SHCONTEMPORARY - SHANGHAI CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR

Asia Pacific Collector Development Programme (CDP) - A unique initiative promoted by SH Contemporary, since 2009

China is now the FIRST largest art market in the world. While most Chinese collectors are still buying more traditional works of art, it is inevitable part of China's development that contemporary culture becomes ever more important for China's new affluent society. The next biggest area of growth in the art market shall be the number of Chinese collectors entering the contemporary market.

However, there are currently very few resources available for non-specialists to understand the contemporary art market in China, and the prevalence of speculation in the market during the bubble has created some potentially harmful precedents.

CDP's aim is to form an alliance with like-minded people and organizations that want to create resources for new collectors to enter the market in a fun and interesting way. For a new generation of collectors emerge, there needs to be a mechanism of support, inspiration, and networking to bring them into a community of like-minded people all across Asia and beyond. CDP works all year round with individuals, organizations, and corporations who want to help the development of new collectors in China to provide an exciting programme of events in China and tours around the world.

Based in China, we aim to make our programme available as a platform for all collectors across Asia.
Throughout the past years, CDP has hosted special collector tours to Barcelona and Tokyo, where invited collectors met with top local galleries and local prominent collectors to get an understanding of the artistic situations there. CDP has worked together with UACC to develop China's first book on collecting contemporary art “Becoming a Collector Part One: First Things First”. CDP has also worked with various banks and brands to co-organize art seminars for their top clients.

In understanding the individual interests and potential of collectors who are associated with the Collector Development Programme, we shall create customized tours at SH Contemporary 2011 whereby we take the right collectors to the right galleries. Part of the programme is to encourage an interest in non-Chinese art in order to stimulate diversity in the market. Galleries from outside of China will greatly benefit from our new approach.