Mapping China: Visual Arts - Galleries

The growing recognition of Chinese contemporary art in the international art market and the acquisition of art by foreign galleries have seen a number of commercial galleries open in Beijing and Shanghai by foreigners.

In the mid 1990s these included ShanghART (founded in 1996) and Red Gate Gallery (founded in Beijing 1991). In China today, there are foreign-run galleries, Chinese-run galleries, and galleries run by Chinese and foreign expatriates. Like their Chinese counterparts, foreigners who run and own galleries in China have good relations with various artists and government officials.

The art that most galleries have focused on is Chinese contemporary art, but in recent years a handful of galleries have exhibited international contemporary art (Continua, Arario, Boers-Li, Vitamin Creative Space, CEAC, and White Space). Major galleries in Beijing include 798 Space, Chambers Fine Art, Couryard Gallery, Pekin Fine Arts, Gallery Perif, and Galerie Urs Meile, Three Shadows, and the Beijing Center for the Arts, located near the Legation Quarter.

• Below you find more info on a number of important galleries in China.
• In the sidebare: click Organization type: Gallery to see an overview of all know galleries in China on this website.