Water Town, by Sun Jiapei. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The largest art fair in town is going on at Shanghai Mart from Nov 12 to 15. This is the 19th edition of the annual event, when more than 150 galleries from 17 countries are showcasing paintings, sculptures, prints, video and installations.

Among the highlight artists are Pablo Picasso, Russian artists A. A. Mylnikov and the Tkachev brothers, as well as celebrated Chinese artists such as Walasse Ting and Yue Minjun.

This year the fair has made great efforts to encourage people to buy art for their home decoration. A larger number of small paintings and sculptures are on show, and the fair organizer has urged galleries to bring reasonably priced pieces affordable for ordinary households.

A growing number of homeowners are joining the group of art collectors, said Gu Zhihua, deputy director of the organizing committee.

For decades in China, buying art has been regarded as a channel of investment, and a group of professional collectors have been cultivated. The fair aims to engage a wider section of the public, and inspire more interest for art, Gu said.