Power Station of Art in Shanghai

The Power Station of Art is a contemporary art museum in Shanghai. Housed in a former power station, it is China's first state run contemporary art museum. Converting the building cost $64 million which was paid for by the Shanghai government.
English Name: Power Station of Art in Shanghai
Chinese Name: 上海当代艺术博物馆
Opening Hours: 11:00 to 19:00 (stop entering at 18:00) Closed on Monday except official holidays.
Ticker Price: Free of charge, but ticket fee is required for special exhibitions
Recommended Visiting Hours:  2 or 3 hours
Location: 200 Huayuangang Lu, near Miaojiang Lu

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Power Station of Art

The museum is on the site of the Expo 2010 and on the left bank of the Huangpu River. It opened in 2012 with an exhibition of contemporary art from Centre Pompidou, Paris’s best-known contemporary art museum, entitled Electric Fields, Surrealism and Beyond. The director is Li Xu. The deputy director is Gong Yan, who was formerly the editor in chief of the Chinese-language magazine Art World.

Why is Power Station of Art So Special

The PSA is an impressive but cumbersome space, a huge building likened by curator Qui Zhijie to London’s Tate Modern. The PSA may have similar hardware to that legendary institution but it doesn’t have the software — the staffing, budgets, etc — to match. Nevertheless, it has accomplished an incredible amount, hosting two biennales, visits from the Warhol museum and the Centre Pompidou, and, in 2014, a memorable Cai Guo-qiang solo show.

Launched in 1996, it is the most influential biennial contemporary art exhibition in China with the longest history, and also one of the most important biennales in Asia. Shanghai Biennale focuses on the interwoven relationship among urban culture, contemporary art and the public. Since 2012, Power Station of Art has become the new home to this international biennale.

Date: 2018.11.10 – 2019.3.10
Theme: Proregress – Art in an Age of Historical Ambivalence
Description: The curators deem that contemporary art is a witness of current ambivalence. It reflects disputes and anxieties in contemporary society and help people to adapt to it. This biennale will provide a framework to dig deeply into mankind’s role in society.

Date: 2016.11.11 – 2017.3.12
Theme: WHY NOT ASK AGAIN
Description: This theme is inspired by an Indian movie about proposals and refutations, arguments and counter-arguments. The 11th Shanghai Biennale provides the public with a thinking matrix of artistry, literature, and philosophy. 

Date: 2014.11.01 – 2015.5.29
Theme: SOCIAL FACTORY
Description: This year’s exhibition centers on the characteristics of “social production” and the components of “social facts”. \

Date: 2012.10.02 – 2013.3.31
Theme: REACTIVATION
Description: Given the history of PSA as a power station, the 9th exhibition, also the opening show of PSA, is themed with “Reactivation”, which means to regenerate for the contemporary art.

Useful Travel Tips

It is suggested that visitors rent an audio guide machine for the purpose of learning more about the exhibits, and it is available on the information desk on the 1F. The guide device costs CNY 20 and a deposit of CNY 200 is needed. Or QR code designed by the museum for the exhibits can be used for a guide.

How to Get to Power Station of Art

Other Famous Attractions in Shanghai

• Mosque in Shanghai
• Church in Shanghai
• Guyi Garden
• Former Residence of Zhou Enlai
• Huangpu River Night Cruise
• Sinan Road

Edited by Lynette Fu/ 付云锐