Gallery Weekend Beijing 2026 Announces Its 10th Edition

Since its inaugural edition in 2017, Gallery Weekend Beijing has sought to strengthen the curatorial and discursive role of professional galleries and art institutions, cultivate a more vital ecology for Beijing’s galleries and institutions, support the development of contemporary art in China; and build an internationally oriented platform for dialogue, exchange and visibility.

A decade on, the 2026 edition arrives as a moment to take stock of the platform’s development alongside that of Beijing’s contemporary art scene. Anchored once again in the 798 Art District, this year’s programme will extend across the city to sites including Caochangdi and the CBD Art District, tracing the wider geography of Beijing’s art ecosystem.

As Gallery Weekend Beijing enters its second decade, it will continue to do so through sustained investment in international exchange networks and strategic partnerships, and advance Chinese contemporary art through a professional, open, and internationally engaged approach. The 10th edition marks both a significant milestone and the beginning of a new phase.

Academic Committee Announced for the 10th Edition

Elected by the 30 galleries that participated in the Main Sector of the ninth edition, Gallery Weekend Beijing has announced the Academic Committee for its 10th edition. The committee will jointly determine the participating galleries for the Main Sector and oversee implementation of the 2026 edition. Listed alphabetically by surname, the members are:

• Guo Xi (郭希), Deputy Director, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art
• Leng Lin (冷林), Founder, Beijing Commune
• Tian Yuan (田原), Founder, WHITE SPACE
• Xi Tao (奚韬), Founder, A26 Space
• Yang Beichen (杨北辰), Director, MACA Art Center

30 Galleries Selected for the Main Sector

Through a rigorous review and voting process, the five-member committee selected 25 returning galleries from among previous Main Section participants. To further refine the line-up and reinforce a content-led model of practice, each committee member also nominated one Beijing-based gallery that has been operating for at least one year.

Together, the 30 selected galleries will present major new exhibitions, from which the highly anticipated Best Exhibition Award and Boundless Exploration Award will also be selected.

Non-profit Institutions Highlights

The 10 non-profit institutions participating in the Main Sector reflect the breadth and depth of Beijing’s institutional landscape, from major museums to collection-based and artist-focused platforms. Together, they present a wide-ranging programme of exhibitions by Chinese and international artists, spanning major surveys and focused solo presentations that engage history, technology, memory, identity, and lived experience. Highlights include institutional presentations by Yang Fudong and Duan Jianyu at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art; new projects by Zhou Yilun and Ning An at Wind H Art Center; a group exhibition examining how artistic strategies shape and intervene in space at Beijing Inside-Out Art Museum; parallel solo exhibitions by Rao Fu and Tesfaye Urgessa at Red Brick Art Museum; and an expansive survey of recent work by Qin Qi at SONG Art Museum.

Further institutional highlights include Espace Louis Vuitton Beijing, marking its 20th anniversary with a presentation by Jean-Michel Othoniel; Taikang Art Museum, with a major retrospective dedicated to Fu Luofei; and 798CUBE, presenting first institutional solo exhibitions in China by Julien Charrière and Laurent Grasso. X Museum contributes its fifth collection exhibition, while MACA Art Center presents solo projects by Luan Xueyan and Zhu Kaiting.

Special Exhibition Highlights Nirvana by Ouyang Chun

A highlight of the anniversary edition, the Special Exhibition programme will present Nirvana, a new solo exhibition by Ouyang Chun, organised by WHITE SPACE. With exhibition design by Tian Jun, a spatial designer and collector of contemporary art, it opens on 28 April at D01 in the 798 Art District and remains on view through 7 June.

Special Sector: Visiting Sector Returns

As one of Gallery Weekend Beijing’s signature initiatives, the Visiting Sector will bring forth presentations by galleries from China and abroad within the industrial architecture of the 798 Art District, over the course of two weeks. Conceived as a platform for substantive exhibition projects by invited galleries, the sector places individual programmes and artistic practices in dialogue with the site’s singular spatial context, foregrounding the conditions through which art is viewed, encountered, and understood.

Public Sector and Up & Coming Sector

The Public Sector and Up & Coming Sector will also return in 2026. For the first time, the Public Sector will extend beyond the 798 Art District into sites across Beijing, presenting large-scale installations and moving-image works in outdoor settings and on urban screens.

The Up & Coming Sector will spotlight a special project by artist Ai Kuo and curator Yang Zi in Building A08 of the 798 Art District, focusing on the creative and research practices of a younger generation of artists and curators.

10th anniversary forum

Gallery Weekend Beijing will also convene a forum marking its 10th anniversary, focused on key questions shaping contemporary art in China over the past decade.

About Gallery Weekend Beijing

Founded in 2017, Gallery Weekend Beijing (GWBJ) aims to build a professional, forward-thinking, international platform for conversations about contemporary art. GWBJ runs every year with a series of art events centred around a curated selection of new exhibitions from galleries and non-profit institutions across Beijing. The art event includes an opening ceremony, media guided tours, VIP guided tours, academic forums, performances, artist studio visits, private collection visits, parties, and an annual dinner. The VIP programmes feature important domestic and international museum directors, collectors, art critics and media. Art professionals and collectors are able to discuss and share knowledge through a series of academic activities. The public programmes aim to provide the public with the opportunity to learn more about art and provide Beijing residents with an insightful guide to art exhibitions in their own city.
For more information, please visit https://www.galleryweekendbeijing.com.cn