New Trends in Shanghai’s Art Field!

We fall in love with Shanghai for many reasons – the food, the city landscape…Yet, one of the main reasons must be about ART! 🎨 

Shanghai is undoubtedly a paradise for art, where countless art galleries and bazaars bring us enormous joy and satisfaction. We can’t wait to share our findings after visiting many art sites!

So, what’s happening in Shanghai’s art field now? Here are our observations:

1️⃣ The intersection between art & fashion

It’s interesting to observe stylish Chinese citizens dressing up to visit exhibitions and taking pictures in front of art pieces. 

Due to the flourishing “clock-in” (打卡) culture on social media, museums are becoming the hot spots for millennials & Gen Z to explore. Some young people deem it an opportunity to style up and showcase their unique taste. 

2️⃣ The cultural hybridization of art

The hybridity of art also leaves traces in every corner of Shanghai. Taking our favorite site, the Museum of Art Pudong, as an example, an ancient Greek-themed exhibition is just next door to Chinese artist Xu Bing’s work. While Xu Bing, who combines Chinese calligraphy with English writing, achieves a great cultural hybridization within his art. 

Xu Bing’s artwork, “Gravitational Arena,” left us in awe of its grand installation size and its vivid demonstration of the wrestling-like relationships among different civilizations. Hybridized cultural expression is undoubtedly becoming a new trend – that foreign brands should look into closely to localize communication in China.

3️⃣ The rising pop-up art markets & festivals

We also saw young artists selling their works in the emerging pop-up art markets – consumers will stop for interesting paintings, fashionable merchandising, etc. 

Such activities are win-win for both the artists and consumers – young consumers are always eager to hunt for unique yet less expensive artwork. In contrast, young artists rely on crowds to increase their work’s exposure and fan base. We believe those pop-up art markets & festivals can bring potential collaboration opportunities to certain brands.

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