Situated in Shanghai’s West Bund art district, SCôP is part of a burgeoning museum cluster—Shanghai’s answer to a Museum Mile—which includes such renowned institutions as the Long Museum, Yuz Museum, Shanghart, the West Bund Art Centre and Oriental Dreamworks Animation. SCôP aims to be the premier museum-quality venue dedicated to the art of photography in Shanghai.
Our Mission
SCôP’s vision is to showcase both the past evolution and the future trajectories of photography, to inspire local audiences and artists with the new possibilities for the medium presented by international artists and to open up a window on the incredible dynamism which is Chinese photography today for Western audiences and curators. Our programming is guided by two equally important objectives of initiating the general public into the world of photography but also redefining the medium as pivotal player in the realm of fine art.
Our Programming
Showcasing everything from documentary, to archival, to portraiture, to conceptual, to landscape and photojournalism, we hope to offer a comprehensive picture of the medium. Our choice of exhibitions reflects not only a desire to push the boundaries of conceptual art practice but also create exhibitions which are appealing to the general public. As photography is still relatively under-appreciated in China it is necessary for us to take on a strong educational role with texts, workshops, lectures, printed materials and publications to help build both a following for the medium and foster a better understanding of its history and development. SCôP will devote as much as 70 percent of our exhibition space to international photography and reserve the remaining space for highlighting the most groundbreaking and historically relevant Chinese photographers.
Our Building
SCôP’s unique space is the creation of US-based architectural duo Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee and features a number of elliptical shaped exhibition halls—three facing inward towards a triangular courtyard and three facing outwards towards the museum grounds—with gently curving interior walls, high ceilings and crescent-shaped skylights which allow for soft natural light to enter the galleries without impacting the viewers’ experience of the works. The building’s exterior is a combination of smooth rounded forms accented by areas of textured concrete. This daring contemporary design was the centrepiece of the West Bund Architecture and Contemporary Art Biennale and makes for an exhibition space which is at once intimate and grand, with 500 square meters including 92 linear meters of wall space.
Our Model
Functioning as a hybrid of museum and experimental gallery space, SCôP’s non-profit programs are supported by print sales from our gallery department. We also receive support from a number of public funding bodies and have good relationships with major corporate entities doing business in China which can offer project-based sponsorship.
People
Founder
Liu Heung Shing
Liu Heung Shing—not only an accomplished photographer but also an editor of a number of books on Chinese photography—possesses a wealth of knowledge about both Chinese and Western photography. Born in Hong Kong in 1951, Liu apprenticed at Life where he was inspired and influenced by the legendary team of Life photographers of the 70s including Gjon Mili. In 1977, he moved to Beijing where he became the chief photographer for Time and AP—offering a uniquely informed transcultural perspective on China during the Reform Era and in 1989, he shared the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News for the coverage of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Collaborating with publishers such as Taschen, Viking and Penguin, Liu has an array of titles as a photographer, but also as an editor where he offers an authoritative voice on the development of Chinese photography. His publications include China, Portrait of A Country (Taschen, 2008 ) (Editor), China in Revolution, Road to 1911 (Hong Kong University Press, 2011), (Editor), Shanghai, Portrait of a City (Penguin Viking, 2010) (Author), USSR, Collapse of an Empire (Associated Press 1993) (Author) and China After Mao (1983, Penguin)(Author) . In recognition of “China After Mao,” Newsweek, has called Liu Heung Shing, “The Henri Cartier Bresson of China.”
Information:
Address: No. 2555－1 Longteng Avenue, by Fenggu Lu, in front of West Bund Art Center, Xuhui, Shanghai.
Closest Metro: Line 11 Yunjin Lu
Opening Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday, 10-6pm
Entry
Free
