Shanghai's Art Week Invites the World to 'Enjoy Life Through Art'

Shanghai is once again turning the city into a living gallery. From November 13 to 17, the 2025 Art Shanghai invites art lovers, collectors, and curious newcomers to explore a world where creativity meets city life.

This year's theme – "Global Art in Shanghai, Living with Art" – says it all. The week celebrates how art can shape urban life, spark cross-cultural dialogue, and even drive the city's economy. Through exhibitions, auctions, forums, and immersive events across the city, Shanghai continues to define what it means to be a true global art capital.

Since its debut in 2019, Art Shanghai has evolved into one of the most anticipated moments on the international art calendar, gathering over a hundred leading institutions each year and achieving a trade volume in the billions. This 7th edition brings back crowd favorites – West Bund Art & Design, ART021, the Shanghai Young Art Fair, and the Shanghai International Art Book Fair – with galleries and creators flying in from China, Europe, the US, Japan and beyond.

The excitement starts early at the China International Import Expo (Nov 5–10), where the cultural relics and artworks section adds new international names from Italy, Germany, and Seychelles. Auction powerhouses Christie's and Phillips will once again share the stage, underscoring Shanghai's growing influence in the global art market.

During the trade week, the city's rhythm changes – from the gleaming halls of the Shanghai Tower hosting the International Cultural Relics Auction, to the Shanghai Library East, where the International Art Book Fair (Nov 21–23) transforms reading into a full-on cultural experience. Expect 40 global art publishers, special editions like the Museum Overseas Project 3.0, and a Dunhuang Treasures showcase.

Meanwhile, the "Shanghai Dialogues" Forum (Nov 14) gathers leading thinkers and industry pioneers to unveil new global art indices and China's auction rankings, offering a glimpse into the pulse of the international art trade.

Across the city, landmark areas – West Bund, the Bund, Suhe Bay, and Pudong – will transform into vibrant art districts with fairs, outdoor exhibitions, and performances. Highlights include the "Salvador Dalí × City Hall Plaza: Comienzo" show, Bund Rooftop Art Season, and the China debut of French artist Jean Jullien's exhibition in Pudong.

The celebration doesn't stop at exhibitions. Collaborations with the Shanghai International Arts Festival will bring world-class performances by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Dresden Staatskapelle, and the Stuttgart Ballet, creating a seamless "see art, hear art, live art" experience across concert halls, galleries, and lifestyle spaces from Lujiazui to Taikoo Li Qiantan.

And for those who want to take a piece of it home, the "Art Consumption Stations" initiative will pop up around the city – from pop-up art stores and café galleries to "micro art spaces" that blend daily life with creativity.

As Shanghai continues to build its global art ecosystem, this November feels less like an event – and more like an invitation. To slow down. To look closer. To live artfully.