West Bund Week Takes Art From Galleries to Waterfront

Contemporary art, experimental student projects and a pavilion made from reclaimed timber are among the draws at the West Bund Week 2026, which runs through Sunday along Xuhui District's Huangpu River waterfront in Shanghai.

The program brings together exhibitions and outdoor projects under a theme of everyday life by the water. For visitors, that means a choice between browsing gallery booths, exploring work by young artists and taking a riverside walk between installations.

Its two main fairs, the West Bund Art & Design and Art & Design Education: FutureLab, are being held concurrently for the first time.

Now in its 13th edition, the West Bund Art & Design brings together more than 150 exhibitors across four venues. Alongside contemporary art from Chinese and international galleries, the program includes collectible design, large-scale installations, moving-image works and talks.

The West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center houses the main gallery presentations. The West Bund Art Center features design and installations, while the GATE M Dream Center's M Factory hosts the moving-image section, with works exploring experimental approaches to images and storytelling.

At Orbit, artist Morag Myerscough's "Wonder Orbit" fills the interior with bright geometric patterns, rainbow-colored structures, a carousel and a giant slide. It offers a markedly different setting from the white walls of the gallery booths.

FutureLab, now in its seventh edition, shifts the focus to art education and emerging creators. At the West Bund Dome Art Center, art and design schools and institutions present works by hundreds of young creators across different disciplines and media. Its program also includes workshops and forums, giving visitors a way to explore how artistic ideas develop through teaching and practice.

Outside the exhibition halls, a reclaimed-timber pavilion called RE-TIMBER provides a place to pause on the Dome Art Center's north plaza. Built with modular and adjustable components, it also serves as an information point for the week.

Visitors can use the West Bund Life WeChat mini program to find the event map, ticket packages and participating venues. It also carries information on the West Bund bus service and ticket-holder offers at local businesses.

If you go

West Bund Art & Design

Date: November 12-15

Main venue: West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center

Hours: noon-6pm

Address: 7 Longyao Rd, Xuhui District 徐汇区龙耀路7号

FutureLab

Date: Through November 15

Hours: noon-6pm; last entry at 5:30pm

Venue: West Bund Dome Art Center

Address: 2350 Longteng Ave, Xuhui District 徐汇区龙腾大道2350号

Metro: Line 11 serves the area via Longyao Road and Yunjin Road stations.

Admission: 200 yuan (US$30), search West Bund Life in WeChat Mini Programs for tickets and the event map.