As ARARIO GALLERY Beijing was preparing for relocation at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013, the gallery took some time to reflect upon the reopening of their Chinese branch. Now after almost a year and a half since closing ARARIO GALLEY Beijing, the gallery opened its new exhibition space in Xujiahui on August 29th, 2014. Shanghai is one of the four direct-controlled municipalities in China and is a great metropolitan with a population of more than 23 million. The last couple of years Shanghai has worked vigorously at transforming itself into a vital center for culture and art, establishing an Art Free Trade Zone and planning a development blueprint for the Westbund of Huangpu River. The increase in government-regulated, privately-run art museums and art fairs are evidence of the dynamic changes taking place. The Xuhui district and more specifically Xujiahui, often called ―Little Europe in Shanghai‖, is located at the center of all these changes. Xuijahui is an old French Concession influenced by Western culture, where luxurious mansions of writers, architects, and thespians are clustered. ARARIO Gallery is located within the culture and art complex called ̳Hengshanfang Unit‘, a 1930-40s building remodeled under the local government, which today functions as the new incubator for art and culture.

In line with the progressive growth in the art market and young collectors, Shanghai has become an area of interest and demand for Asian contemporary art. ARARIO GALLERY Shanghai employs a local management model and seeks to communicate and grow with contemporary art by introducing foreign artists in China as well as internationally promoting promising Chinese artists. A solo exhibition by Subodh Gupta signals ARARIO GALLERY Shanghai‘s first step to achieving its vision.