Artforum Review | Best New Art Spaces in 2016

Fiona He, Artforum, February 5, 2017

Capsule Shanghai is pleased to be mentioned on Artforum China among one of the Best New Art Spaces in China in 2016: 

 

"Undoubtedly, the debut of any new gallery is defining to its image and artistic taste. "When We Become Us", the opening exhibition of Capsule Shanghai showcases eight internationally active young and mid-career artists, embodying the international perspective of the gallery. Established in a villa with courtyard in the French Concession, the gallery’s international perspective reflects how its geographical and historical location echoes with the metropolitan identity of Shanghai. As the Chinese and the English titles of the exhibition suggest, the viewers’ reflection on their own conditions is guided by the way they see and think about artworks and the emergence of their sense of „self” in the encounter with „the others”. Using many art forms, the participating artists have not only explored extensively the validation of the sense of „self”, but also used their own experiences to conduct discourses about body, gender, the clash of science/technology with traditions, as well as about systematized art, thus creating a vista of varied coexisting identities in the globalization process. Through "When We Become Us", it is evident that Capsule Shanghai sees itself more than just a platform for artistic experiments of media, but an open space for a much broader range of issues in current society." -- Fiona He

 

Other nominees of the "Best of 2016" article on Artforum are You Space and Extra Space of the Frank F. Yang’s Art and Education Foundation (Shenzhen), International Residence 12 (Beijing), Salt Projects (Beijing) and Bonacon gallery (Guangzhou). 

 

Fiona He’s essay, translated from the Chinese by Eva Zhao and originally published on ARTFORUM website.