Fifteenth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

This paper explores the twenty-first century concept of the art museum in China known as Meishuguan (美术馆) and its relation to government stakeholders, through analysising the Rockbund Art Museum (RAM) in Shanghai. Established in 2010, RAM has experienced a significant societal change starting from 2000, which this paper proposes as the ‘fifth phase’ of the unprecedentedness ‘art museum boom’ in China. The uniqueness of the fifth phase is in the complexity of defining contemporary Chinese art museums under strong political influences. In 2016, the central government published the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan of China which included plans for the further development of art museums. As a result, the field receives substantial policy and financial supports, but professionals have yet to reach a consensus on a common institutional structure and managemental system. RAM is thus introduced as a case study to unpack the entanglement between the ambitious policy and the thriving but under-constructed art museum world. RAM is a privately-funded, non-profit, contemporary art museum. Located in the Huangpu District, one of the historical areas in Shanghai, RAM is housed in a British colonial heritage building, its predecessor was the first modern museum in China. RAM has been navigating the Shanghai government’s art museum-related policy carefully while maintaining its autonomous vision and values. By analysing RAM’s operational strategies, this paper discusses the challenges and opportunities brought by ‘Socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics’, and argues its significant contribution to the emerging ‘art museum boom’.