Collection Includes Top Contemporary Artists Like Zhou Chunya, Fang Lijun.

Over two years in the making, this week the Long Museum — China’s largest private museum — was officially launched by Chinese art “super-collectors” Wang Wei and Liu Yiqian. Located on Luoshan Road in the Pudong New Area, the sprawling 10,000 square meter museum is currently China’s largest private museum in size and scope, housing a wide-ranging collection of blue-chip Chinese contemporary art on the ground floor, Mao-era “Red Classics” from 1949-1979 on the second, and traditional works and ancient artifacts on the third floor.

Encompassing 1,000 meters of displays, the Long Museum’s inaugural exhibition, “Through All Ages,” features four sections highlighting the best of Wang and Liu’s collection. Along with ancient jades, porcelain, and imperial artifacts, the exhibition features pieces from top Chinese contemporary artists like Fang Lijun and Zhou Chunya, as well as a work by Emperor Song Huizong (1082-1135) purchased by Wang in 2009 for US$9.9 million.

Designed by Zhong Song (仲松), a “post-70s generation” artist and architect who started off his career at the studio of the late Beijing artist Chen Yifei, the museum’s minimalist style stands at odds with the current preference for all things large and loud in the world of Chinese architecture. According to Zhong, the concept of the building’s facade is “clean and quality,” featuring light-colored granite for the exterior, and fewer and smaller windows in order to give “a feeling of wholeness” to the building.

Lest anyone think the grand opening of their long-planned venue means Wang Wei and Liu Yiqian have finally scratched their art itch, Xinmin notes today that Wang and Liu plan to open a second Long Museum — focusing on contemporary art — next year at the Shanghai West Bank Media Port on the Xuhui Riverside. According to China Daily, “Located on the west bank of the Huangpu River, the 19-hectare West Bank Media Port will be engaged in turning itself into a cultural landmark featuring film and TV production and digital entertainment.”