Shanghai Biennale
International arts exhibition in Shanghai, China
The Shanghai Biennale was established in Shanghai in 1996 as China's first international contemporary art biennale. It was initially held in the Shanghai Art Museum. From 2012 on, it has been hosted in Power Station of Art, the first state-run museum dedicated to contemporary art in mainland China. Aside from its main museum show, it also includes talks, lectures and installations in various venues throughout the city.
First edition
The Shanghai Biennale was founded in 1996 by Fang Zengxian, then director of the Shanghai Art Museum, and was hosted at the museum for eight editions before switching to the Power Station of Art in 2012. The first edition of Shanghai (Fine Art) Biennale was approved by the Ministry of Culture and Shanghai Municipal Administration and held from March 18 to April 7, 1996. Its theme was named "Open Space" in order to highlight the new opening of the country towards the development of many cultural fields. This edition was attended by 29 artists and displayed 114 pieces of artworks including paintings and installations. Among the 29 artists, 26 are oil painters and 3 are Chinese diaspora artists whose installation works were shown.
1998 edition
The second edition of Shanghai Biennale was organized in collaboration with the Annie Wong Art Foundation and on displayed from October 10 to November 20, 1998.
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