Inaugural Edition of China s First Art Fair Dedicated to Photography Achieves Huge Succe

Thursday 4 September saw the launch of the most international photography art fair of the year - Photo Shanghai - at the world-famous Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Visitor numbers exceeded 25,000, over the duration of the fair with galleries recording exceptional sales.

Opening evening. Honeybunn Photography

The response from exhibitors, collectors, Chinese and international press and public alike is unprecedented in Shanghai for the medium, and indeed China. The Fair garnered interest for works from iconic vintage Americana to cutting-edge contemporary Chinese work from world renowned galleries including : CAMERA WORK, (Berlin); Fahey / Klein Gallery (Los Angeles); ShanghART (Shanghai); Pekin Fine Arts (Beijing); Flowers (London); A. Galerie (Paris).

Fair Director Alexander Montague-Sparey, (previously Head of Photographs at Christie's London), comments: The huge success of Photo Shanghai sets a new benchmark in the Asia Pacific region for collectable fine art photography. We have achieved what we have set out to do: To offer international collectors a brand new opportunity. We have witnessed over these four days, an incredible demand for the work we have exhibited at the Fair and we have seen incredible demand for vintage and contemporary work alike. Without exception, the world's leading photography galleries go home excited at the prospect of our next edition. We look forward to offering work of the highest calibre to international collectors again next year'.

David Fahey of Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, comments:

We are very excited to exhibit fine art photography in China and it has been great to see the Chinese audience get involved with photography. We have had a highly productive and successful fair and have sold many artworks.'

Steven Harris of M97 gallery, Shanghai comments:

The first fair I think has exceeded peoples expectations. There was a very good balance in style and diversity of galleries and artists exhibited at the fair. Photo Shanghai has the potential to shape, nurture and influence a relatively untapped market of photography collecting in China and greater Asia. The amount of education and experience thats being learned is immeasurable for the visitors. Im very optimistic that years to come will only prove more and more exciting and fruitful for galleries, visitors and collectors alike.

A high profile talks programme ran throughout the course of the Fair led by world renowned experts in their field, and included curators, experts, collectors, dealers and international photographers. Highlights included The Wall Street Journal's photography director Jennifer Pastore in conversation with Alexander Montague-Sparey, Ruben Lundgren and Martin Parr - the shows curators - introducing the project to a Chinese audience for the first time, New York's International Centre of Photography's curator - Christopher Phillips - exploring the theme of Chinese Contemporary Photography in conversation with artist and Three Shadows Founder & Director, RongRong and a conversation with celebrated South African photographer Roger Ballen

Photo Shanghai is the brainchild of The World Photography Organisation - and aims to establish the most professional and international platform for fine art photography in the Asia-Pacific region.

Scott Gray, Managing Director of the World Photography Organisation comments:

The appreciation of photography as collectable art is rapidly growing and nowhere has this been more apparent than at the inaugural edition of Photo Shanghai. We have been absolutely overwhelmed with the positive response from both dealers and collectors - and indeed the public. We are delighted to receive such enthusiasm from Shanghai and be able to provide this platform for photography in Asia.

The Fair was Shanghai's foremost international art fair taking place this year - and is of particular relevance with the current growing interest in photography and the art fair boom taking place in China. Some of the world's most renowned galleries exhibited their photographer's work and it proved to be a truly prestigious and successful Fair.

Paul Caponigro. Moth in Wood Bowl. 2009 Courtesy of Timeless Gallery, Beijing.

Sandy Angus, co-founder of ART HK (now Art Basel Hong Kong) and Chairman of Montgomery and the World Photography Organisation comments:

It was always my hope that we would get China thinking about fine art photography in this new way. The Fair Director has brought to the table curatorial clout and great expertise to achieve a high level, working with some of the best dealers out there. I am thrilled with the results and response. This sets us up very well indeed for future editions.

Examples of photographers whose work was exhibited at the Fair include: Nick Brandt, Ren Burri, Edward Burtynsky, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Patrick Demarchelier, Yang Fudong, Andr Kert sz, Peter Lindbergh, Steve McCurry, Daido Moriyama, Martin Parr, Robert Polidori, Herb Ritts, Sebasti o Salgado, Josef Sudek and Edward Weston.

The eastern part of the Brooks Range in Alaska. Courtesy of Peter Fetterman Gallery. Sebasti o SALGADO / Amazonas images

The Photo Shanghai VIP programme included a Private Collectors Summit and Forum at which 30 leading photography collectors and experts from around the world, who explored the current opportunities of the international photography market, ensuring Shanghai welcomes and hosts some of the most influential photography collectors in the world. This included a visit to Zhang Huan's studio and a private tour of the Yuz foundation.

Photo Shanghai also hosted the first Beijing Photo Biennale's exhibition: Contemporary Photography in China, 2009 - 2014 , curated by Wang Huangsheng, its artistic director, Director of CAFA and the foremost curator of photography in China.

Wang Huangshe

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