The Shanghai 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum (M21) was founded by the China Minsheng Banking Corporation (CMBC) for the purpose of promoting contemporary art and culture. Building a world-class museum is part of the corporate responsibility platform of CMBC as part of our mission of “bringing art to the public: bringing people into the realm of art.” M21 is committed to a model which includes international exchange, and a broad range of public education activities to open up a viable space for art. In the interest of fostering an understanding of art within the general public and creating a pluralistic landscape of art and culture, M21 is creating a dialogue between pure art, and applied art; traditional and the avant-garde, to break down the barriers and close the gap between art and the general public. The museum is located in the former French pavilion of the 2010 World Expo. In 2011 after the closing of the Expo, the French government, Shanghai Municipal Government and the Shanghai World Expo Development Group organized the repurposing of the building to be a comprehensive museum—a platform for creativity, the arts, humanities and contemporary art exchanges, servicing the local population of Shanghai and visitors from abroad.