Below is a list of recommended exhibitions in Shanghai throughout April.

Highly recommended

2024 PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai

The contemporary art fair for photography

Location: Shanghai Exhibition Center

Address: No 1000 Middle Yan'an Road, Jing'an district

Dates: April 25-28

As Asia's premier art fair dedicated to photography and digital artworks, PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai first launched in 2014. This year, it will host 46 exhibitors, representing a diverse mix of local and international galleries, leading arts organizations, and esteemed cultural partners.

Organized by Creo and part of the Angus Montgomery Arts group, PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai 2024 will showcase the works of more than 150 artists, ranging from well-established figures to emerging talents.

 

New exhibitions by art museums

Ages of Splendor: A History of Spain in the Museo del Prado

Location: Museum of Art Pudong

Address: No 2777 Binjiang Avenue, Pudong New Area

Dates: April 23 - Sept 1

This exhibition marks the largest showcase of the Museo Nacional del Prado's collection in China to date.

Featuring 70 original paintings carefully selected from the prestigious Prado collection, this exhibition will unveil 16 artworks that will be leaving Spain for the first time, with nine pieces being displayed outside the confines of the Prado for the very first time.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are masterpieces by approximately 50 eminent artists, including Titian, Paolo Veronese, Peter Paul Rubens, Francisco de Goya, and more.

Established in 1819, the Prado is renowned for housing the world's most extensive and exquisite collection of Spanish artworks, alongside exceptional masterpieces from other European schools of painting, notably Italian and Flemish.

Asking Every Day: Hu Xiangcheng Solo Exhibition

Location: Power Station of Art

Address: No 678 Miaojiang Road, Huangpu district

Dates: April 14-June 9

The exhibition will display Hu Xiangcheng's paintings, sculptures, and other artworks spanning various stages of his career since the 1970s. Additionally, it will present several new large-scale installations inspired by the architectural history and specific spaces of the PSA.

Born in Shanghai in 1950, Hu is celebrated as one of the founders of the globally renowned Shanghai Biennale in 1996.

Following extensive studies and professional experiences in Japan, Africa, and the US, Hu later returned to China, dedicated to enhancing the lives of rural communities. Through hands-on restoration projects in ancient Chinese villages, he aims to revive traditional Chinese culture and practices while fostering sustainable development. Notably, Hu has recently embraced natural and recycled materials in his art, enhancing both his artistic expression and environmental consciousness.

The Last Aristocrats: The 18th Century Masterpieces from the Uffizi Galleries Collections

Location: Bund One Art Museum

Address: No 1 Zhongshan Road East, Huangpu district

Dates: April 12-Aug 25

The exhibition showcases 80 original artworks from the renowned Uffizi Galleries in Italy. Bringing together masterpieces from over 50 artistic masters, including Francisco de Goya, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Canaletto, François Boucher, Jean Siméon Chardin, and Francesco Guardi, the collection offers a profound exploration of 18th century artistry.

Through various mediums such as painting, aristocratic jewelry, handicrafts, and sculpture, the exhibition vividly presents the rich artistic heritage preserved by the House of Medici for the world to admire.

Pictures of China: Artworks by Lin Fengmian and Wu Guanzhong

Location: China Art Museum (Shanghai)

Address: No 205 Shangnan Road, Pudong New Area

Dates: Through May 5

Experience the largest-ever showcase of two modern Chinese masters: Lin Fengmian (1900-91) and Wu Guanzhong (1919-2010). This exhibition presents 200 paintings, sketches, and other works that span the different phases of their illustrious careers.

Both artists studied in France and made significant contributions to the modernization of Chinese art upon their return. Influenced by French art and culture, their works reflect a unique fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics. The exhibition is held as one of the events marking the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.

Print Making • Silk Road: Shanghai International Print Making Exhibition 2024

Location: China Art Museum (Shanghai)

Address: No 205 Shangnan Road, Pudong New Area

Dates: Through May 20

Discover more than 170 print art masterpieces from all over the world, including works by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Kaethe Kollwitz.

This exhibition marks the first comprehensive retrospective of the history of print art worldwide, tracing its development along the ancient Silk Road.

Traditional woodblock prints from China traveled along the Silk Road, spreading their influence to distant corners of the world and profoundly impacting the evolution of print art and technology. Additionally, the exhibition showcases how modern printmaking techniques were introduced from the West to China, fostering new advancements in the field of printmaking.

 

New exhibitions at art galleries

Babajide Olatunji Solo Exhibition

Atunwa: Portraying the Different Biographies of an Artist

Location: Pearl Lam Galleries

Address: Room No 203, No 117 Hong Kong Road, Huangpu district

Dates: March 30-May 19

Experience the debut solo exhibition by Nigerian-born, London-based artist Babajide Olatunji at Pearl Lam Galleries. This exhibition unveils a captivating series of portraits that delve into the collective human experience through the lens of African diasporas.

Olatunji's artistic journey is deeply intertwined with Nigerian history and culture. His work seeks to narrate Nigeria's rich history, honor its profound lineage, and pay tribute to ancestry as a universal aspect of humanity.

By staging seven chapters of imaginary biographies with paintings, Olatunji presents a collective rebirth of characters from the African diasporas, each embodying different social and moral roles.

Tomasz Krecicki: Light as a Feather

Location: Longlati

Address: 4th Floor, No 30 Wen'an Road, Jing'an district

Dates: April 2-May 22

Experience the first institutional solo exhibition in Asia by Polish artist Tomasz Kręcicki at Longlati. The exhibition will showcase eighteen paintings created by the artist over the past year.

Kręcicki's paintings resemble prisms that split the colorless world into different luminous facets, subverting the conventional modes of presentation. Through bizarre analogies, he arranges elements whimsically, revealing layers of meaning beyond the surface.

The combination of paintings in this exhibition aims to evoke narrative potential, sometimes resembling still frames from films, while other times deliberately misleading through image montages.

"Light as a Feather" symbolizes insignificance, mirroring the ephemeral nature of metabolism. It describes the numerous miniature worlds depicted by Kręcicki and is echoed in the "Tissue" series, where daily minutiae are wiped away and discarded.

10th Anniversary Exhibition: 66 Sunset Boulevard

Location: Gallery All

Address: No 66 Yuyao Road, Jing'an district

Dates: April 2-June 7

Immerse yourself in the celebration of Gallery All's 10th Anniversary Exhibition: 66 Sunset Boulevard. This exhibition will showcase a selection of sculpture works by renowned artists represented by the gallery, including James Jean, the Haas Brothers, Felipe Pantone, and Amir H. Fallah.

A Tale of Jieqiu: Lu Yanpeng Works

Location: AroundSpace Living

Address: First Floor, No 7 Lane 819, Julu Road, Jing'an district

Dates: April 6-20

Lu Yanpeng was born in 1984 in Fujian Province. Since graduating from the Art Institute of Fujian University in 2005, he's participated in numerous exhibitions both in China and internationally.

In 2011, Lu Yanpeng was nominated for the FOAM Paul Huf Award in the Netherlands and received the top award at the 2011 Pingyao International Photography Festival for the Best Photographer for his work "Open Air". He was the youngest artist to ever receive this award.

 

Please note that the exhibition details are subject to changes. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Sources: WeChat accounts of above-mentioned venues