There is no doubt that to understand art lovers’ demands is crucial for creating the best museum experiences. Today, museum visitors are not only interested in admiring exquisite art or going to beautifully curated exhibitions, but they are also sensitive to non-art related museum experiences, such as leisure activities and catering services. Traditionally, art institutions are open daily from around 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but recently in Shanghai, many art museums extend their opening hours in selected days for visitors to dwell in the spaces longer and enhance their emotional connection to the institution. A trip to the museum has become one of the many nightly entertainments in the city.
1. HOW Art Museum
Opened in 2017, HOW Art Museum (Shanghai) is the first night museum in China. Apart from hosting art exhibitions, the museum offers all kinds of cultural activities, including HOW Art Camp, HOW Lecture, HOW Families, HOW Workshop, HOW Event and more. Beside succeeding in the arts sector, they also branched into the hospitality industry and the institution itself is connected to Onehome Art Hotel.
As an art institution with evening hours, they tapped on the public’s yearn for night activities and created opportunities for them to interact with art after working hours. This summer, renowned American contemporary visual artist Daniel Arsham is presenting his first solo exhibition, “Perpetual Present” at HOW. Audience can sign up for a “Night Travel” event to make a tour to the show guided by curators.
▲View of Daniel Arsham’s solo exhibition “Perpetual Present” at HOW Art Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of HOW.
Address: NO 1, Lane 2277, Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, China
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday 1:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.; Saturday to Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
2. PowerLong Museum
PowerLong is a private art museum based in Shanghai with exhibits centred on modern and contemporary art. This summer, the institution is dedicated to, as they said, “Letting people come to their exhibition in a cool way” by extending their hours late into the night in summer. Visitors could enjoy four different current shows in the space, one of which features a group exhibition, “One If by land”. Other attractions include an immersive exhibition, “The Eyes of My Universe”; a permanent Chinese painting and calligraphy exhibition, “Shucang’s collection”; and an interactive media exhibition “MOTSE: Over and Over Again”.
▲View of group exhibition “One If by land” at PowerLong Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of PowerLong.
▲View of immersive exhibition “The Eyes of My Universe” at PowerLong Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of PowerLong.
▲View of permanent Chinese painting and calligraphy exhibition “Shucang’s collection” at PowerLong Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of PowerLong.
▲View of interactive media exhibition “MOTSE: Over and Over Again” at PowerLong Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of PowerLong.
Address: No.3055 Caobao Road, Minhang District, Shanghai
Opening hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. last entry); Tuesday to Friday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
3. Fosun Foundation
Located in the Bund Finance centre, Fosun Foundation (Shanghai) is a non-profit organisation launched by the Fosun Group and Fosun Foundation. It offers exhibitions centred on contemporary art, and a variety of educational programs. In addition to daily events, such as seminars, forums and film screenings, its opening hours are until 8:00 p.m. on every Thursday and Saturday, giving opportunities for audiences to enjoy their downtime in the art world.
▲Fosun Foundation’s inner space
Currently, the centre’s most popular art show is Italian artist Giovanni Ozzola and Chinese artist Yang Fudong’s dual solo exhibitions. The dual solo’s exhibits echo Shanghai’s civilisational history, and play with the theme of adventurous exploration by displaying works specific visual cues, such as horizons and lines of sight.
▲View of of Giovanni Ozzola and Yang Fudong Dual Solo Exhibitions at Fosun Foundation, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of Fosun.
Address: 600 Zhongshan East 2nd Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (last admission at 5:30 p.m.); Admission extended until 8:00 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday evening
4.Yuz Museum
Founded by Budi Tek, a Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur, philanthropist and art collector, Yuz Museum is committed to promote contemporary art and to deepen the public’s understanding of contemporary art. The institution closes at 9:00 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday, offering ample time for visitors to dwell in the place.
At present, they are hosting a solo exhibition “Duet” of Chinese artist Tan ping’s work. The monograph is a retrospective anthology of the artist’s creative career for the past 35 years.
▲View of of Tan ping’s solo exhibition “Duet” at Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of Yuz.
Working with another artist, Alcantara, Yuz is also organising an exhibition, “Nine Journeys Through Time”. The show aims to let visitors perceive different time and spaces through interacting with the artist’s works.
▲View of of the exhibition “Nine Journeys Through Time” at Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of Yuz.
Address: No.35 Fenggu Road, West Bund, Shanghai
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
5. Shanghai Himalayas Museum
Founded in 2005, Shanghai Himalayas Museum focuses on art exhibition, collection, education, research and academic exchanges. Every weekend, the institution extends its opening hour until 9:00 p.m.. Presently at Himalayas are two exhibitions: the ONE PIECE anime exhibition, “Hello, ONE PIECE” and the new media art exhibition, “Expect the Unexpected”.
▲View of of the exhibition “Expect the Unexpected” at Shanghai Himalayas Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of the Artist and Himalayas.
▲View of of the exhibition “Hello, ONCE PIECE” at Shanghai Himalayas Museum, Shanghai, China, 2019. Courtesy of the Artist and Himalayas.
Address: 3-4F, No.869 Yinghua Road, Pudong, Shanghai, China
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Saturday to Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
6. Chi K11 Art Museum (Shanghai)
Established in 2013, Chi K11 art museum (Shanghai) was created with the aim to connect art with the masses. They provide a wide range of programs, such as exhibitions, art forums, educational schemes and a unique experience called Artist Klub. The venue opens till 8:00 p.m. every day, creating a space in the Chi 11 shopping mall for people to enjoy nights packed with cultural activities.
At the moment, Chi K11 presents Chinese artist Lu Pingyuan’s solo exhibition “Kola”. The show displays the artist’s past and present works in a cave-like environment, and stresses the importance of his explorations of materials and different media.
▲Lu Pingyuan, “Look! I’m Picasso!”, 2019, Acrylic on canvas, 141 ×112cm. Courtesy of Chi K11.
In addition to what had been mentioned above, there are many other art museums opening at night in the city, such as the Shanghai Museum of Glass and Aurora Museum. In a busy city, most people do not have time to see exhibitions during standard working hours. Public spaces in the weekends are also very crowded, limiting people’s choices of activities if they want to take a break and enjoy their leisure time. These “night museums” offer the perfect alternative for people seeking a different sort of nightlife, while also creating more opportunities for new audience to interact with art. In addition, other businesses such as restaurant, cafe and bar in museums could also benefit from a bigger demographic.
▲Shanghai city view
As Financial Times pointed out: “The 24-hour city has always been more of a phrase than a fact…but the least excusable mismatch between the ideal and the reality is the nightly recession of culture.” In the metropolis where food and alcohol are people’s usual nightlife essentials, engaging with culture and art is a new and attractive addition to their list. The creation of a different sort of nightlife experience is also a signal of how cities accommodate diverse paces of life. “Night museums” are an innovative solution to city dwellers’ yearn for exciting night experiences, need for alternative public spaces, and desire to visit art exhibitions inaccessible to them during working hours.
