2017.05.24 Wed, by
PHOTOFAIRS launches fourth Shanghai edition

[press release]

PHOTOFAIRS | Shanghai returns to China this September for the fourth year to celebrate the art of the photographic medium.  Taking place at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from 8-10 September 2017, the fair is widely recognised as Asia Pacific’s home for cutting-edge photography and a key driver of China’s maturing photography market.

“PHOTOFAIRS | Shanghai is the most important and prestigious gateway for collectors and enthusiasts in Asia to embrace this dynamic medium in art. Highly visual and conceptual, PHOTOFAIRS | Shanghai is joined by the best international galleries and artists – going to the fair is a fantastic experience.”
Lu Xun, Art collector and Director of Sifang Art Museum, China

—Recognised as Asia Pacific’s most authoritative platform on contemporary photography, and the most international art fair in mainland China
—Ambitious, museum quality presentations will give Asia Pacific collectors and buyers access to artists never exhibited in China before
—China’s most important art collectors share their private collections
—Featured artists include: Chen Wei, Wolfgang Tillmans, Zhang Hai’er, Gohar Dashti, Roman Signer

海报 PFSH2017_flyer

Ambitious, museum-quality presentations throughout the 2017 edition will bring together emerging and established artists who push the boundaries of the photographic medium, and challenge the notion of what photography can be.  With this sole focus on photography, PHOTOFAIRS | Shanghai offers collectors, curators and visitors from across the Asia Pacific region an unparalleled site of discovery.

Strong sales and an increasing number of collectors and buying attending PHOTOFAIRS | Shanghai since its launch in 2014 have greatly supported the development of the photographic medium in China, now the world’s largest art market.

The fourth edition of PHOTOFAIRS | Shanghai will be supported by Porsche as the fair’s Presenting Partner.

© Fan Xi, The Tree No. 2, 2015. Courtesy of Gallery Yang (Beijing)

© Fan Xi, The Tree No. 2, 2015. Courtesy of Gallery Yang (Beijing)

2017 edition defined by cutting-edge photography from emerging and established artists rarely available to acquire in China

PHOTOFAIRS | Shanghai 2017 will feature the new Chinese talent of Fan Xi (Gallery Yang, Beijing); Peng Yun (Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai); Chen Wei (ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, Beijing & Singapore); Chen Qiulin (A Thousand Plateaus Art Space, Chengdu) and Wu Ding (M Art Center, Shanghai).  It will also recognise the talent of established Chinese artists including Yang Yongliang (Matthew Liu Fine Art, Shanghai) and Zeng Fanzhi ShanghART Gallery (Shanghai, Beijing & Singapore).

Historically important presentations at the fair will include: Henri Cartier Bresson (Time Space Gallery, Beijing), Zhang Hai’er (Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong), Robert Mapplethorpe (Timeless Gallery, Beijing), Alexander Rodchenko (Books and Photographs, Paris) and Marc Riboud (Magnum Photos, London & Paris).

PHOTOFAIRS | Shanghai will welcome several new galleries this year – Tasveer (Bangalore) who will present Karen Knorr and Longmen Projects (Taipei, Hong Kong & Shanghai) showing Daniel Lee Postaer.  Robert Mann Gallery (New York), who participated in PHOTOFAIRS’ inaugural San Francisco edition in January 2017, will show artists including Richard Misrach, Jeff Brouws, and Paulette Tavormina, giving Asia Pacific collectors and buyers access to leading American artists never exhibited in China before.

International artists will also continue to be supported at the fair – Lillian Bassman (CAMERA WORK, Berlin) and Esther Vonplon and Roman Singer (Galerie Stephan Witschi, Zurich) will join Lea Jessens (In The Gallery, Copenhagen), Gohar Dashti (Mohsen Gallery, Tehran) and Carla van de Puttelaar and Schilte & Portielje (Kahmann Gallery, Amsterdam)

Fourteen countries are already represented across the gallery list.  The full line up will be announced this summer.

© Roman Signer, Install Shanghai, courtesy of Galeries Stephan Witschi (Zurich)

© Roman Signer, Install Shanghai, courtesy of Galeries Stephan Witschi (Zurich)

Staged: Exploring the relationship between photography and other art forms

Staged is a unique and experimental platform that will showcase large-scale works that transcend the boundaries of photography from artists who approach the medium in new ways using installation art, video and performance.

The program will include a range of works, from renowned contemporary artistic duo Birdhead (ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, Beijing & Singapore) who will present ‘Welcome to Birdhead’ a 13 x 3 m photographic installation through to a special exhibition of key South Korean artists including Won Seoung-Won and Han Sungpil held in the private collection of the Museum of Photography Seoul.

The full Staged program will be announced this summer.

China’s most influential collectors open their private archives

For the first time, a special exhibition will offer a curated insight into the private acquisitions of powerful art collectors David Chau (Cc Foundation), Adrian Cheng (K11 Art Foundation), Thomas Shao (Modern Media Group), and Jenny Wang (Fosun Foundation).

Ranked among the top collectors in China, the carefully curated exhibition from the collectors’ archives highlights the active interest, energy and commitment to buying photography and moving image.

The exhibition will feature works by Wolfgang Tillmans, Cindy Sherman, Araki Nobuyoshi, Yang Fudong and Geng Jianyi amongst others.

Dynamic discussion and unique exhibitions offered in public program

The dialogue surrounding the importance of collecting is underlined throughout the public programming of Conversations and Insights.

Insights | A Colour Explosion is a curated exhibition of museum-quality works for private sale.  The exhibition will trace the influence of pioneering artists such as William Eggleston (CAMERA WORK, Berlin) and Harry Callahan (Robert Mann Gallery, New York) on the next generation of contemporary artists including Jiang Pengyi (Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong), Andrea Good (Galerie Stephan Witschi, Zurich), Shen Wei (Flowers Gallery, London & New York) and Robert Zhao (ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, Beijing & Singapore).

The Conversations talks program will focus on the art of collecting and the role of the private and public museums in developing the photography market in Asia Pacific.  The full programme will be announced this summer.

PHOTOFAIRS | San Francisco gallery applications now open

Following Shanghai, PHOTOFAIRS will move to San Francisco.  The second edition in the city will open January 26-28, 2018 at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion and will feature many of the artists and galleries shown in China.  Gallery applications are now open

©  Jeff Brouws FPH grid, Daly City, CA 1991 Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery (San Francisco)

© Jeff Brouws FPH grid, Daly City, CA 1991 Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery (San Francisco)