Artworks at the Surge art fair Photo: Courtesy of the organizers

Artworks at the Surge art fair Photo: Courtesy of the organizers

Artworks at the Surge art fair Photo: Courtesy of the organizers

Surge Art, China's art discovery platform, is returning to Shanghai this month.

The art fair, which was known as Affordable Art China until 2012, showcases works from up-and-coming Chinese and international artists. One of the main concepts of the fair is the affordability of the art displayed - all works at the fair are no more than 30,000 yuan ($4,902).

The organizers of Surge are expecting to attract up to 30,000 visitors. "This time we will be three times bigger in terms of size and space," said Surge director Tom Pattinson. "We will have over 1,000 works of art on show, as comparing to just 300 works last year, and we will be downtown in Jing'an at 800 Show. The maximum price will remain at 30,000 yuan but with more works for under 10,000 yuan."

"The works are more varied in terms of price, style and size and we have a greater variety of artists from across the country. Zhao Xinyu, Chang Long, Chen Xi and Li Jinguo, are just some of the artists we are excited about," Pattinson said.

Apart from exhibiting art, the fair will also hold a series of education programs, interactive activities and talks.

The art shown at the fair has been selected by a panel of experts in contemporary art, including Bao Yifeng, collector and supporter of emerging arts, Shen Qibin, founding curator of Shanghai Himalayas Museum, and artist Xu Zhen, whose works have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale and MoMa New York.

"We are honored to count these experts among our jury," said Pattinson. "They are giving their valuable time to help promote emerging artists and help discover the stars of tomorrow."

Che Kuai, a graduate from the Central Academy of Fine Arts who took part in 2013 Surge Art Beijing this year for the first time, said: "I exhibited four works and sold two. Surge Art provided me with a valuable opportunity and also a large amount of publicity in domestic and foreign media, so thousands of people saw my work." Artist Lu Zhe exhibited six works at the recent Beijing fair and sold four. "The quality and results of the fair are both excellent," he said. "I feel honored to have been selected for the fair and look forward to participating again in the future."

Surge Fairs take place in major cities across China including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Chengdu. "It is very exciting to be able to show these great works to such a large audience in Shanghai and to finally bring the fair to Chengdu," said Pattinson. "It is important that contemporary art can be enjoyed and collected by everyone - not just the super rich, not just those in Beijing but all over China from all backgrounds."

 

Date: September 19 to 22, 10 am to 8 pm

Venue: 800 Show

Address: 800 Changde Road

Admission: Free