Shanghai Biennale
Encyclopedia
The Shanghai Biennale is the highest-profile contemporary art event in the city and the most established art biennale in China.
Aside from its main museum show, it also includes talks, lectures and installations in various venues throughout the city.
Shanghai Art Museum
usually beginning in September.
There is a different theme every edition: "Open Space" (1996), "Inheritance and Exploration" (1998), "Spirit of Shanghai" (2000), "Urban Creation" (2002), "Techniques of the Visible" (2004), "Hyper Design" (2006), "Translocalmotion" (2008) and "Rehearsal" (2010).
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The theme was "Rehearsal" and the show included an unprecedented amount of performance art. It was also divided into “acts,” as if it were a play. As in past years, it was heavy on conceptual art.
All three curators were from China. They included Fan Di’an, director of the National Art Museum of China
, and Gao Shiming, a professor at the China Academy of Art
in Hangzhou.
One of the highlights was a giant merry-go-round outside the museum's front doors, which was part of Wang Mai's "Oil Monsters" series.
Aside from its main museum show, it also includes talks, lectures and installations in various venues throughout the city.
History
The Biennale began in 1996. It has been held every two years since then at theShanghai Art Museum
Shanghai Art Museum
The Shanghai Art Museum is an art museum in the city of Shanghai, China. It is located in the former clubhouse building of the Today, it is the home of the Shanghai biennial and stands adjacent to People's Square...
usually beginning in September.
There is a different theme every edition: "Open Space" (1996), "Inheritance and Exploration" (1998), "Spirit of Shanghai" (2000), "Urban Creation" (2002), "Techniques of the Visible" (2004), "Hyper Design" (2006), "Translocalmotion" (2008) and "Rehearsal" (2010).
The 2000 Edition
This was the first edition to include new media, and international artists and curators. It was also the first to gain global critical attention. The curatorial team was headed by Hou HanruHou Hanru
Hou Hanru is a Chinese art curator and critic who lives in United States since 2006.He received degrees from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and moved from China in 1990. He lived 16 years in France before moving to America in 1990...
.
The 2010 Edition
The 2010 Biennale opened in October and will run until January 2011. It includes about 50 artists, about a third of whom are from China.The theme was "Rehearsal" and the show included an unprecedented amount of performance art. It was also divided into “acts,” as if it were a play. As in past years, it was heavy on conceptual art.
All three curators were from China. They included Fan Di’an, director of the National Art Museum of China
National Art Museum of China
The National Art Museum of China, or NAMOC is located at 1 Wusi Ave, Dongcheng District of Beijing, People's Republic of China. It is one of the largest art museums in China. The construction of the museum started in 1958, and concluded in 1962. It has a total land area of 30,000 square meters...
, and Gao Shiming, a professor at the China Academy of Art
China Academy of Art
China Academy of Art is the highest university of art in China. It was founded in Hangzhou in 1928 by the government of Republic of China.-Introduction:...
in Hangzhou.
One of the highlights was a giant merry-go-round outside the museum's front doors, which was part of Wang Mai's "Oil Monsters" series.