Gallery sights in China
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Hong Kong Museum of Art
Southeast of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the excellent Hong Kong Museum of Art is a must for lovers of the fine as well as the applied arts. It has seven galleries spread over six floors, exhibiting Chinese antiquities, Chinese fine art, historical pictures and contemporary Hong Kong art; it also hosts temporary international exhibitions. The seventh gallery houses the Xubaizhi collection of painting and calligraphy. Highlights include some exquisite ceramics in the Chinese Antiques Gallery; the Historical Pictures Gallery, with its 18th- and 19th-century Western-style paintings of Macau, Hong Kong and Guangzhou; and the Gallery of Chinese Fine Art, which combines cont…
reviewed
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Wanshou Temple & Beijing Art Museum
Ringed by a red wall, the Ming dynasty Wanshou Temple was originally consecrated for the storage of Buddhist texts. From Qing times the imperial entourage would put their feet up here and quaff tea en route to the Summer Palace. Wanshou Temple fell into disrepair during the Republic, with the Wanshou Hall burning down in 1937. Things went from bad to worse and during the Cultural Revolution the temple served as an army barracks.
The highlight of a visit to this restored temple is its prized collection of bronze Buddhist statuary in the 'Buddhist Art Exhibition of Ming and Qing Dynasties', located in halls on either flank just before the Mahavira Hall. The displays guide y…
reviewed
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50 Moganshan Road Art Centre
Chinese contemporary art has been the hottest thing in the art world for the last few years and there's no sign of the boom ending, with collectors paying record prices for the work of top artists. Traditionally Běijīng dominates the art scene in China. But Shanghai has its own thriving artistic community, centred on this complex of industrial buildings down dusty Moganshan Rd and edging up Suzhou Creek in the north of town.
Put aside a day to poke around the many galleries here. There's some challenging, innovative art, as well as work that won't last, and there are places to sip a coffee alongside the gallery owners and the artists themselves. A confusing series of si…
reviewed
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Exhibition Gallery
Quietly sitting east of the Luís de Camões Garden is the beautiful colonial villa of Casa Garden, once the headquarters of the British East India Company when it was based in Macau in the early 19th century. Today the villa houses the Oriental Foundation, an organisation that promotes Portuguese culture worldwide, and an exhibition gallery, which houses exhibits of Chinese antiques, porcelain and contemporary art.
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MR Gallery
The 798 Art District (大山子艺术区), also known as Dashanzi, sits in northeastern Chaoyang; see p16. Some of the most important galleries here include Galleria Continua, which specialises in Chinese installation and video art, and Amelie Gallery, a great place to check out contemporary Chinese painters. Head to the MR Gallery for photography from China and abroad.
reviewed
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Galleria Continua
The 798 Art District (大山子艺术区), also known as Dashanzi, sits in northeastern Chaoyang. Some of the most important galleries here include Galleria Continua, which specialises in Chinese installation and video art, and Amelie Gallery, a great place to check out contemporary Chinese painters. Head to the MR Gallery for photography from China and abroad.
reviewed
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Amelie Gallery
The 798 Art District (大山子艺术区), also known as Dashanzi, sits in northeastern Chaoyang. Some of the most important galleries here include Galleria Continua, which specialises in Chinese installation and video art, and Amelie Gallery, a great place to check out contemporary Chinese painters. Head to the MR Gallery for photography from China and abroad.
reviewed
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TC/G Nordica
TC/G Nordica is best described as a gallery-exhibition hall-cultural centre. There's even a relaxing restaurant with Scandinavian and Chinese food. (One founder was Swedish, another Chinese - hence the mix). Do check out Nordica's website for a full slate of performances and exhibitions; most weekends something is happening (though if you wish to eat, at times on Friday or Saturday evenings reservations are required).
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Gyantse Kumbum
Commissioned by a Gyantse prince in 1427, the Gyantse Kumbum is the town's foremost attraction. The 35m-high chörten, with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and its crown-like golden dome, is awe-inspiring. But the inside is no less impressive, and in what seems an endless series of tiny chapels you'll find painting after exquisite painting (kumbum means '100,000 images').
reviewed
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OCT Art & Design Gallery
Just one metro stop from the Art Terminal is He Xiangning Art Gallery.Adjacent is the Beijing Water Cube–like OCT Art & Design Gallery. The focus of this new gallery is on fresh, mainland avant-garde designers. A marvellous collection of innovative design pieces in various art forms is on display. Exhibits change frequently.
reviewed
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Para/Site Artspace
In addition to the commercial galleries, nonprofit exhibition spaces include Para/Site Artspace, the most consistent and promising of the local artists’ cooperatives. This adventurous, artist-run space knows no boundaries when it comes to mixing media. Most art on display is local but there are occasional exhibitions by international artists as well.
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Creation Art Gallery
This well-lit, intimate space off the northeast corner of Ritan Park presents an enjoyable array of paintings and sculptures, with a small area for sedentary contemplation of what’s on view. Of the 20 or 30 artworks – many contemporary landscapes – several are composed by the gallery owner, Li Xiaoke. Prices start at around US$800.
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Pao Sui Loong & Pao Yue Kong Galleries
Due east of the Academy for the Performing Arts is the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Along with theatres, including the important Agnès B Cinema, you’ll also find here the Pao Sui Loong & Pao Yue Kong Galleries. Extending over floors Nanshan four and five, there’s room to host retrospectives and group shows in all visual media.
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Hanart TZ Gallery
Hanart is la crème de la crème of art galleries in Hong Kong, and was instrumental in introducing contemporary Chinese art to the world. One of the most influential and innovative galleries, Hanart shows a thoroughbred stable of figurative and conceptual painters, sculptors and video artists, many of them based in Hong Kong.
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Red Gate Gallery
When it opened in 1991, Red Gate was Beijing’s first gallery devoted to Chinese contemporary art. With its stunning watchtower setting, Red Gate remains one of the most influential art spaces in the city. It’s located on the tower’s 1st floor; you usually don’t need to pay the tower’s admission fee to visit.
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Shanghai Sculpture Space
The No 10 Steel Factory has come to life again with an enormous display of large-scale sculpture pieces, set among the offices, studios and cafes of the Red Town Creative Cluster. The quality of the art varies, but it’s a fun walk and offers an interesting glimpse at one of Shànghǎi’s recent redevelopment projects.
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He Xiangning Art Gallery
Just one metro stop from the OCT-LOFT Art Terminal is He Xiangning Art Gallery. It has an esoteric collection of hybrid Japanese/Chinese water paintings by the legendary late master of modern Chinese art, He Xiangning. Pick up a pamphlet in English at the ticket office, as there are no English descriptions by the displays.
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Room With a View Gallery
Art critic Wu Liang conceived of this trendy space atop a department store for showcasing contemporary artworks and the output of up-and-coming artists. An accessible and successful combination, the gallery doubles as an image-conscious loft-bar where the tried and trusted blend of alcohol and art gets the nod from Bohemians city-wide.
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Unique Hill Gallery
You'd never guess there was a gallery hidden in this anonymous apartment block east of Shanghai Stadium. The changing exhibits are strong on Old Shanghai memorabilia, such as cigarette posters and period photos. Some items are for sale. Check listings magazines or call (they speak English) to see what's on before heading out here.
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Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre
In addition to the commercial galleries, nonprofit exhibition spaces include the nine-storey Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, which was converted from an industrial building and houses artists’ studios and workshops. The best time to visit the JCCAC is during its open studios (refer to the websites for dates).
reviewed
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Ox Warehouse
Local Chinese artists have their own studios near the Canidrome called Ox Warehouse. Once a slaughterhouse, it is now a colourful quarter for artists and hosts avant-garde installations and performances. Between 3pm and 7pm on the weekends the rest area on the 2nd floor turns into a cafe, serving passable coffee.
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Tap Seac Gallery
Housed in a Moorish-style mansion dating back to the 1920s, this gallery is arguably the best place to view contemporary art in Macau, and exhibitions change regularly. Check its website for details. The gallery keeps the original patio in the middle of the house, which creates a light-filled, relaxed setting.
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Art Scene China
Contemporary Chinese art is exhibited over two floors in this lovingly restored 1930s villa. Hidden away in a quiet alley off West Fuxing Rd, the white-painted house's French Concession interior is simple and uncluttered, with a pleasant garden and an absorbing range of contemporary Chinese art work.
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One Moon Art Gallery
Within Ditan Park, One Moon Art Gallery displays thoughtful contemporary Chinese art from a 16th-century-dynasty temple hall, a funky meeting of the Ming and the modern. If you are just visiting the art gallery, the entrance fee for the park should be waived.
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Aura Gallery
This old warehouse space houses changing exhibits by young contemporary Chinese artists and is worth a stop en route to or from the Jewish area. Check magazine listings to see what's on. While you're at it, check to see what's exhibiting at the 3rd-floor DDM Warehouse.
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