The Shanghai art scene is hustling and bustling with action, or atleast so I’m told by friends who know something about art, and so in my visit to Shanghai I decided I should get a taste of all that. M50 (50 Moganshan Road) is one of the very impressive arts districts I visited on my most recent trip to Shanghai. It’s a really ‘cool’ area, with lots of arts galleries of all shapes and types, and terrific little cafes and shops. If you know something about art or want to get a taste of the real Chinese cultural revolution, head over there and you just might find yourself spending hours wondering around like I did.
The area used to be an industrial space that offered artists really cheap rent. I guess that by now rent’s already quite expensive, as it hosts some of Shanghai’s leading galleries.
Art Speak China writes :
Moganshan Lu is the most established place in Shanghai to buy, sell, or see cutting edge works of contemporary Chinese art. Without the support given to artists by the district’s galleries, many of the now most prized works of contemporary art might not have gained international exposure.
Currently the Moganshan Lu Art District is home to a number of small design firms, clothing shops, and furniture stores and hosts approximately 40 commercial art galleries. Although the old factory buildings are still used as studio space, they have been renovated a number of times to accommodate new galleries. Approximately 100 artists live and work in the district and more than 400 people visit the locale everyday. Some of the better-known galleries include m97, Art Scene Warehouse, BizArt, ShanghART, and the Shine Art Space.
Here’s a nice video tour of the area:
Followed by some of my photo captures…
The area is also filled with lovely little arts cafes that feel a little bit like Europe…
Another famous gallery I visited, BTW, is the Pearl Lam Fine Arts gallery…
Photography generally not very welcome inside, but they did allow me the curtsey of this one very impressive piece that – for me – shows the power in some of the local art..
(Marx, Lenin, Stalin and Mao, doing their thing :P)
To get there :
Address: 50 Moganshan Road near Suzhou Creek.
Chinese address: 莫干山路50号(近苏州河)
A bit more about the M50 area:
- M50: Shanghai’s creative space
- Shanghai’s Blossoming Arts District
largest collection of bad art in shanghai, and a gruesomely dismal place, especially in winter … the designer shops slowly moving in are at least adding some class 🙂