New art museum opened in Shenzhen

The Shenzhen Art Museum. Photos by Lin Jianping

As the first project to be completed in accordance to the city’s plan to build a new batch of major cultural facilities, the Shenzhen Art Museum (new venue) was officially opened today.

Cultural organizations, art elites and technology representatives from China, France, South Korea and Thailand participated in the opening ceremony to witness the opening of this new cultural landmark of Shenzhen. Opening exhibitions, featuring celebrated works of renowned artists from home and abroad in eight exhibitions together with one thematic international forum, will open to the public tomorrow.

A corner of an art exhibition that marks the museum's opening.

An architecture masterpiece of German studio KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten, the Shenzhen Art Museum is designed as an international art palace that integrates art exhibitions, art collection, cultural exchange, talent training and public services under one roof. Located on the city’s central axis and in Longhua District’s Shenzhen North Railway Station central business district, the new art museum faces the Shenzhen Library’s north division, a work by the same designing firm.

The new art museum, with a total construction area of 66,000 square meters, houses an exhibition area of 20,000 square meters, with an artwork storage room of nearly 6,200 square meters. It has 18 exhibition halls, a 3,900-square-meter semi-outdoor area for sculpture exhibitions, several lecture halls, an art book reading room, an art-themed restaurant, and other multi-functional areas.

Journalists take photos at "Shiota Chiharu: The Soul Trembles," the largest-ever exhibition devoted to Berlin-based artist Shiota Chiharu. The exhibition will open to the public starting tomorrow and run through Jan. 14, 2024.  

Compared with older galleries in the city, the new art museum boasts more sophisticated design and equipment which allows it to accommodate different types and scales of exhibitions to effectively meet the artistic needs of different audiences. Each of its 18 exhibition halls has their own characteristics, with those on the first floor, 13.9 meters high and equipped with movable hydraulic display walls, suitable for both large-scale exhibitions and smaller ones with flexible spaces.

The second floor highlights the 3,900-square-meter semi-outdoor sculpture exhibition hall, an ideal venue for large-scale sculpture and installation exhibitions. The professional light film used on the third floor creates a natural lighting environment for the best experience of appreciating artworks. The fourth floor, with constant temperature and humidity display cases, meets the requirements for displaying precious collections. In addition, the museum is also equipped with elevators with a load-bearing capacity of 12 tons and other professional equipment to meet the needs of different types of exhibitions.

French artist ORLAN's digitized artwork "Self Hybridations: Beijing Opera Masks" is on display at the museum.

The museum’s storage room, composed of eight sections, is set with an electric intelligent management system, and a tailor-made environment monitoring system, which enables real-time monitoring of temperature, humidity, light, ultraviolet ray, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and other environmental indicators. In case of an abnormality, an early warning can be sent through multiple ways including WeChat, text message, telephone, and alarms.

An exhibition features Chinese painting.

The art museum, which has been open up to 1,000 visitors daily on a trial operation since Sept. 28, has received nearly 40,000 visitors in total. Reservations are needed for admission and potential visitors can make an appointment on the museum's official WeChat account. It is open for 6,000 visitors on a daily basis.

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