If Beijing and Shanghai are the dominant centers of contemporary art in China, then Chengdu – a megalopolis of 20 million surrounded by misty mountains and famous for its giant panda rearing program – stands as a compelling counterpoint. Located in the central region of Sichuan, the city boasts lively nightlife and formidable cuisine (if you can take the heat), and it cultivates a cultural vibe that is unhurried and open to experimentation. This relaxed atmosphere, as well as its isolation from China’s other major cultural hubs, have allowed contemporary art and architecture to be fostered in unconventional and exciting ways.

Chengdu’s contemporary art landscape is shaped by a diverse mix of private museums, government initiatives, and loosely connected artist communities. Interestingly, the city is home to more museums than galleries – as opposed to Beijing and Shanghai, where commercial spaces greatly outnumber institutions – reflecting, perhaps, a keen audience for art but a relatively limited base of prominent collectors.

Chengdu’s major institutions include the Chengdu Art Museum and the well-regarded A4 Art Museum, known for its progressive curatorial approach. Both institutions have undergone major architectural upgrades recently. Visitors can admire the former’s striking, curvilinear shapes, courtesy of CSD Design, reflected in the artificial lake that surrounds it, while the latter has expanded with the opening of its A4X Art Center, designed by the late American architect Antoine Predock, whose deep connection with the American Southwest is subtly echoed in the building. Newer additions such as the Chengdu Contemporary Image Museum and the Guanghui Art Museum – which focuses on Modern and contemporary ink art and calligraphy – offer further diversity. Additionally, several private art museums from eastern China have established secondary locations in Chengdu, such as the Fosun Foundation, M Woods, and the Times Art Museum, reinforcing its reputation as an emerging art hub.

While its gallery scene remains sparse, Chengdu is home to one of China’s most influential commercial galleries. A Thousand Plateaus Art Space, established in 2007 by Liu Jie, is known for its dedication to contemporary Chinese art and the intellectual heft of its program. The gallery, which is named after a seminal 1980 book by French philosopher Gilles Deleuze and psychoanalyst Félix Guattari, regularly participates in international art fairs such as Art Basel Hong Kong. Liu Jie describes the gallery’s philosophy as ‘Everyone is a plateau in their own world,’ emphasizing an open, inclusive approach.

The city’s art ecosystem has been shaped by shifting dynamics and evolving strategies. The 5th Chengdu Biennale in 2011 marked a pivotal moment as the first government-led edition of the event, reflecting a shift towards institutional involvement in the arts. (The biennale had previously been sponsored primarily by private business owners.) This transition coincided with China’s real estate boom and a relatively brief period of political relaxation, which led to the establishment of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chengdu (MoCA) in 2011, designed by the 2025 Pritzker Prize winner and Chengdu native Liu Jiakun. However, as the political climate shifted and funding from private businesses waned, ambitious institutions like Chengdu MoCA were forced to close, while others found ways to adapt. Despite owning a spectacular building designed by the acclaimed architect Kengo Kuma, the Zhi Art Museum navigated these economic challenges by adopting strategies including ‘guerrilla’ exhibition methods.

One of Chengdu’s longest-running institutions is the aforementioned A4 Art Museum, now in its 17th year. In an interview with Artnet, the museum’s director, Sun Li, emphasized the importance of a connection to the local art scene: ‘Success for an artist is often measured by two dimensions: academic recognition and market value. However, for us, an important criterion is how the artist connects with the local context and how effectively they initiate meaningful and in-depth dialogues within the local community.’ A4 has remained engaged with the art ecosystem of Southwestern China: Exhibitions such as Chengdu (2023) examined the cultural evolution of the city in the past 15 years, while solo shows dedicated to Chengdu-native artists Feng Li and He Liping have reinforced the museum’s commitment to nurturing local talents.

Chengdu’s strong sense of community can be attributed to its deeply rooted cultural identity. Its somewhat isolated location has preserved a rich cultural heritage that stretches back millennia to the ancient civilization of Sanxingdui; it has nurtured literary giants such as Su Shi, and created culinary staples like kung pao chicken and mapo tofu. This geographic separation has fostered a mindset of independence and self-reliance among Sichuan people, encapsulated by the Chinese saying, ‘The heaven is high and the emperor is far away.’

Chengdu’s geographical setting and cultural mindset have also cultivated a more relaxed and open artistic environment. The city has produced some of China’s leading contemporary painters, such as He Duoling and Zhou Chunya, while also becoming a breeding ground for more avant-garde and unconventional artistic forms, attracting experimental artists from surrounding regions, particularly those working in photography, video, and performance art. This tradition dates back to the 1990s, when Beijing-based artists like Song Dong and Yin Xiuzhen visited Chengdu to engage in performance art. Today, this experimental legacy continues through the work of artists such as Zhou Bin, who founded the UP-ON International Live Art Festival, which has brought performances and happenings to Chengdu since 2008, and He Liping, whose performance work As Long As There’s Sand In Your Heart, You’re Always in the Maldives! (2015) saw him dressed in a bathing suit, lying on a pile of sand in the middle of Chengdu’s bustling traffic.

Similar to Beijing’s 798 Art Zone or Shanghai’s M50 Creative Park, Chengdu also has its own art district. In 2003, artist He Duoling and several other artists moved their studios to a vacant factory complex characterized by blue metal roofs. Over time, more artists were drawn to the area, leading to its transformation into the Blue Roof Artist Community, which includes the Blue Roof Museum of Chengdu. Although the museum is currently undergoing a transitional period due to the withdrawal of government support and reduced investment from developers, artists have stayed, mainly because the studios come with property ownership, offering artists long-term stability and protection from the displacement and uncertainty often faced in other urban art centers.

Amid Chengdu’s burgeoning cultural landscape, its contemporary art scene continues to grow at its own pace. The Chengdu Biennale 2025 is set to take place this summer at the newly constructed Chengdu Art Museum. Launched in 2001, the biennale was suspended after the 2013 edition until 2021, but has since been revived.

There is much anticipation around what the Chengdu model can offer. Observers are eager to see if the biennale can build on the success of the 2023 edition or if it will face the challenges of receding government support and uncertain economic conditions, similar to those that curtailed Art Chengdu, a short-lived art fair that held only two editions. Regardless, Chengdu is carving out its own narrative; continuing to shape its identity as a cultural hub on its own terms.