On September 5th, the ART PLUS Shanghai International Art Fair, now in its sixth year, returned to the Shanghai World Trade Center. With the theme of "Diversity and Symbiosis," it brought together over 1,000 artworks from over 100 art institutions both domestically and internationally, marking the first art fair of this autumn in Shanghai. A reporter from The Paper observed that "Prayer," the most popular work from this year's art academy graduation season and often referred to as Chongqing's "Mona Lisa," was also on display.
Unlike previous Art Shanghai International Fairs, this year's exhibition returned to the Shanghai World Trade Center, the birthplace of the Shanghai International Art Fair. Gu Chen, director of the Art Shanghai International Fair, told The Paper, "In the past few years, due to market fluctuations, our booth size was significantly reduced, with a low of just over 40 exhibitors. Now, we've returned to the World Trade Center and have restored over 100 exhibitors."
2025 ART PLUS Shanghai International Art Fair returns to the Shanghai World Trade Center Complex
A diverse art exhibition starting with "Prayer"
Upon entering the exhibition hall, you'll see a crowd of visitors taking photos of a single work: "Prayer," which went viral online in June of this year. The artist is An Qi, a graduate of the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts. In the painting, the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue are applied to the headphones, scarf, and body of a wooden "mannequin." The model's face is covered with the kind of bubble wrap you often see when shopping online, obscuring her features. At the time, netizens jokingly called it "Chongqing's own Mona Lisa."
At the art fair, audiences took photos in front of "Prayer"
"Prayer" was exhibited at the Baizhong Art booth. Ying Jun, the booth's organizer, told The Paper that the work was only on display, not for sale. "This is also the first time this work has been shown to the public outside of Chongqing." Baizhong Art curated the "Rising Star Angel Round Investment Exhibition," showcasing not only "Prayer" but also outstanding graduate works from institutions such as the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the China Academy of Art. While this entrance display doesn't define the art fair, it demonstrates the organizers' determination to seek new developments while balancing tradition and transformation, bringing popular art beloved and sought after by young people to the fair.
Art fair site, Baizhong Art booth
The core of the art fair is the gallery sector, which accounts for 60% of the total exhibitors, including many debutants. Within the exhibition area, visitors can see works by nine young Chinese and international artists presented by Wei Han Art Space; Xiamen Visual Gallery presents You Jingsheng's fusion of Eastern and Western influences; and in the international section, the Korea International Culture and Art Exchange Center has selected seven representative Korean contemporary artists, showcasing the integration of South Korea's cultural DNA with artistic reflections within a global context.
Shanghai style elements in art fairs
As the centerpiece of Shanghai's local art scene, the exhibition of Shanghai School art was also a major highlight of the art fair. Across the exhibition hall, visitors could see numerous art displays incorporating Shanghai School elements. For example, the Shanghai Chen Qi Art Foundation's booth showcased works by renowned artist Chen Qi, advisor to the Shanghai Artists Association, using ink wash to present the contemporary face of traditional Chinese art. The Shanghai Collectors Association presented works by renowned artist Wang Yuanding, while the Meibo Art Center exhibited oil paintings by artist Bei Jiaxiang, who blended Chinese spirit with Western oil painting to create a unique Shanghai School style.
Bei Jiaxiang's works at the art fair
Next to Bei Jiaxiang's work, the Deting Creative booth showcased artist Shao Yuting's mixed media work, incorporating Art Deco elements from the Shanghai School of Art. Shao Yuting used to spend his spare time collecting advertisements, bills, packaging, shop signs, calendars, and flyers from old Shanghai, items closely associated with Shanghai culture and the city's development. Now, he incorporates these calendars, flyers, and receipts into his paintings through a collage-like process. Shao Yuting told reporters that his collection serves as creative material, incorporating these objects into his paintings to create the theme of "dreaming and reconstruction."
Exhibition site, Shao Yuting's works
Hidden within the art fair was a small group exhibition—the inaugural "Revisiting Shanghai" invitational exhibition of works by young and middle-aged artists. Organized by ART PLUS Shanghai and the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Factory, the exhibition showcased works by 43 young and middle-aged artists in diverse media, including painting, sculpture, installation, and video. These artists, with diverse perspectives, explored new possibilities in their "restart" journey, sharing their commitment to both inheriting and innovating the spirit of Shanghai art.
The first "On the Sea" invitational exhibition of works by young and middle-aged artists, exhibition site
The art of entering life, the art of cross-border integration
The organizer told The Paper, "ART PLUS Shanghai has always adhered to the principle of 'art in life,' integrating art into people's daily lives in an accessible way. To this end, the exhibition area also presents content related to the aesthetics of life. Here, 'art consumption' is no longer an unattainable, world-class collection, but a lifestyle choice accessible to everyone."
Art fair site
Art fair site
Beyond the aesthetics of life, the exhibition also aims to explore the integration of art with trends, technology, public welfare, and commerce, creating a multi-dimensional, cross-disciplinary special project zone. Another highlight is a special exhibition featuring works by nearly 60 trendsetting illustration art institutions and artists. The organizers have launched "ART PLUS Shanghai·Gripant," an independent illustration brand. The most eye-catching character in this area is the Fuji Rabbit, created by illustrator Echo for the writer Anthony's essay collection "Spending the Long Years with Anthony," and a representative of early healing art.
Art Fair, No.2 Rabbit
At the art fair, the "Nine-Colored Deer" created by Sugar King Zhou Yi was made of fondant.
Nearby, a display features figurative works by Zhou Yi, known as the "Chinese Sugar King," and stories of minor figures from Chen Hanyu's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival." Zhou Yi, a disciple of Wang Long, a master of the intangible cultural heritage of dough figurine, combined traditional dough figurine with fondant techniques, creating a "thin as a cicada's wing" sugar coating technique and the "edible Chinese painting" style that catapulted him to fame. Chen Hanyu, meanwhile, reimagined characters from "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," transforming previously obscure individuals into protagonists of entirely new stories. His delicate emotionality and powerful visuals have made him an internet sensation.
The fair also features exhibits like "Keeping Work Man" nono, a contracted artist for King of Glory, and "banknote-style" illustrator Hualehuale Stone. Furthermore, the "Cloud Market" presented by Bridge 8 Group offers visitors a highly interactive and therapeutic journey through the world of illustration. Furthermore, this year's art fair innovatively incorporates AI digital art technology to create a new form of dynamic art: "animated paintings," offering visitors a fresh visual experience.
At the art fair, Chen Hanyu's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" tells the story of the little people
"Now we are talking about attracting young collectors and young art consumers, but it is not enough to just shout slogans. We need to present content that attracts them and bring them into art fairs. Nowadays, the works of excellent illustrators are very close to pure art and have better commercial application areas." said Gu Chen.
The art fair will run until September 7.
