Hans Mayer, owner of one of Europe's top galleries based in Dusseldorf, is back for his second year in Shanghai. He brought one of the late Tom Wesselmann's last pieces -- "A71 Manhattan Beauty."
Hans Mayer, founder of Gallery Hans Mayer in Dusseldorf, said, "Asian and the Chinese people are very happy that they have this fair now here in China, and uh, because normally, they have to go to America, or France, or Germany, or Switzerland, and now also here in China, is a great established art fair."
International art fairs may put Shanghai on the map for art. That doesn't mean Beijing is losing its locus as the hub of Arts at China. But it does mean that Shanghai is ready to join the Chinese capital as a major centre for the arts.
Concurrent with the Shanghai contemporary art fair is the 7th Shanghai Biennale which opened a day earlier, on Tuesday. The Biennale, was inaugurated 14 years ago. Since then it has achieved a high stature that continues to evolve.
This year in addition to Chinese artists, well known Western and Asian artists are exhibiting their work at the Biennale. The Shanghai Biennale continues until November 16. The Shanghai contemporary art fair ends on Saturday.
(CCTV September 13, 2008)
