  he second annual SH Contemporary Art Fair opens with a VIP preview on September 10, and then an official public opening on Sept. 11. The fair brings together a blockbuster group of about 150 galleries, including Pace Wildenstein, Marlborough, Tilton, Walsh of Chicago, Arario, Beijing Commune, 10 Chancery Lane, Contrasts Gallery and Galleria Continua. All of China's major artists are expected to be represented at the fair, including Zeng Hao, Zhang Xiaogang, Yue Minjun, Zhang Huan, Wang Guangyi, Zeng Fanzhi and Fang Lijun. But the fair is also presenting its annual "Best of Discovery" list of 30 rising stars in Asia. Among the Chinese artists are: Huang Du, Shi Yong, Wang Luyan, Zhi Jinshi, Wang Zhiyuan and Chen Wenling. But there are also emerging artists from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and the Middle East.
The fair is headed by Lorenzo Rudolf. A dispute with co-organizer Pierre Huber has evolved into a legal dispute and dropped him out of the show. But SH Contemporary has already established itself as China's major art fair, and Lounge 18 is hosting events all week. Uli Sigg, the collector, was giving  interviews there the other night. VIPs get free drinks at the Lounge. And the whole city is expected to be in party mode this week, capped by Pearl Lam's huge 250 person dinner on September 10 -- a party that last year began to serve dinner at 11:30 pm!
The main show, though, is at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, near the Ritz Carlton, and its already crowded with booths. But there are also outdoor projects, including works by Huang Rui, Wim Delvoye and ZhanWang, the sculptor.
One of the highlights of the show is a tattoo work by a Belgian Artist, Mr. Delvoye, who has tattooed images on a Swiss man and then found a way to sell that work on a live man for over $200,000. When the Swiss man dies, the buyer gets his tattooed skin (don't ask how they do that). There's also speculation that other provocative pieces may appear. But organizers of the show say that government censors have been much stricter this year, because of the Olympics and political sensitivity around the games.
Below is a list of other events being held:
September 10th – Wednesday
 12.30 – 1.30 pm: India: " Global Influences: Local Practices" / Best Of Discovery** Conversation | curator Deeksha Nath with artists Vibha Galhotra, Tushar Joag, Suhasini Kejriwal, Sumedh Rajendran, Ved Gupta
1.30 – 2.30 pm: Central Asia: "Cult of the Dictator: Post-Soviet Asia" / Best Of Discovery Conversation | curator Sara Raza with artists Erbossyn Meldibekov, Sophia Tabatadze
2.30 – 3.30 pm: Book Presentation / "My Collection: Indonesian Art Goes International". Collector Deddy Kusuma discusses 25 years of collecting and his recently published book
3.30 – 4.30 pm: East Asia: "Breaking with Tradition" / Best Of Discovery Conversation | curators Shinyoung Chung and Reiko Tsubaki with artists Effie Wu & Po Chih Huang
4.30 – 5.30 pm: Discussion / Private Art Foundations/Museums | Moderated by Nick Waterlow, Director, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney | With  Don and Mera Rubell, Rubell Family Collection, Miami; Zhang Zikang, Director, Today Art Museum, Beijing; Jerome Sans, Director, Ullens Center of Contemporary Art, Beijing
September 11th – Thursday
12.30 – 1.30 pm: China:"Today's Avant – Garde" Best Of Discovery Conversation | curator Huang Du and Menene Gras with artists Chen Wenling, Shi Yong, Wang Luyan, Wang Zhiyan, Zhu Jinshi
1.30 – 2.30 pm: Australasia: "Relational Approaches" / Best Of Discovery Conversation | curator Rachel Kent with artists Rohan Wealleans, Arlo Mountford
2.30 – 3.30 pm: Southeast Asia: "Global Dreams, Local Contexts" / Best Of Discovery Conversation | curator Rifky Effendy with artists Dearborn Mendhaka, Sopheap Pich, Agus Suwage & J. Ariadhitya
3.30 – 4.30 pm: "China Between Now and Tomorrow" | Talk about upcoming exhibition "China's Revision", at Ludwig Museum in Koblenz  Germany | Museum Director Beate Reifenscheid with collector Yang Bin
4.30 – 5.30 pm: West Asia/ Middle East: "Practices of Everyday Life: New Image-Making in West Asia" / Best Of Discovery Conversation | curator Sara Raza with artists Reza Aramesh, Yael Bartana, Ergin Cavusoglu & Konstantin Bojanov
5.30 – 6.30 pm: "Art of Collecting"– Journalist, author Judith Benhamou-Huet discusses perspectives and philosophy of collecting with collectors Yang Bin, China; Bonko Chan, China; Don and Mera Rubell, USA; Sylvain Levy, France
September 12th – Friday
1.00 – 2.00 pm: Shanghai Kaleidoscope: New Directions in Art, Architecture and Fashion | Talk on\"Shanghai Kaleidoscope" exhibition | with Christopher Phillips, Sally Wu, organizers, artist Zhang Ding , architect Chen Xudong, fashion designer Gao Xin
 2.00 – 4.00 pm: ARTRON INVESTING FORUM: "Post – Olympics Market of Chinese Contemporary Art" | Presenting the "survival wisdoms" from different interest groups on the art market who will provide their insights and advice on Chinese contemporary art investment
4.00 – 5.00 pm: Book Presentation / "Young Chinese Artists" (Prestel publishing) | An insight into Post '75 generation of Chinese artists | by editors and authors Cordelia Steiner, Christoph Noe and author Azure Wu
September 13th – Saturday
1.00 – 2.00 pm: Book Presentation /"Art and Business" Chinese language Edition (Xin Dong Cheng publishing ) | by Xin Dong Cheng, authorJudith Benhamou-Huet and guests
2.00 – 3.00 pm: Book Presentation / L'Affaire Dreye" (The Dreye Affair) | A thriller, based on true stories in the art world | Harry Bellet, author  and journalist for "LeMonde" introduces his Chinese language edition
** Best of Discovery talks presented by ArtAsiaPacific Magazine, official media partner
On-Site Activities:
Sept. 10th, 2.00 pm: Zhao Chuan, an art historian from Shanghai, will talk about his book on the "Birth of Avantgarde in Shanghai" | Arthub/Bizart - Booth H03
Sept. 11th, 2.00 pm: Shanghai-based Curator Biljana Ciric will launch and talk about her book "Rejected Collection" ( CHARTA publishing) | Arthub/Bizart - Booth H03
Sept.12th, 2.00 pm: Birdhead (artists Song Tao and Ji Wei
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