Display Cases To Feature Works By Prominent Chinese Artists On May 1, Timed To Coincide With Opening Of World Expo#
The first week of May looks to be a pretty exciting time for Shanghai residents. On the first of the month, the much-hyped (at least in China) Shanghai World Expo will open to the public, but art fans (or those who don't want to wait in what promise to be some of the longest lines ever known to mankind) will have their fair share of activities to check out in the city that week as well. On May 4, the newly revitalized Shanghai Rockbund Museum -- covered previously on Jing Daily -- will reopen with Cai Guo-Qiang's new "Farmer da Vinci" exhibition, which explores and celebrates China's unique shanzhai phenomenon.
Although it's certain to be overshadowed by the World Expo and Cai's exhibition, beginning on May 1 and continuing throughout the month, the Shanghai 800 Art Zone will hold an exhibition of works by 10 Chinese master artists, ranging from oil paintings to photographs, wash paintings to calligraphy. From China Daily:
[The exhibition] will reflect various kinds of contemporary subjects by using traditional skills and modern art language from natural environment to social changes, people's life and mental outlook, said Ren Guomin, art director of the Shanghai 800 Art Zone.
"Visitors can find out from the works their intense emotion to probe into the Chinese contemporary art,'' said Ren.
He cited artist Li Huasheng as an example, who has innovated wash paintings by using abstract art, providing room for wash paintings to develop.
Calligraphers from Taiwan will display their works at the show to showcase the various features of calligraphy by discussing the relations between calligraphy and industry.
They have absorbed knowledge from Chinese and Western literature, fine arts, design, music, operas, films, dance, sports, sculpture and architecture to reflect the life of the times, Ren said.
The Shanghai 800 Art Zone, one of the city's first batch of artistic industrial parks, covers an area of about 60,000 square meters. To date, 40 artistic institutions have set foot on the zone for art creation, including King Space, Uwantart, The gallery and TONY & TINA.
Ren said the zone plans to launch a project to build a contemporary art museum for public service with an area of 20,000 square meters. The project is expected to cost an investment of 50 million yuan.