Art markets with potential

The exhibition Zhongguo 2185 hosted by the Sadie Coles HQ gallery has sparked interest in contemporary Chinese art in London. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A British art dealer says the audience for contemporary art in China is growing fast, especially in art hubs like Beijing and Shanghai, both of which she feels are 'accessible, receptive and open'. Lin Qi reports.

British dealer Sadie Coles, 54, is recognized as a "legend" and "highflier" in the highly competitive art market. The gallery owner from London says the drive, excitement and potential she feels about Shanghai reminds her of Berlin in the 1990s.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German capital was a flourishing art market, and a gathering of galleries and international artists pushed it to the forefront of the contemporary art world.

So it is with the art market in Shanghai, which Coles describes as "solid and serious".

"Shanghai has many private institutions and initiatives that offer a variety of platforms for artists, for exhibitions and for audiences," Coles says in an email interview.

She adds the audience is "engaged and highly inquisitive".

Coles' impression is based on her experiences at West Bund Art & Design.