ISLAND6 SHANGHAI

HEADQUARTERS

island6 Arts Center, 50 Moganshan Lu (near Changhua Lu and Xi Suzhou Lu, behind Aomen Lu)
六岛艺术中心, 莫干山路50号6号楼2楼 (近昌化路和西苏州路)
EXHIBITION HOURS: DAILY 10:00 TO 19:00 OR BY APPOINTMENT
Telephone: +86 (0)21 6227 7856
Email:

BRANCHES

island6 Lab, 50 Moganshan Lu, Bld 6, 2F (near Changhua Lu and Xi Suzhou Lu, behind Aomen Lu)
六岛, 莫干山路50号6号楼2楼 (近昌化路和西苏州路)
OFFICE HOURS: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Email:

island6 Shack, 116 Moganshan Lu, 1F (near Changhua Lu and Xi Suzhou Lu, behind Aomen Lu)
六岛吊角, 莫干山路116号 (近昌化路和西苏州路)
BUILDING CLOSED FOR DEMOLITION
Directed by Alejandra Pinggera (Spring 2009)
Directed by Konstantin Bayer, Julia Scorna & Gao Chang (Winter 2009)
Email:

HISTORY

island6 & The Fou Foong Flour Mill
island6 was first established on Moganshan road number 120, in the Fou Foong Flour Mill, a four-storey red brick building designed in 1897 by the British architectural firm Dallas & Atkinson. The Fou Foong Flour Mill was founded by Mr. Sun Duoxin and his brother Mr. Sun Duosen (from Anhui province) who made it the largest and most advanced mill of Asia of the late nineteenth century by being the first ones to import American machinery and by offering its 2,000 employees the benefits of an hospital and two on-site school. [Earnshaw Graham, Tales of Old Shanghai]
Its success attracted many other entrepreneurs, resulting in the creation of 16 more mills and the base for China's modern milling industry. Later it was purchased by Rong Yiren, Vice-President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 1998 and onetime business tycoon. In 2002, the Fou Foong Flour Mill complex was sold to a real estate developer, most of the silos were demolished and the "small packaged flour" warehouse were stood island6 was facing imminent demolition. The remnant of Suzhou Creek’s industry was fought by architects and university professors, and island6 became historical heritage architecture. In 2006, the warehouse was rented out to Thomas Charvériat, Margherita Salmaso, Zheng Guoyang and Kang Jingfang who were responsible for the foundation of the first island6. On March 2006, Thomas Charvériat registered Island6 Arts Center Ltd in Hong Kong and on April 1st 2006, “Invisible Layers, Electric Cities” the first art exhibition organized by island6 (and curated by Allard van Hoorn & Margherita Salmaso) opened its door. From June 2006 to June 2008 Charvériat assume the direction of the space. In June 2008, facing imminent eviction by real estate developer, island6 moved to Moganshan number 50, and started to collaborate with ifa gallery.
island6 & M50
Established in 2006 in m50 (located at 31.247841°N 121.449316°E), the new island6 space was founded by ifa gallery towards the promotion of emerging and prominent Chinese and international artists. The m50 district is found at the heart of the former Shanghai Chunming Roving Factory. Located on the southern bank of the Suzhou River, m50 art district was once called the Xinhe Spinning Mill, belonging to the Zhou-family and supplied merchants from Anhui province with cotton and textile. In 1994 the enterprise was renamed Shanghai Chunming Woolen Mill. Following a series of joint exhibitions between island6 and ifa gallery, the converted space, designed by French architect Philippe Diani and dressed with furniture by Aymeric Lefort, has undergone complete renovations. On August 2008, the space was once again rehabilated by Taiwanese architects Zheng Guoyang and Kang Jingfang. Starting January 2009, Thomas Charvériat, seconded by Zane Mellupe, took the direction of the space. In October 2009, Binbin Wang joined island6's board of directors.