Asia Art Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 83 Week of 21 September 2026
(1) Shenzhen Prince Bay Art Center to open on 30 September with Jon Burgerman’s first major solo show in mainland China
The new Prince Bay Art Center (太子灣美術館) in Shekou, Shenzhen, will officially open on 30 September 2026. Its inaugural exhibition is British artist Jon Burgerman’s first large-scale solo show in mainland China, titled “It’s Great to Create!” (集樂無界).
(2) The “Wealth and Auspiciousness Elephant Art Exhibition” opened with celebrity-painted sculptures
The “Wealth and Auspiciousness Elephant Art Exhibition” charity event opened on 19 September 2026 at 1881 Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui, featuring colourful elephant sculptures co-created by celebrities and artists.
(3) First Changsha International Watercolour Carnival to open as new cultural IP
The inaugural Changsha “International Watercolour Carnival,” marking the 10th anniversary of the Li Zijian Art Museum, will open on 27 September 2026, bringing together 140 watercolour artists from 36 countries and regions across six continents.
(4) 48th WorldSkills Competition opens in Shanghai with human-robot dance as highlight
The 48th WorldSkills Competition officially opened on the evening of 22 September 2026 at the Shanghai World Expo Cultural Center, featuring what organisers described as the world’s first fully autonomous full-size humanoid robot cluster dance.
(1) Shenzhen Prince Bay Art Center to open on 30 September with Jon Burgerman’s first major solo show in mainland China
(Photo Credit: Sing Tao)
Located along the Shekou waterfront and operated by the Sea World Culture and Arts Center (海上世界文化藝術中心), the museum will form a “twin-venue” partnership with the adjacent SWCAC. The building features a minimalist pure-white design with natural lighting, professional exhibition spaces, multipurpose cultural areas and international-standard art handling facilities.
Burgerman’s exhibition presents one of the most comprehensive surveys of his recent practice. It includes new paintings, specially commissioned sculpture installations and previously unseen new-media works, organised around themes of universal emotion and creativity. Known for his colourful, playful characters, Burgerman has exhibited at Tate Modern and the Ludwig Museum, and his works are held in the Victoria and Albert Museum collection.
Beyond exhibitions, the centre plans regular workshops, screenings, artist talks and outdoor public-art projects. It aims to connect contemporary art with design, architecture, technology, music and fashion while serving as an open public space for diverse voices.
(2) The “Wealth and Auspiciousness Elephant Art Exhibition” opened with celebrity-painted sculptures
(Photo Credit: Wen Wei Po)
Organised by the Greater China Culture Global Association, the exhibition runs until 4 October 2026. Guests of honour included association founder Chiu Tsang Hok-wan (趙曾學韞), district councillor Jin Ling (金玲), and celebrities such as Maria Cordero (肥媽), Philip Chan (陳欣健) and Stephanie Che (車婉婉). A one-minute silence was observed for the late Tung Chee-hwa before the ceremony.
The project draws on traditional Chinese auspicious symbolism: the elephant (xiang) is a homophone for “auspicious,” and the kneeling posture references Ming-dynasty gilt-bronze kneeling elephants, forming the pun “fu gui” (fortune and honour). Seventy-eight painted elephant sculptures were created by celebrities including Karen Mok (莫文蔚), Anita Yuen (袁詠儀), Charmaine Sheh (佘詩曼) and artists such as Luk Yun-shing (陸潤城) and others.
Proceeds will support holistic development programmes for underprivileged children in Hong Kong, covering music, art, culture and language learning. After the Hong Kong presentation, the sculptures will tour the mainland and Macau before being sold at a charity auction. Maria Cordero painted 18 “xi” (happiness) characters with her grandchildren, while Stephanie Che decorated her elephant with sweets inspired by her current TV drama.
News Source: https://www.wenweipo.com/a/202609/20/AP6aaeea12e4b01d54a283ee57.html
(3) First Changsha International Watercolour Carnival to open as new cultural IP
(Photo Credit: HKTKWW)
The Li Zijian Art Museum (李自健美術館), recognised as the world’s largest private artist museum, has attracted more than 10.8 million visitors and staged over 110 temporary exhibitions since its 2016 opening. The new carnival is designed as a permanent, triennial international cultural exchange platform based permanently in Changsha.
From nearly 1,000 submissions, organisers selected 600 works by 140 artists for three core exhibitions.Works will be shown free of charge across six galleries until 22 November 2026.
From 27 to 30 September, accompanying programmes include public master demonstrations, academic salons, urban cultural tours and Yangtze River night cruises for participating artists. Chairpersons of the International Watercolour Masters Association and Alliance from the United States, Sweden, Singapore, Uruguay and Australia will attend the opening.
The carnival aims to establish a high-level international watercolour exchange brand rooted in Hunan, continuously bringing global artistic resources to Changsha and enhancing the city’s cultural soft power.
News Source: https://www.tkww.hk/a/202609/23/AP6ab38d12e4b0e1e2ee719227.html
(4) 48th WorldSkills Competition opens in Shanghai with human-robot dance as highlight
(Photo Credit: on.cc)
Twenty Unitree H2 full-size humanoid robots from Unitree Technology performed intricate finger dances, waltzed with a female dancer, and danced alongside 120 young performers. The robots operated through an independently developed AI system that sensed and generated movements autonomously rather than by remote control, showcasing advances in Chinese AI and robotics hardware.
The approximately 90-minute opening ceremony also included the athletes’ parade. Technical challenges were overcome during rehearsals, including the robots’ 140 kg weight, which initially required performers to maintain a 50-metre safety distance and wear helmets.
The competition brings together 1,385 young competitors (most under 22 years old) from 68 countries and regions across a record 64 skill categories, including seven new events such as drone systems.
Contests run until 27 September and cover manufacturing, transport, construction, information technology, creative arts and services. A related humanoid robot combat league event was also held in Shanghai the previous weekend.
News Source: https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20260923/bkn-20260923190338358-0923_00822_001.html
