Art walks: Riverside revolution at the West Bund

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It’s impossible to avoid Shanghai’s newest art district (and hell, you wouldn’t want to anyways). Having sprung up over the past couple of years, it looks like the big guns at the West Bund are here to stay.

Shanghai Center of Photography

SCoP West Bund

Opened in 2015 by Hong Kong-born photographer Liu Heung Shing, Shanghai Center of Photography’s (SCoP) unique space consists of a labyrinth of rooms in various shapes and sizes. The elegant architecture and minimalist design make it the perfect place to display some of the art world’s classic photographic works – and it offers a quieter and significantly lower-cost refuge (40RMB entry) from some of the areas larger and showier museums. Previous exhibitions include a retrospective of the work of trusted Hollywood photographer Brigitte Lacombe and a look at German photography from the 19th century to today.

Shanghai Center of Photography is at 2555 Longteng Dadao, near Longlan Lu, Xuhui district (6428 9516).

Little treats

Qiao Space Gallery West Bund

Tucked away behind SCoP you’ll find a collection of free galleries to peruse some classy and high-quality art. ShanghART (2555 Longteng Dadao) holds a large second location here to accompany its M50 bolthole, and Don Gallery (2870 Longteng Dadao) recently opened a new space here. Other spots include Qiao Space (2555 Longteng Dadao), MadeIn Gallery and Edouard Malingue Gallery (both at 2879 Longteng Dadao), all of which offer a range of works from outstanding contemporary artists, making this the perfect spot to get lost in creativity.

Yuz Museum

Whilst the arrival of a number of quirky, stylish galleries have contributed to the West Bund challenging M50 for the title of Shanghai art hotspot, it’s the giants of the scene causing the real stir. Yuz Museum plays no small part in this, with 9,000sqm of space set inside an old airplane hanger. Having previously hosted Alberto Giacometti’s sublime retrospective and the famous Rain Room back in 2015, Yuz seems set to be in it for the long haul as one of Shanghai’s most impressive museums.

Yuz Museum is at 35 Fenggu Lu, near Longteng Dadao, Xuhui district.

Long Museum

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The Long Museum at the West Bund is the impressive sister venue to the Long Museum in Pudong, offering up the extensive private art collection of elusive tycoon Liu Yiqian and his wife Wang Wei. A pleasant 20-minute stroll along the riverfront from Yuz Museum, Long Museum is currently hosting the unmissable Immersive Light exhibition by world-renowned Californian artist James Turrell. Turrell’s exhibition is mesmerising, offering the perfect conclusion to a day by the water. Pricey by Shanghai standards at 200RMB – but well worth it – the Long Museum knows what it’s doing, and it’s doing it well.

Long Museum is at 3398 Longteng Dadao near Ruining Lu, Xuhui district.