Shanghai has emerged as one of Asia’s liveliest hubs of contemporary art—a fact that is never more apparent than this time of year, as industry power players alight on the city for ART021 Shanghai and West Bund Art & Design.

But you don’t have to tell Lorenz Helbling, the founder of ShanghART gallery, about this development. He’s particularly enthusiastic about the state of the Shanghai’s art scene right now.

When artnet News reached out to him for a list of the shows he’s most excited about during Shanghai art week, he came up a long list of institutional exhibitions, buzzworthy gallery projects (including one at ShanghART itself), and a number of high-profile shows at private museums—institutions he calls an “important new pillar of the art scene in Shanghai.”

“You can have a big influence here,” he says. Many people in other parts of China look at Shanghai for inspiration.

Lorenz Helbling, founder of ShanghART gallery. Photo: Robert Bellamy. Courtesy of ShanghART.

But Helbling’s number one suggestion?

“Walk!” he tells artnet News. “Shanghai has become a great walking city. Walk around West Bund in particular—a dozen of the best galleries, museums, and art spaces are in short walking distance of each other. So is the fair.”

Eventually, Helbling winnowed down his list to a manageable size. See those recommendations—as well as a few of artnet’s own—below!

Ding Yi, Appearance of Crosses 2017-9 (2017). Courtesy of ShangART.

Exhibition: “Ding Yi: Interchange”

When: November 7–January 6, 2019

Where: ShanghART, 2555 Longteng Ave., Bldg.10, Shanghai, China
“Over the years Ding Yi has developed a painterly language for our complex time, avoiding cliches of east and west, old and new.” —LH

Installation view of “Takashi Murakami in Wonderland,” Perrotin, 2018. Courtesy of Perrotin.

Exhibition: “Takashi Murakami in Wonderland”

When: November 10–January 5, 2019

Where: Perrotin, 27 Huqiu Rd., Huangpu District, Shanghai, China

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai. Courtesy of
MoCA Shanghai.

Exhibition: “Mind Temple”

When:  September 25–January 3, 2019
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, Gate 7 People’s Park, 231 Nanjing West Rd., Shanghai, China

“A show about both the state of technology and a state of mind.” —LH

Yayoi Kusama, WOMEN CALLING SPRING (2018). Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts.

Exhibition: “Yayoi Kusama: The Longing For My Love All Began From My Heart”

When: November 7–January 20, 2019

Where: Ota Fine Arts, 2555 Longteng Ave., Building 3, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China

Installation view of “Steadfastly Raise the Standards in Nonproductive Construction,” 2018. Courtesy of Don Gallery.

Exhibition: “Steadfastly Raise the Standards in the Nonproductive Construction”
When: November 6–December 3, 2018
Where: Don Gallery, 2879 Longteng Ave., Shanghai, China

“A surprising and ambitious exhibition about how we got to where we are now.” —LH

Tu Hongtao, Untitled (2017-18). Courtesy of Long Museum.

Exhibition: “Tu Hongtao: A Timely Journey”

When: November 10–February 12, 2019

Where: The Long Museum, Lane 2255 Luoshan Rd., No.210, Shanghai, China

Ni Zhiqi Untitled (2018). Courtesy of Pearl Lam Galleries.

Exhibition: “Ni Zhiqi: Vacuum. Dry Land. Into the Room”

When: November 3–December 30, 2018
Where: Pearl Lam Galleries, 181 Middle Jiangxi Rd., Shanghai, China

“Subtly controlled textures on canvas from a quiet figure behind the art world.” —LH

The poster of Guo Xi’s exhibition, “Peter Passed by Here,” 2018. Courtesy of Vanguard Gallery.

Exhibition: “Guo Xi: Peter Passed by Here”

When: November 6–December 31, 2018

Where: Vanguard Gallery, 50 Moganshan Rd., A204 Bldg. 4, Shanghai, China

Poster for the Power Station of Art’s “Emerging Curators Project 2018.” Courtesy of Power Station of Art.

Exhibition: “Emerging Curators Project 2018”

When: November 2–February 24, 2019
Where: Power Station of Art, 678 Miaojiang Rd., Huangpu District, Shanghai, China

This year marks the fifth edition of PSA’s great program. A challenge for the mind from some very young, promising curators.” —LH

Nalini Malani, Can You Hear Me (2018). Courtesy of Arario Gallery.

Exhibition: “Nalini Malani: 1969-2018_Can You Hear Me?”
When: November 6–February 17, 2019
Where: Arario Gallery, 2879 Longteng Ave., Shanghai, China