I last left you with street art in Wuxi and Shanghai, promising to write about the commercial art galleries in Shanghai.
Known as 50 Moganshan Lu or M50, I had expected a small collection of galleries. After rallying her and her to join me for a wander, it became obvious M50 is an extensive creative park.
How apt that the map of the property also calls it a ‘creative park’. The art galleries that were once factory spaces are a labyrinth, offering a variety of artistic styles — from oil paintings, to mixed media, pure photography or sculpture installations.
I sunk back into this environment with surprising ease, after being permanently scarred all those years, carted around by my ex as his art ‘wife’.
For a change, art and I were alone, without the pompous airs. We lit candles to set the mood and held hands, which allowed me to make new discoveries about modern art in Shanghai.
Contrary to misconceptions about Chinese censorship, there seems to be a lot of freedom to express oneself. M50 is accessible by taxi (not really metro) and prepare to spend a few hours walking and unearthing some hot and happening work.
My friends and I searched by instinct. If an exhibition seemed worth a look, we went in. You can also gauge a map for what might interest you when you arrive or research online. There’s certainly no correct way to savior art, no matter what those pedantic art critics say.
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