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.... Read more
The best part of the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (MOCA) is the prime location smack dab in a lovely green portion of People's Square. Sunlight and panoramic views pour in through the museum's floor to ceiling glass walls. International exhibitions are the... Read more
A vast art museum, housed in the former Chinese Expo pavilion over in Pudong. Works on display span modern and contemporary periods, and there's also a steady rotation of temporary exhibitions, including lots from abroad. Good to know: it's free to get in, but you... Read more
1933 transforms an old art deco abattoir into a creative hub hosting restaurants, creative retail, design companies, artists, galleries and design and exhibition spaces across four heritage-listed building. Read more
One of Shanghai's best and most visited museums, the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall at People's Square documents the changing face of Shanghai and is an essential vising point for those interested in the evolution of the city. A perfect scale model of the entire city... Read more
Huge, 2000-capacity mildly Egyptian-themed cinema in Super Brand Mall. They've got IMAX and VIP. Tickets are like 90-160rmb without an app and 30-50% less with, depending on the film. It's just ok. Nothing special. There is an ice cream shop right by the traditional... Read more
SGA hosts well-known artists such as Gu Dexin in its vaulted, 1,000 sqm of exhibition space with views of the river. Read more
Located in the basement of a cluster of highrises on Huashan Lu, Propaganda Poster Art Center has a collection of hundreds of original posters from the Mao years as well as a gift shop selling Mao-era paraphernalia, original and copied propaganda posters, and various... Read more
Located in the tough-to-get-to Hongkou district, the Duolun museum is the first state-owned hub dedicated solely to modern art. Spiral staircases wind through the seven-story Bauhaus structure that collaborates with Asian museums to bring in the occasional big name.... Read more
Since its inaugural exhibition, “Peasant Da Vincis”, in 2010, RAM has been on some next-level shit. Nowhere else in the city has such a strong events program or such consistent, well produced shows. RAM has held major solos for some of China’s most celebrated... Read more
This SFC cinema in the Grand Gateway mall offers a mixed experience. On the one hand, they're the only cinema in Shanghai with IMAX 3D, 4K and 4D. Seating is stadium style and the sound is good. Then there is a VIP theater with only 32 reclining leather seats.... Read more
Located on the tenth floor of the New World Building, Madame Tussauds allows visitors to mingle with the rich, famous and (sometimes) deceased. Aside from taking your picture onstage with Michael Jackson you can also walk through Madame's maze of horror. This... Read more
With headquarters in Tokyo, SOSIN Contemporary is an art gallery based in Shanghai's M50 art district and dedicated to showcasing new works by Chinese and Japanese artists. Read more
This gauche, sprawling palace on Nanjing Lu gifted by the Soviets to China in 1954 is tough to miss. Throughout the year it is the home to more than a dozen international exhibitions ranging from ShContemporary art show to the so-called "Millionaire's Fair." Read more
This large Swiss-owned gallery opened its doors on Moganshan Lu in 1996. ShanghART was the first gallery in China to participate in major international art fairs, such as Art Basel. The works may not always be thrilling, but the artists exhibited are always well-known. Read more
This grungy warehouse, located north and east of just about everything in Shanghai, is a vast, endearingly scruffy SoHo-esque loft. DDM offers hit or miss exhibitions that run the gamut of contemporary media. Electronica, indoor smoking and poetry readings complete... Read more
The name of this gallery is based on the Dickensian notion that contained within every city is a beautiful side and a dark side. Two Cities is one of the few galleries in Shanghai (and in China) promoting modern 3-dimensional contemporary art such as wood & lacquer,... Read more
Perched in one of Shanghai's slummier areas is the six-floor brick structure of gallery spaces, cafes and restaurant that is Creek Art. With a new space dedicated solely to prints and their weekly Sunday brunch Creek Art has a brighter future than its longtang... Read more
The Ke Center serves as the official venue for local theater group Shanghai Repertory Theater (SRT). Several times a year, SRT stage various English-language productions, from Shakespearean classics, to modernist comedies of manners, to absurdist provocation. Click... Read more
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