A decade ago, Beijing was more tolerant to avant-garde art than Shanghai. But now the city will honor it with a kiss, or, to be more precise, two kisses -- in the form of a contemporary art museum and another modern art gallery.

At the end of last year, hundreds of artists and critics gathered at the opening reception in a seven-story gray building on Duolun Road, dubbed as Shanghai's cultural street. Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, with a display space of 4,800 square meters, boasts itself as the nation's first professional museum for modern art, which indicates that China's modern art capital has moved from Beijing to Shanghai.

``Open Sky,'' the museum's inaugural exhibition, features oil paintings, videos and installations by 36 distinguished Chinese contemporary artists. ``Different from the other art museums in town, we focus on modern art,'' says Shen Qibin, executive director of the museum, a man who has successfully established a non-governmental art center in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. ``Our goal is to bid farewell to tradition. We named the show `Open Sky' in order to free our minds and lift ourselves up into the sky.'' Shen's words are reflected in the spiral staircases that swirl skyward to a lofty glass ceiling.

``This art museum was, in fact, a grocery store before,'' says Shen, with a bit of a smile. The original hustle and bustle are gone, thankfully, and have been replaced with a pious harmony between stirring architecture and modern art. The huge canvas created by Ding Yi and Zhang Xiaogang, a ceramic installation by Liu Jianhua and video works by Yang Fudong and Yang Zhenzhong -- all active artists in the modern art community -- manifest the unshakable status the museum aims to have in China's future.

``It has already become one of the best museums in the country showcasing modern art,'' claims Shen. Certainly, his words are no exaggeration. It's astonishing to find six professional video rooms on the forth floor, a rare treat for Chinese video artists. The screening rooms offer them the opportunity to display their refreshing ideas and give a voice to the ongoing conflict between modernity and tradition. ``I am so happy to finally see such a museum in town,'' says 30-something video artist Yang Zhenzhong.

``I always held shows abroad before because it was not easy to find a suitable venue for my works here.

But now I am able to show my latest piece right at home.'' About 10 years ago, it was trendy for artists from different regions to flock to Beijing's suburbs, as there was a flourishing community of artists already in place; the environment was conductive to the workings of modern artists. Now the lure of Shanghai, the country's most prosperous and cosmopolitan city, is much stronger. ``I was born in Beijing, but I chose to move to Shanghai to develop my art career several years ago,'' says Yang.

``The opportunities here are far better. Artists don't belong to an isolated group in Shanghai but are rather integrated into a much larger community composed of collectors, curators and peers.'' Opened by Lorenz Helbling from Switzerland in 1996, ShanghART Gallery, known for catering to a Western taste, was once considered as the top modern art gallery in the city. But with the emergence of the Shanghai Gallery of Art, there might be a new challenger to that title. Run by Wen Ling, considered as a ``big sister'' in China's modern art scene, the gallery is inside Three on the Bund, a seven-story building where four restaurants and several high-end retailers are housed.

Built in 1916 in neo-classical grandeur, the building couldn't be a better venue for the display of modern art. With high ceilings and abundant natural lighting, the gallery includes an extensive exhibition space, collection area, bookstore and a gift shop. ``Shanghai has too few museums,'' says Wen, an experienced curator of dozens of critically acclaimed exhibitions, such as the 2002 Shanghai Biennale.

``Our gallery will serve as an important modern art center and lead Shanghai to continue to develop its dynamic and influential art scene.'' The name of its opening exhibition, which surprisingly coincides with the one at the Duolun museum, is called ``Beyond Boundaries.'' It features art works from 20 celebrated artists, such as Fang Lijun, Sui Jianguo and Yue Mingjun. Due to Wen's good connections in the art community, nearly all the invited artists are important figures in Chinese modern art, perhaps almost too many big names to share one show. It seems that any inauguration, however, can never have too many big shots.

``We will also introduce unknown artists who we think will be the stars of tomorrow,'' Wen adds. Although Wen hopes to bring contemporary art closer to ordinary people, the stance that the gallery has adopted may appeal more to insiders than outsiders. ``That's the difference between a museum and a commercial gallery,'' says Shen of the Duolun museum.

``We are more interested in education for the public via a series of seminars whereas they are a business.'' Wherever interests lie, Shanghai is ripe for the emerging art scene, and a big party is in order to celebrate the booming of modern art in town. `Open Sky' Time: 9am-5pm, through February 27 Venue: Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, 27 Duolun Rd Admission: 20 yuan Tel: 6587-2530 `Beyond Boundaries' Time: 9am-9pm, January 15-February 23 Venue: Shanghai Gallery of Art, 3/F, Bldg 3, 1 Zhongshan Rd E. Tel: 6323-4549

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