Shanghai Art Fair 2011 Passed the 100 Million Yuan Mark

Shanghai Art Fair 2011 came down to many positive reviews and numerous sales entering the great 100 million RMB era after five days of flowing visits to the 398,000 SQF of exhibition area available at ShanghaiMART.

The Chinese government is the main supporter of Shanghai Art Fair, and this fifteen edition was sponsored by the Shanghai Artists Association, Shanghai Art Fair Organization Committee, Shanghai Media Group, Jie Fang Daily Group, Wenhui-Xinmin United Press Group, the Eastern Shanghai International Culture Film & Television Group and it was organized by Shanghai Art Fair Culture and Art Development, Ltd.

The fair increased its sales with more than 60 million RMB this year reaching more than 130 million RMB or 21 million dollars with preference to pieces from Chinese artists such as Qu Qianmei, Zhang Guolong, SHIH Li-Jen, Tiexie Oi, Walasse Ting, He Xi, and Huan Cheng Yuan.

Western galleries such as the Vancouver-based gallery Chali-Rosso reported strong sales of works by Miro and Dali.

Over 50,000 guests paid general ticket sales of 50 RMB or $7.50 to view the latest from top Chinese art galleries and the inaugural American Pavilion, the French Pavilion in its second edition, the Italian and Korean Pavilion as well.

Alvaro A. Cirillo, Executive Director of the American Pavilion says that the first foreign pavilion to be established in the long-standing Shanghai Art Fair was the Latin American Pavilion, LAP which since 2007 has allowed them to recruit more than 40 international galleries from all over Latin America.

“In 2009 we opened a new pavilion in the 7th edition of Art Shanghai, the second largest Shanghai fair that takes place every spring; in this 15th edition of Shanghai Art Fair and curated by Aldo Castillo, the 5,5550 SQF of the American Pavilion was introduced for the first time with participation from galleries from North America," said Cirillo.

"Shanghai Art Fair organizers such as Gu Zhihua, President of the Shanghai Art Fair Organization was very pleased for the quality of exhibits at the AP and expressed that in 2012 the presence might be larger,” added Cirillo.

Historically, higher sales are with Chinese paintings, including oil painting representing 80 % of the total sales of the fair. More than private collectors, this year’s volume of sales was increased by the presence of investment banks which now are major buyers of works.

Jesus Manuel Rojas Torres