survey_22 — Contemporary Art Galleries of China
1. ShanghART Gallery — 香格纳画廊 (Shanghai, 1996)
The first internationally recognised gallery in mainland China: the Chinese gallery market begins with it.
- Pioneer— it opened in a hotel on the Shanghai waterfront, when there was still no gallery system in the country.
- Circle of artists — from the classics of contemporary Chinese art to young artists.
- Spaces — several halls in Shanghai and a branch in Beijing.
No images: photography of the premises is not published in open sources. Sources: shanghartgallery.com · press on the gallery system
2. Long March Space — 长征空间 (Beijing, 2002)
A gallery that grew out of an art project: from the Long March to one of the principal venues of 798.
- From project to institution — it began with a years-long journey by artists across the country.
- Scale — large halls in 798 for big installations and solo exhibitions.
- Generations — work with the artists who defined Chinese art in the 1990s and 2000s.
3. Platform China — 站台中国 (Beijing, 2005)
A gallery-platform with a research programme: exhibitions, an archive and work with young artists.
- Double role — a commercial gallery and a venue for curatorial projects at once.
- Young artists — early shows by artists who later became prominent.
- Address — the 798 district, industrial halls with concrete walls.
No images: photography of the premises is not published in open sources. Sources: platformchina.org · press
4. Magician Space — 魔金石空间 (Beijing, 2008)
A gallery of experiment: conceptual projects that are hard to sell but important to show.
- Conceptual line — a commitment to research-driven projects and writing.
- Young scene — early exhibitions by artists working with video and objects.
- District — a space in 798, off the main thoroughfare halls.
No images: photography of the premises is not published in open sources. Sources: magicianspace.com · press
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5. White Space — 空白空间 (Beijing, 2004)
The first gallery devoted entirely to young Chinese artists.
- A bet on the young — from the outset the programme was built around a new generation rather than market names.
- A large hall — the move to Caochangdi provided a thousand square metres for installation.
- A second space — a second hall opened in Shunyi in the 2020s.
No images: photography of the premises is not published in open sources. Sources: white-space.com · press
6. INKstudio — 墨斋 (Beijing, 2011)
A gallery specialising in contemporary ink: it turned a “traditional” medium into a subject of the current market.
- A single medium — the programme is built entirely around ink and its contemporary continuation.
- Research — catalogues, an archive and scholarly work on each artist.
- International — the gallery’s exhibitions are regularly held in the United States and Europe.
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7. Tang Contemporary Art — 当代唐人艺术中心 (Beijing, 1997)
One of the largest galleries in the region: branches from Beijing to Bangkok and Seoul.
- Network — halls in Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Seoul under a single programme.
- Scale of exhibitions — large solo presentations with catalogues.
- Market — work with the auction segment and international collectors.
No images: photography of the premises is not published in open sources. Sources: tangcontemporary.com · press
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8. Galerie Urs Meile — 麦勒画廊 (Lucerne, 1992 / Beijing, 2006)
A Swiss gallery that was among the first to open a permanent space in Beijing.
- Two countries — the programme is built as a dialogue between Lucerne and Beijing.
- Early entry — the gallery came to China when there were almost no Western venues here.
- Artists — long relationships with artists shown in Europe and China at the same time.
9. Hive Center for Contemporary Art — 蜂巢当代艺术中心 (Beijing, 2013)
A young, large-scale gallery with a strong curatorial programme and big halls in 798.
- Curatorial projects — thematic exhibitions on a par with solo shows.
- Research into tradition — projects on the link between old painting and contemporary practice.
- Generation — work with artists born in the 1980s and 1990s.
No images: photography of the premises is not published in open sources. Sources: hiveartcenter.com · press
10. MadeIn Gallery — 没顶画廊 (Shanghai, 2014)
An artist’s gallery: founded by an artist and run as an extension of his own practice.
- An artist’s gallery — opened by the artist Xu Zhen together with colleagues from his collective.
- Art about media — video, installation, digital practices and irony about the market.
- Shanghai — a venue in the city’s new art district.
