To achieve this, the UCCA Edge has included more retail and dining options such as a cafe, bookstore and the restaurant New Wave at the museum. New Wave is managed by the popular Da Vittorio franchise from Italy.

UCCA was founded in 2007 by Guy and Myriam Ullens, a Belgian couple who collects contemporary Chinese art. The couple now resides in Switzerland.

The first UCCA museum is located at Beijing's 798 art district and it has been a leading institution of contemporary art in China since it opened.

UCCA opened its second art museum UCCA Dune at Beidaihe in Hebei province in 2018. Following the opening of UCCA Edge in Shanghai, the group plans to expand its presence to several other new locations in China.

American curator, critic and historian Tinari joined UCCA Beijing in 2011. With his academic background in comparative literature, he built a successful portfolio in the media industry as the founder of bilingual art magazine LEAP and founding editor of online journal Artforum.