An exclusive upmarket event is planned. No more than 60 carefully chosen international art and antique exhibitors will be invited, around eight of them jewellers.
Mr Berko has intimate experience of international fairs. It was from his stand at the prestigious Palm Beach Fair in Florida last week that Mr Berko announced the new fair.
Shanghai’s booming economy has attracted much art fair attention but what gives Maximin Berko, 28, an edge is that since 2001 he has lived in the city.
This has borne fruit in that for the first time with an art fair in China, Mr Berko has found a Chinese business partner. The fair will be co-organised by his company, Logo HK Ltd, and the Shanghai Exhibition Group, owners of the fair venue in the centre of the city within the luxury hotels and shopping zone.
It is particularly useful to get such a partnership established since this will be the first fair of its kind in China. Usually Chinese trade fairs last three or four days without the need to set up stands for a week.
French interior designer Melka Rivé Miao, who has lived in Shanghai for more than 12 years and is married to a Chinese, will design the fair, and Xiaozhou Taillandier, who is one of the fair’s organising committee, is curator of the Shanghai museum.
The highly regarded Hurun Report, which monitors China’s wealthy elites and produces the definitive Chinese Rich List, are supporting SFJAF with a VIP programme. An East, West and fusion gastronomic restaurant is planned.
By David Moss
European dealer to launch Shanghai antiques fair
BELGIAN art dealer Maximin Berko is the driving force behind the Shanghai Fine Jewellery and Art Fair which will be launched at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre from October 13 to 21 this year.
