HONG KONG—As director of Art Basel from 1991 to 2000, Lorenzo Rudolf helped elevate that fair to its current prominence on the international art scene. Now he’s hoping to do the same for ShContemporary: The Asia Pacific Contemporary Art Fair, which is poised to follow up last year's debut with an impressive sophomore outing.  

At Art Basel’s helm, Rudolf, who trained in international affairs and law, became known for his global outlook and commitment to broadening artistic horizons, introducing the critically lauded Art Statements and Art Unlimited platforms to the fair as well as conceiving the successful sister event in Miami Beach.

Rudolf left Art Basel in 2000, but after three years as director of the Frankfurt Book Fair and three as vice president of International Fine Art Expositions in Palm Beach, Florida, Rudolf returned to fair directing to co-found ShContemporary with Geneva-based dealer Pierre Huber (who was barred from this year's event for controversial business dealings). The event has quickly become one of the Asian art world’s most anticipated, drawing an impressive 140-plus dealers from 27 countries for this year’s edition, on view September 10 to 13.

ARTINFO spoke with Rudolf about the fair’s role and aspirations.

Lorenzo, how would you describe ShContemporary in the context of the art market in China?

ShContemporary is not a Chinese fair. It is held in China, but it is an international fair with a special focus on Asia. Due to the social liberalizations in large sections of Asia today, very active and exciting art scenes have developed all over the place. The explosive growth among the wealthy, local upper and middle classes is also producing new collectors.

China is establishing its own scene where global taste is being forged. China in 2008 reminds me a bit of America in the 1970s and early 1980s, when there was incredible artistic experimentation. The art and gallery district 798 in Beijing is more exciting than Chelsea in New York today, which is a little sedate and a little too academic. I don’t know any other art scene at the moment that has a comparable output of new, astonishing artists. This artistic development also has its impact on the local market. Many younger and educated (urban) people are beginning to buy contemporary art; as in the West, contemporary art also has become an interesting field for many Chinese to invest in.

What kind of visitors are you expecting?

This year, the openings of China’s Shanghai Biennale, Guangzhou Triennale, and Nanjing Triennale are all happening at the same time. In addition to Asian collectors and professionals, I expect many of their Western peers will come to Shanghai, including some of the biggest European and American contemporary collectors. Museums like MoMA in New York are coming with groups, and there are even several Latin American collectors coming. This concentration of quality and professionalism will have a big impact.  

How will this year’s fair be different from last year’s?

ShContemporary 2008 will be much more spectacular. After the success of last year, many new international galleries are coming to the fair, including PaceWildenstein, Lehmann Maupin, Corkin, Karsten Greve, Buchmann, Polígrafa, and Roslyn Oxley9 — all of whom, by the way, are also Art Basel exhibitors. Some of them will have booths and presentations bigger than those at any other art fair worldwide.

What is your vision for the Best of Discovery section, which is billed as a showcase for new talent?

Best of Discovery is a curated (market) platform for some of the most interesting emerging artists from the entire Asia Pacific region, artists with the potential to become the stars of tomorrow. Selected by 10 specialized curators from across Asia, the section will feature 30 stunning projects, all created especially for the fair and presented in a museum-like exhibition organized by one of China’s most important and best known curators, Huang Du. Many of these artists will be presented to an international audience for the first time. The show offers a real opportunity to discover firsthand great artistic talent from all over Asia.

What works do you think will be highlights at the fair?

For many people the highlight will be the Outdoor Projects, which developed from what I started with Art Unlimited during my time as director of Art Basel. We will showcase installations that broaden the scope of understanding for art today — big projects that go beyond fashion, market trends, and easy saleability. Artists like Lawrence Weiner, Richard Long, Huang Rui, Zhan Wang, Liu Wei, Shen Shaomin, Yang Maoyuan, Zhang Ding, Wang Jianwei, and Jang Jie Chang will contribute. And I promise that some of them will even be more impressive and spectacular than whatever you have seen at art fairs in Europe or in America.

Can you compare the challenges of developing Art Basel and ShContemporary?

To be successful, an art fair has to have its own identity, one that fits its market; that was key to the success of my concepts for both Basel and Miami. And it is the same with ShContemporary, which is the only international art show that provides a comprehensive, top-quality overview of Asia’s art scene and an intriguing crossover with top Western art. As such, the fair creates a stunning dialogue between East and West. Featuring 140 galleries from 27 countries, the best from the East are juxtaposed with top Western galleries. ShContemporary is the mirror of a changing art world, putting the emerging Asian art scenes on the international art market map. I’m more than convinced that in a couple of years ShContemporary will be one of three leading world events, together with a top fair in Europe and one in the U.S.