Thinking outside the circle

An upcoming exposition aims to appeal to a new generation of art lovers as well as established collectors and industry insiders, Deng Zhangyu reports.

With Shanghai stealing the spotlight in China's contemporary art scene with its new museums and art fairs in recent years, the city that's home to the largest number of artists and galleries in the country is trying to win back its place as China's art capital with a slew of art events.

The first Beijing Contemporary Expo, the fourth major art fair to be held in Beijing within a year, is opening its doors to the public from Aug 31 to Sept 2.

According to Bao Dong, art director and one of the organizers of the event, the aim of the new art expo is to attract a much wider audience rather than limit its scope to art circles.

"Many people ask me why I'm holding an art fair. For me, the question is more about what kind of art fair I want to present," says Bao, a professional art critic and an independent curator.

Art expos are often seen as an effective platform for galleries to sell artwork directly to collectors. But Bao wants to create something far more accessible, and aims to attract people outside the art world to visit the show by adding elements of fashion, pop culture and entertainment into the mix.