Art Beijing's 2010 Contemporary Art Fair and 2010 Photo Beijing will open their doors tomorrow in time for the May Day holiday with organizers promising the largest and most varied events yet.

Now in its fifth year, Art Beijing aims at bringing together Asia and the world's best art galleries and artists in a variety of platforms and this year's contemporary fair and photo exhibition are already shaping up to be a success.

The contemporary fair will occupy an unprecedented 13,000-square-meter space and provide an ideal environment to view and buy the current trends in contemporary art, according to Art Beijing's executive director Dong Mengyang.

Attendees will have the chance to view and purchase works by some of China's leading contemporary artists including Wang Huaiqing, Fang Lijun and Yue Minjun, alongside their Western counterparts.

"This year's art fair is the most diverse and international art fair Beijing has seen to date," Dong told the Global Times.

A total number of 70 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions are taking part, almost double last year, signifying a strong recovery after the financial crisis, Dong said.

According to Dong, all 70 exhibitors are leading galleries from Asia and the world and are bringing their very best to the fair.

"We participated in Art Beijing since it first launched in 2005 and it didn't disappoint. We brought five pieces this year and hope to achieve a 50% sales increase from last year," said Fu Chen from Pekin Fine Arts Gallery.

Tokyo Galley+BTAP is bringing works by top Japanese artists Shinjiro Okamoto and Suzuki Hiroyuki, and Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang.

"With 60 years experience, our gallery has participated in Art Basel and many other world's top art fairs," Zhang Jun from Tokyo Galley+BTAP told the Global Times, adding that they expected excellent sales in Beijing.

London's Olyvia Fine Art Gallery is bringing the best of their collection including Marc Quinn's Sravasti River Delta.

As well as the exhibition, Art Beijing is encouraging everyone to enjoy the event by holding a public art display outside the main fair. A number of works by top international and Chinese artists will be on display, including Sui Jianguo, Peng Hongzhi, B?rd Breivik and Saint Clair Cemin.

"Public art is an important form of the contemporary, to support both Chinese and international works, as well as letting the public have a direct engagement with the art world," Dong commented.

Art Beijing's Photo Beijing 2010 will run concurrently to the contemporary fair with this year's event involving over 20 embassies and cultural centers in Beijing.

"Photo Beijing is a good platform for us to introduce Italian artists to China and the world," commented Luo Rui from the Italian Culture Center. "We are happy to have Alessandro Rolandi's exhibition in Photo Beijing," he added.

Rolandi is an Italian artist based in Beijing who took photos on his mobile phone and has edited them with words and text.

Dutch artist Kristiina Koskentola was invited by the Netherlands' embassy in Beijing to take part in the event, her installation Urbanization Gargoyles will be on display. The work is a wall built from construc-tion materials with small sculptures of dead dogs representing gargoyles.

"It investigates the interconnections between urbanizing Beijing, its socio-political context and the loss of traditional values, environment and social conditions due to rapid urbanization," Koskentola told the Global Times.

Fashion photography has its own section in Photo Beijing with several leading publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Vision and Photographers' Companion contributing works.

Art Beijing 2010 Contemporary Art Fair and Photo Beijing 2010 will be held at the National Agriculture Exhibition Center in Beijing for VIP viewing on April 29 and to the public from April 30 to May 2.