Shanghai Pudong International Airport | China

The Project

Systematic Art was selected to provide and install professional picture hanging and suspension systems throughout Shanghai Pudong International Airport, including Terminal 1, Terminal 2, departure halls, gate areas and arrivals.

The project was created to give the Shanghai Airport Authority a flexible, airport-wide infrastructure for displaying and rotating artwork and exhibitions without repeatedly drilling into finished walls or ceilings. The completed installation supported more than 300 works of art using Systematic Art picture rails, rods, cables, adjustable hooks and specialized suspension hardware.

One of the World's Major International Airports

Shanghai Pudong International Airport is one of Asia's major international aviation hubs and a primary global gateway to Shanghai. In 2025 alone, Pudong handled approximately 85 million passengers.

The enormous scale and continuous operation of the airport made this a very different environment from a conventional gallery or museum. Any display system had to function within one of the world's busiest transportation environments while remaining visually discreet, flexible and appropriate for the airport's architecture.

A Three-Month International Installation

Systematic Art's New York-based installation team worked alongside its Beijing-based team for more than three months to complete the project. The teams coordinated with the Shanghai Airport Authority and local municipal authorities while installations progressed throughout multiple areas of the airport.

Working within active airport terminals required careful planning and coordination. Different areas presented different structural conditions, ceiling heights and display requirements, and the installation had to integrate with the existing architecture while minimizing disruption to airport operations.

Installation at Heights of Up to 70 Feet

Some areas of Shanghai Pudong International Airport presented extraordinary installation challenges. Systematic Art's teams were required to suspend artwork and display objects from locations reaching approximately 70 feet above ground level.

These conditions required more than standard picture hanging hardware. Suspension points, rails, rods, cables and hooks had to work together as a dependable system capable of positioning objects securely while still providing the adjustability required for future exhibitions.

More Than 300 Works of Art

The airport project incorporated more than 300 works of art displayed throughout terminals, arrival areas, departure areas and other public spaces. The collection included works of different dimensions, formats and weights, requiring a modular system rather than a single fixed mounting method.

One important objective was to create gallery-style areas where emerging Chinese artists and other works could be presented to an international audience. In the arrivals area, art became part of the experience of entering Shanghai rather than simply decoration applied to the walls.

A Flexible Airport-Wide Display System

Systematic Art supplied its Click Track and Moderna picture rail systems together with an assortment of adjustable rods, cables, hooks and related suspension components. This provided airport staff and curators with a modular infrastructure capable of accommodating exhibitions of different sizes and configurations.

Artwork could be added, removed, repositioned or replaced without creating new mounting holes every time an exhibition changed. Horizontal positioning could be adjusted along the rail while rods, cables and hooks provided vertical positioning for individual works.

For a facility of this size, that flexibility was especially important. Rather than engineering an entirely new installation every time artwork changed, the airport had a permanent display infrastructure that could continue to accommodate new exhibitions.

Working Within Landmark Architecture

Shanghai Pudong International Airport was developed through major architectural phases. Terminal 1, which opened in 1999, was designed by French architect Paul Andreu as part of the airport's original development.

The scale of the terminals, expansive public spaces and dramatic ceiling heights created an architectural environment in which picture hanging and suspension hardware had to perform without visually competing with the building itself.

Systematic Art's objective was therefore not simply to hang artwork, but to create an adaptable display infrastructure capable of functioning within the architecture of a major international airport.

The Result

The completed Shanghai Pudong International Airport project gave the airport a professional, modular system for displaying and rotating hundreds of artworks and suspended objects throughout Terminal 1, Terminal 2, arrivals, departures and gate areas.

Systematic Art's New York and Beijing installation teams spent more than three months completing a project that ranged from gallery-style artwork installations to technically demanding suspension work at heights approaching 70 feet.

The result was a permanent display infrastructure that allowed airport curators to change exhibitions while helping protect finished walls and ceilings from repeated drilling and modification.

For airports, museums, galleries and other large-scale public environments, explore Systematic Art's gallery, museum and commercial picture hanging systems.