Established in 2014 the West Bund Art and Design Fair is a key member the nascent arts ecology of Shanghai. The arts ecology of Shanghai may be understood to be at an important juncture as it looks not only to maintain its current level of economic success and international profile, but also how to sustain and develop it in the future. Unburdened by historical precedents and institutional norms of practice, Shanghai’s art fairs, museums and galleries have an exceptional opportunity to create new models and organisations embedded in the 21st century, not the pre-digital 20th century. Creating and sustaining value in the West Bund Art and Design Far, and the Shanghai arts ecology, presents challenges but significant opportunities in relation to new technologies of communication, audience engagement and cultural production.