Tate signs deal with Shanghai's Pudong Museum of Art

Kerstin Mogull (left), managing director of Tate, shakes hands with Zhu Di, general director of the art department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. [Photo provided by Tate London/For China Daily]

London's Tate Gallery is to lend its knowledge and expertise to Shanghai's Pudong Museum of Art over the next three years under a new development partnership deal.

The world-renowned London gallery will act as a consultant for the Chinese art museum, providing training and advice in several fields, and there are also plans to send pieces from the Tate collections to the new institution in Shanghai.

The Pudong Museum of Art, known as PMoA, is a major cultural project in the Pudong New Area. Construction began in September 2017 and is scheduled to be completed in early 2021, opening to the public later that year.

PMoA aims to establish itself as an international cultural landmark for Shanghai and an important platform for global cultural and art communication.

Tate and Chinese developer Shanghai Lujiazui Group signed a memorandum of understanding at the Tate Modern gallery on Tuesday, formalizing the two sides'commitment to cooperate in cultural exchange and museum development.

Tate will assist in areas such as visitor services, operations, art handling and exhibition management, audience development, and learning.

The Tate's Kerstin Mogull (left) signs a new cooperation deal with Bao Shuyi, vice-general manager of Lujiazui Group. [Photo provided for China Daily]

Zhu Di, general director of the art department of China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said:"When it opens, PMoA will be a stage for dialogue through art, between China and other countries. It intends to become a major contributor to cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries."

Zhu expressed excitement in working with Tate and hopes to collaborate with other leading museums around the world.

PMoA will primarily focus on the presentation and exchange of international arts, accompanied by domestic art exhibitions.

The construction site, located in Lujiazui Business District, has an area of 40,590 square meters and the building will have two floors at basement level and four floors above ground, with a total height of 30 meters.

The building has been designed by Jean Nouvel Architects, whose work also include the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Kerstin Mogull, managing director of Tate, said:"We recognize and admire the ambition behind this new public art institution and are excited to be working with the Pudong Museum of Art to advise them on their historic journey toward the opening in 2021 and beyond. This is an internationally significant project to establish a major new art museum in one of the world's most exciting, dynamic and populous cities."

The Tate already has an established reputation in China. A Tate exhibition Landscapes of the Mind: Masterpieces from Tate Britain (1700-1980) shown at the Shanghai Museum last year was described as the best-ever attended Tate exhibition anywhere in the world.