Art fair gathers eclectic mix of works

2014-11-13 16:03Shanghai DailyWeb Editor: Si Huan

The work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir featuring wash women in France is the highlight of this year's Shanghai Art Fair.

The 2014 Shanghai Art Fair has attracted nearly 150 galleries from 12 countries including the US, France, Russia and the UK. It runs from today through Sunday at ShanghaiMART.

Established in 1997, the fair is one of the biggest of its kind in Asia with this year's event occupying an area of 24,000 square meters. The theme is "Collecting Art is Fashionable."

About 1,000 works will be showcased including paintings by Picasso, Dali and Zhang Daqian. The fair features all genres and styles including ink-wash and oil paintings, sculptures, videos, installations and ceramics.

With China's economic rise over the past decade, the purchase of luxury items, including artworks, has become more common among the middle and upper-middle classes, says Gu Zhihua, director of the fair's organizing committee.

"China has already replaced Japan as the biggest nation of luxury products," Gu says. "But consumption of art is still very low in this country."

Gu says he wants to encourage people to "fill their blank walls with art."

"The blank walls refer not only to homes but also offices," he says. "This is the first step in nurturing a future collector. Many have the false impression that a collector has to be very rich. Once you have a passion for art, you can also decorate your home with your favorite art."

The highlight of the fair is a canvas created by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) in 1912. Renoir, one of the top French impressionist painters, is associated with that movement along with his friends Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley and Frederic Bazille. Renoir's paintings are among the most popular, well-known and frequently reproduced images in the history of art.

This painting is owned by a private collector in Paris and is selling for 4.5 million yuan.

Art is priced in a wide range to appeal to more people. There are limited editions of original work, small sculptures and ceramics.

The fair is divided into five sections: Chinese and overseas galleries, Chinese ceramics, Korean galleries, European galleries and recommended young artists.

Date: November 13-16, 10am-5pm

Address: ShanghaiMART, 99 Xingyi Rd