5 unmissable exhibitions at PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai 2017

Acclaimed photography show PHOTOFAIRS returns to Shanghai for its fourth year from Friday 8 through Sunday 10, now sponsored by Porsche (it got fancy), and fresh from an inaugural overseas show in San Francisco earlier this year. The fair, known for hosting cutting-edge photography from the Asia Pacific region and beyond, last year welcomed over 27,000 visitors to see art from 15 countries worldwide. PHOTOFAIRS 2017 expects to host over 40 galleries, so exploring it in its entirety might be somewhat of a challenge. Luckily we’re here to provide you with five of the best exhibits.

Robert Mann Gallery, New York

© Irving Penn, Frozen Foods, New York, 1977 © The Irving PennFoundation, courtesy Robert Mann Gallery, New York

There’s been a lot of buzz around this New York gallery’s PHOTOFAIRS debut. It brings with it an iconic work by photography master Irving Penn – who recently exhibited Irving Penn: Centennial at the MoMA, NewYork. Although well known for his fashion photography, the piece at PHOTOFAIRS, ‘Frozen Foods’, is a still life that transforms an everyday subject matter into a fascinating work of art. The gallery will also bring the works of many emerging contemporary artists, who between them cover landscapes, architecture and abstraction, alongside a virtual who’s who in 20th-century classical photography – including giants such as Ansel Adams and Diane Arbus.

Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai

Leo Xu Pixy Liao-Golden Mouse

Now don’t get it twisted, we know where our loyalties lie. Local Shanghai gallery Leo Xu Projects has been showcasing innovative art at its home in the heart of the Former French Concession since 2011, and this year exhibits at PHOTOFAIRS for the very first time. The gallery will present a cutting-edge selection of works by young contemporary Chinese artists Chen Wei and Pixy Liao, and include a large-scale piece by artist Cheng Ran. The collection, as with most at Leo Xu, aims to push the boundaries of social issues and stereotypes, challenging the viewer’s personal perspective.

ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore

© ROBERT ZHAO, Bee Trap, 2014, Courtesy of ShanghART Gallery (Shanghai, Beijing & Singapore)

Another local who’ll be reppin’ Shanghai at PHOTOFAIRS is big-gun gallery ShanghART. The gallery brings with it an incredible programme of young artists, including a 13-metre-long installation by Shanghai-born duo Birdhead. Also on display will be Robert Zhao Renhui’s ‘Bee Trap’ – the Singaporean artist, ecologist and zoologist is known for his thought-provoking art that captures human impact on nature.

Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo

Taka Ishii Gallery

Japan’s leading photography gallery returns to the fair this year with a selection of distinguished Japanese photographers including Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki – both of whom have had a strong impact on contemporary photography in Asia. These artists captured the intense and rapid changes taking place across Japan during the post-war period.

Kahmann Gallery, Amsterdam

Jing Jing by Casper Faassen, courtesy of Kahmann Gallery

This gallery joins the fair for the first time with a beautiful presentation of Dutch artists working in photography, including the works of Casper Faassen, whose subject matter and technique reflect on traditional 17th-century still life paintings. The works themselves appear at first glance to be aged oil paintings – an impression Faassen achieves through a unique technique of imaginary and physical layers.

Shanghai Exhibition Centre 1000 Yanan Zhong Lu, near Weihai Lu. Fri 8-Sun 10. From 100RMB. Time Out readers get 15 percent off presale tickets with the code 'photofairstosh' through the official PHOTOFAIRS ticketing platform at photofairs.org/shanghai.

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