicate oil work and installations crafted from discovered supplies, evoking private recollections and household trauma.
Additionally in Corridor B, native gallery Nan Ke’s sales space impressed with its multilayered staging of works by Lingrou Xe, Hao Zou and Meng Zhou—the latter presenting a big sculpture on the entrance of the pavilion as a part of the Gate M Dream Middle’s number of large-scale outside installations. The dramatic sales space design paid off, because the gallery reported six gross sales by the top of the primary day. There was additionally a constructive response to Hungarian and Vienna-based artist Paul Robas, whose work offered out in his solo presentation in Hong Kong over the past Artwork Basel. Right here, two of his items have been being proven by Hong Kong-based gallery SHOPHOUSE.
In the meantime, a number of gross sales and works on maintain have been reported in the course of the VIP opening of Art021, held in an impressive venue in Shanghai with an architectural grandeur rivaling the Grand Palais. The constructing, with its mix of Russian and Empire neoclassical model mixed with Stalinist neoclassical improvements, was initially conceived in 1955 because the “Sino-Soviet Friendship Constructing” to commemorate the alliance between China and the Soviet Union.
On this setting, just a few standout highlights elevated the tone of a good that, regardless of its spectacular venue, suffered from underwhelming curation, with just a few gems scattered amongst uninspiring cubicles—many galleries appeared to strategy this version of Art021 extra as a bazaar than an artwork truthful. Nan Ke Gallery created one other scenic setup right here, utilizing wooden panels to stage a dialogue between Xiaochi Dong’s refined works and Killion Huan’s daring representations of man, ending the day with eight works offered, principally on-site. In its return to Art021, Make Room LA showcased a number of its best-selling modern artists, together with Yoab Vera, Jacopo Pagin, Christian Quin, and Youngmin Park. Founder Emilia Yin advised Observer within the afternoon that they’d had a really busy morning, with a gentle stream of holiday makers already leading to some gross sales.
Combined emotions, however general optimistic—this was the sentiment expressed by Berlin-based KORNFELD Galerie once we spoke with the founder towards the night. This 12 months marks the gallery’s sixth participation in Art021; they’re additionally exhibiting at West Bund Artwork & Design. “China and Southeast Asia, alongside Europe, are our most vital markets, with strong relationships with each non-public and institutional collectors, in addition to notable large-scale initiatives in cities like Wuxi and Wuhan with the acclaimed Georgian artist Tamara Kvesitadze,” Alfred Kornfeld advised Observer. “Our dedication to China and Southeast Asia stays robust even in at the moment’s slower market.” Earlier than the opening, the gallery efficiently positioned two works by Georgian artist Rusudan Khizanishvili at West Bund. The gallery additionally revealed that they’re finalizing a fee price over $1 million for a large-scale kinetic sculpture by Kvesitadze, whom they’re presenting at Art021 in collaboration with Chinese language companion LEO Gallery.
The curated “Younger Chinese language Artist Award” presentation, that includes works by painter Weng Cling and a pink ribbon steel sculpture by Yale graduate Pleasure Li, proved to be a superb alternative to find native expertise. Close by, the sales space of London-based Saatchi & Yates was busy all day, capturing the eye of Chinese language collectors with a sublime portray of a porcelain cat by Will St. John. Different works on view included items by Angela Santana and Omar El Lahib, the latter additionally that includes in a pop-up exhibition within the French Concession district organized by the gallery in collaboration with a neighborhood collector. Hive Up to date additionally introduced a big sales space at Art021, showcasing works by distinguished Chinese language artists like Xiam Kim and Haung Yuxiang. In the meantime, Carl Kostyal continued to affirm its funding in Asia with a solo sales space of work by Camilla Engstrom, priced within the $10,000 vary.
True gems have been on show within the sales space of Shanghai-based Gallery Emptiness, which acquired an enthusiastic response for intimate close-up oil work, priced underneath $10,000, by Spanish artist Natalia Gonzalez Martin. The sales space additionally featured works by Rute Merk, Danny Sober, Cling Ko Wei and Alessandro Fogo. Almine Rech showcased works by artists common amongst Chinese language collectors and Asian auctions, equivalent to Vaughn Spann and Roby Dwi Antonio, together with items by Thu Van Tran and Chloe Clever. One other high-quality presentation in the principle corridor was David Zwirner’s, which primarily featured work by blue-chip artists like Marlene Dumas, Luc Tuymans, Mamma Andersson and Scott Kahn. And White Dice, mounted a compelling dialogue between Bram Bogart and Korean artist Lee Jin Woo, whereas Carlos/Ishikawa’s sales space was devoted to artwork star Issy Wooden, who presently has a significant exhibition at Tank Shanghai.
Regardless of the clear enthusiasm from native and worldwide guests and a vibrant artwork week filled with occasions and exhibitions, gross sales exercise at each Shanghai gala’s this 12 months was noticeably slower than what sellers have been accustomed to in China only a few years in the past. This development displays a neighborhood market now aligned with the worldwide shift towards extra cautious and measured accumulating. Nonetheless, the gala’s should not over but, and sellers are nonetheless looking forward to an upswing over the weekend.
West Bund Artwork & Design and Art021 proceed by Sunday, November 10.
