Listings of Shanghai's Best Contemporary Art Galleries

I did a course led by Sheila Greenspan, a visiting art educator from Canada, through Eastlink Gallery. The five-week course led us around some of the best contemporary art and photography galleries in Shanghai to teach us how to appreciate contemporary art. The following list incorporates the galleries we visited throughout the course as well as others that are recommended. While there are many more galleries in Shanghai than the ones listed below, this list offers an excellent introduction to Shanghai's contemporary art scene and is a useful guide for a visitor seeking to tour some of the most preeminent galleries.

The list is presented alphabetically.

01 of 09

artCN

This small contemporary gallery in Shanghai's Suzhou Creek district showcases various artists, many who live and work in Shanghai. The owner and curator of the gallery takes great care in presenting artists' work and is extremely approachable if you have questions or inquiries. Shows rotate every few months so there's usually something new to see.

Address: Guangfu Road 423 (near Suzhou Creek), Shanghai | 上海光复路423号
Tel: +86 136 0162 2322
Website: artCN

02 of 09

Art Labor

© 2012 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com.

Art Labor is another gallery in Shanghai's former French Concession. The gallery is rather large and showcases a number of different artists both from China and abroad.

Address: #411, Bldg 4, 570 Yongjia Lu | 永嘉路570号4号楼＃411
Tel: +86 21 3460 5331
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11am-7pm, Sunday 12-6pm, Closed Mondays
Website: Art Labor Gallery

03 of 09

Eastlink Gallery

Eastlink is a smaller gallery tucked up inside one of the m50 Moganshan Road warehouses. It is a large space but shows are typically small. You may miss the industrial elevator that will creakily take you to the fifth floor but do look for it as the stairs hold a long and arduous journey.

Address: 5/F, Bldg 6, 50 Moganshan Road, near Changhua Road | 莫干山路50号6号楼5楼, 近昌化路
Tel: +86 21 6276 9932
Opening Hours: Daily 10am-7pm

04 of 09

James Cohan Gallery

James Cohan is another gallery in Shanghai's former French Concession. The gallery showcases contemporary artists from China and abroad. The special thing about the gallery is that it is housed on the first floor of a former villa. Down a lane, you enter through the garden and can enjoy the building and its surroundings, as well as the art.

Address: 1/F Building 1, No.1 Lane, 170 Yue Yang Road | 岳阳路170号1弄1号楼1楼
Tel: +86 21 5466 0825
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12-6pm, Mondays by appointment
Website: James Cohan Gallery

Continue to 5 of 9 below.

05 of 09

Leo Xu Projects

Leo Xu Projects is a small gallery in Shanghai's former French Concession. Mr. Xu curates the shows himself.

Address: Lane 49, Building 3, Fuxing Xi Road | 复兴西路49弄3号
Tel: +86 21 3461 1245
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12-6pm, Closed Mondays
Website: Leo Xu Projects Gallery

06 of 09

M97

M97 shows photography exclusively. They deal in some of the most noteworthy Chinese photographers as well as other contemporary photographers.

Address: No. 97 Moganshan Road, 2nd floor | 莫干山路97号2楼, 近昌化路
Tel: +86 21 6266 1597
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12-6pm, Closed Mondays
Website: M97 Gallery

07 of 09

shanghART H-Space Gallery

Opened in 1996, shanghART gallery was one of the first contemporary art galleries in Shanghai. It is now thought to be one of the most important galleries showcasing many famous and up-and-coming artists.

Address: Building 18, 50 Moganshan Road, near Changhua Road | 莫干山路50号18号楼, 近昌化路
Tel: +86 21 6276 3275
Opening Hours: Daily 1-6pm
Website: shanghART Gallery

08 of 09

Rockbund Art Museum (RAM)

At the northern end of the Bund, Rockbund Art Museum is a great place to see contemporary, often collaborative, art in a superb setting.

Address: 20 Huqiu Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai | 黄浦区虎丘路20号
Tel: +86 (0)21 3310 9985
Opening Hours: varied
Website: Rockbund Art Museum

Continue to 9 of 9 below.

09 of 09

Power Station of Art

One of the few 2010 Shanghai Expo buildings that have been nicely re-purposed into something interesting. The Power Station of Art is a contemporary art museum that hosts some interesting exhibitions.

Address: 200 Huayuangang Lu, near Miaojiang Lu | 花园港路200号, 近苗江路
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 9:00am-5:00 pm (last entry at 4pm). Closed on Monday except for National Holidays.
Website: Power Station of Art