Huang Yan's photo, "Face Painting."

Wang Jie reports the annual Shanghai Art Fair faces the problem of trying to satisfy all tastes, providing art for everyone - resulting, some say, in a "flea market." That may change next year as it teams up with a classy Bologna fair.

A decade ago, an art fair sounded alien to many locals. Although the Shanghai Art Fair may not yet rival Switzerland's famous Art Basel, it still provides great exposure for local and overseas galleries.

Offerings from 123 galleries from around the globe will be on display at the 2006 Shanghai Art Fair in ShanghaiMart from tomorrow. Sponsored by the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation, the annual event runs through next Monday.

This year the art fair has 38 percent more participating galleries and art organizations than last year. It covers 22,000 square meters of exhibition space. Virtually all genres, from traditional ink-wash painting to sculpture, fill the space.

One of the highlights is late artist/designer Chen Yifei's canvas "Gathering in Spring," about 170 centimeters by 242 centimeters. It sold at an auction in June for 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million), a record for one of Chen's paintings.

But only several months later, the work is again for sale at the fair. Obviously, the fair committee, city gallery owners and artists see the art fair a crucial step toward streamlining the Chinese market.

This comes amid concerns that a dramatic price rise in Chinese mainland auction houses, along with erratic price setting by some local dealers, could overheat prices and undermine collectors' confidence.

"It's still too early to predict that the market will respond well," says Piao Lianhua, owner of Gallery Mulin.

Piao says some of her oil paintings increased in value nearly 25 percent this year. "I try to convince them (painters) not to raise the price," she says. "The market needs to be nurtured step by step. So I keep virtually the same prices as I did last year."

In fact, Piao sold 26 oil paintings at last year's Shanghai Art Fair.

"That's why I am here, though my exhibition booth is on the first floor, not the best location," she says.

The ideal location is the fourth floor, reserved for privileged overseas and local galleries, or those working closely with the fair committee.

The Shanghai Art Fair aims to provide different art for different buyers. But this results in a long-standing dilemma.

Some joke that the fair is a "flea market," and it does attract lots of ordinary visitors.

"I love to come to this art fair with my family every year," says Lu Ming, a 40-something teacher. "Certainly I am not able to afford those expensive paintings, and sometimes I buy some cheaper stuff as souvenir gifts."

However, another question arises: Does art serve the whole society or only the elite?

Perhaps the art committee recognizes this and is starting to balance the situation. According to a fair insider, Italy's Bologna Art Fair will cooperate with the Shanghai Art Fair next year.

The possible exhibition venue will be the Shanghai Exhibition Center, a Russian-style complex.

"Many top overseas galleries expressed interest in participating," says a participant who declined to be identified. "A number of collectors, art dealers and artists around the globe will fly here."

Perhaps two art fairs running in town will provide more alternatives for art buyers.

Date: November 16-20, 9am-6pm
Address: 99 Xingyi Rd
Admission: 30 yuan
Tel: 021-6236-6888