Shanghai at forefront of biennale art festival

TODAY biennale seemingly becomes a cliché, as there exists too many biennales around the world.

But the 12th Shanghai Biennale still continues its special city projects that have grown into an integral part of the event, and this year’s theme is “Proregress.”

First launched in 1996, the exhibition is not only China’s most established and influential international showpiece of contemporary art, but also one of the most important in Asia.

The biennale has always taken Shanghai as its primary focus, gathering cutting-edge international curators and artists to explore the ultimate connection between urban life, contemporary art and the public.

Apart from the main venue at Power Station of Art, the 12th Shanghai Biennale will team up with a rich selection of partners of different backgrounds, including the Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Tank Shanghai, Extra Time, Columbia Circle, Sinan Mansion and City Hall of media The Paper. Satellite sites will be set up across several city locations and historical investigators will go out-and-about gathering information from people in the hope of capturing Shanghai’s cultural charms.

The Columbia Circle is a new hot spot on the city’s art map. Renovated from the old site of the Shanghai Institute of Biological Products, the venue will contribute to the 12th Shanghai Biennale by acting as its City Laboratory.

Scholars from different areas, including urban planning and sociology, as well as artists utilizing different media, will descend as “city researchers” to conduct investigation and studies around the popular hangout and its surroundings.

The Columbia Circle will also stage special exhibitions to present all eventual research and creativity-based achievements.