Gallery Weekend Beijing (GWBJ) is a platform that unites and celebrates Beijing’s uniquely diverse contemporary art scene. Taking place just before Art Basel in Hong Kong, the third edition of Gallery Weekend Beijing brings together 26 contemporary galleries and non-profit institutions, almost a 20% increase from its previous year. Hosting in venues across 798 Art District, Caochangdi Art District and Tianzhu Town in Shunyi District, the platform is a hugely popular event for the city’s culture lovers – over 100,000 visitors attended last year, which is 30,000 higher than Art Basel in Hong Kong. It should be noted that the audience is also young – China’s gallery and museum audience are younger and ‘cooler’ than many others internationally.
Gallery Weekend Beijing 2019 introduces the new Visiting Sector in collaboration with Zurich Art Weekend, endorsed by Uli Sigg, which brings Galerie Eva Presenhuber and Mai 36 Galerie to exhibit solo shows (Shara Hughes, Michel Perez Pollo) in 798 Art District. The concept focuses on cross-cultural dialogue to galvanise panel and viewer discussion. The Up&Coming Sector is a curated group exhibition honouring emerging Chinese artist, and finally, the Public Sector will highlight large-scale sculptures and projects outdoors to amplify the meaning and importance of showcasing art at an accessible platform for all.