As Shanghai gears up for its art week, which coincides with the West Bund Art & Design and Art021 fairs, the city’s galleries and institutions are unveiling some of their most impressive shows of the year. With many acclaimed international artists featured, the metropolis seems to be trying to reinforce its status as a vital art hub in Mainland China, and despite recent threats of demolition in the West Bund art district as part of a government redevelopment initiative, the fairs still promise to bring fresh artistic energy to the area. Galleries and institutions are also activating new spaces in other districts, such as the bustling central Bund and the increasingly vibrant Pudong, led by the dynamic programming at Museum Pudong. Observer has reviewed the full lineup of Shanghai Art Week exhibitions and events—many of which open tomorrow—so you know exactly which ones not to miss.

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Tank Shanghai, one of the city’s leading non-profit art centers focused on research and experimental programming, has put together an impressive lineup. Housed in five tanks originally part of Shanghai Longhua Airport—one of China’s first airports, decommissioned in 1966—the center sits in the heart of the Xuhui Riverfront along the Huangpu River. Its architectural structure offers a seamless and unique exhibition experience, guiding visitors smoothly from one show to the next.

In the first days of Shanghai Art Week, Tank is opening a curated exhibition, “Remnants & Pictures of the Post-80s Generation: Generational Leap,” dedicated to the first generation of artists who came of age during China’s rapid economic growth. These artists navigated a new framework of globalization, grappling with the tension between capitalism’s pull and the rigid structures of a communist regime. Featuring work by thirty-five prominent contemporary artists born in the 1980s—including Li Liao, Zhang Ruyi, Chen Wei and Cao Yu—the show captures the dynamic exchange between cultural and artistic production and a rapidly evolving society, nationally and globally.

SEE ALSO: Five Must-Visit Contemporary Art Museums in Shanghai

Tank is also presenting a solo exhibition by the acclaimed British painter Issy Wood, “What I Eat In A Day,” showcasing a selection of her smaller-scale works and offering a glimpse into her creative process. Her moody, dark canvases provide cinematic glimpses of body gestures and fragments of humanity, all enveloped in a dusty pall, with a sense of mystery and impending tragedy that makes them both dramatic and captivating. Each object within........

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