The changes in the ongoing second edition of Gallery Weekend Beijing reflect its organizers' support of the capital's home-grown galleries and a strong desire to engage with the ordinary audience among whom they are seeking the country's next-generation collectors and patrons of contemporary art.

Launched in 2017, the annual Gallery Weekend events provide experiences in addition to art fairs for galleries, dealers, artists and collectors.

Exhibitions are held at top galleries and art institutions in the city's 798 and Caochangdi art areas, so that all stake holders in the art market can have detailed conversations, which is usually not the case at art fairs where decisions to buy or not need to be made quicker.

This year, Gallery Weekend Beijing has prolonged its duration to a full week that started on Friday. Besides exhibitions, a series of talks and workshops are being held at participating galleries. The extension in duration is to attract elites from the international art industry to visit the city before they head to Basel Hong Kong, a top art fair, which is set to open on Tuesday.