Established in late 2016 by Italian gallerist Enrico Polato, Capsule Shanghai is a contemporary art gallery based in Shanghai's central Xuhui District. Situated on the first floor of a picturesque 1930s garden house in the idyllic greenery of the former French Concession, the gallery works primarily with emerging Chinese and international artists who gain worldwide recognition and push the boundaries of contemporary art. Its special focus has been on artists who have personally and professionally migrated between regions, creating unique trans-national and trans-regional links.
From the outset, the gallery has actively participated in a selective program of major art fairs as a means of promoting its artists within the country and abroad, including Frieze New York; Frieze Seoul; Liste Basel; West Bund Art & Design, Shanghai; Artissima, Turin; Art SG, Singapore; Art Brussels; Art Antwerp; MiArt, Milan; Taipei Dangdai; and Art Basel, Hong Kong, among others.
In 2024, the gallery opens a second location in Venice, Italy, aimed to present its program to the international audience in parallel with the 60th Venice Biennale. The gallery will host four main exhibitions, curated by Italian independent curator Manuela Lietti, and a series of collateral events that activate the space throughout the course of a year. Capsule Venice is located on the premises of Fondazione Marchesani in Dorsoduro, a spacious building with windows overlooking the canal on one side and the gardens on the other. The space has access to a private courtyard and a garden - a green area frozen in time offering a large outdoor venue for exhibitions and cultural events.
