The global economy has endured a prolonged winter, yet art organizations continued to push forward—amid rising operating costs, political volatility, and uncertain cultural appetite. In mainland China, a mix of nonprofit, private, and brand-backed institutions expanded the ecosystem. In November, Chanel and the Power Station of Art in Shanghai unveiled Espace Gabrielle Chanel, mainland China’s first public contemporary art library, offering access to books and resources focused on global contemporary art. Elsewhere in the city, Cheruby House launched as the flagship of Cheruby, founded in 2024 by collector Cherry Xu to connect fashion and contemporary art through exhibitions and residencies. In the Greater Bay Area, the Shenzhen Bay Culture Square, a 51,000-square-meter design complex by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects opened in November with eight inaugural exhibitions, including Anthony McCall’s first show in mainland China. Chinese real-estate and lifestyle brand Aranya extended its footprint south with the opening of Aranya Art Center Guangzhou, a new art space in Guangzhou’s Huadu district, which debuted with German artist Wiebke Siem’s first Asia solo exhibition. Over in southwestern China, the Museum of Women’s Art—the country’s first institution dedicated to female artists—opened on the Yunnan-Sichuan border in September.