Pulse of the modern world as interpreted by artists
Shanghai Powerlong Museum is presenting the largest collection exhibition in its history, "The Pulse of Modernity," displaying more than 150 paintings by China's most representative artists over the past century as well as masterpieces from all over the world throughout its more than 6,000-square-meter exhibition space.
The exhibition begins with a series of landscape paintings by Qi Baishi (1864-1957) from around 1931, and then goes through the magnum opuses of 20th-century masters such as Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Fu Baoshi (1904-1965) and Li Keran (1907-1989), who responded to global artistic languages with a unique Chinese way of expression. A representative work of any of these masters can fetch more than 100 million yuan (US$15.7 million) at auction today.
The series of landscape painted by Qi Baishi from around 1931
Along with Chinese modern art, the exhibition includes a rich collection of works by leading international contemporary artists, such as Wayne Thiebaud, Yayoi Kusama, David Hockney, Anselm Kiefer, George Condo and KAWS.
Curated in juxtaposition, the art pieces form a narrative line that runs for about 100 years, and delineate the historical trajectory of China's visual art with the backdrop of global contemporary art's evolution.
War and peace, hunger and wealth, localization and globalization, inheritance and innovation – the works on display remind people that art has been spot on every time over the past century.
Carefully selected from the museum's rich collections, the exhibition's paintings fall into six thematic categories – "Inner Modernity," "Universal World," "Flowing Image," "Whirling of Time," "Identity and Empathy" and "Paradigm and Trend."
"Inner modernity" shows how Chinese art resonated with the country's modernization, while "Universal World" casts its global view on overseas painters.
"Flowing Image" focuses on humans in different times and cultures to highlight people's and culture's mobility in the era of globalization.
"Whirling of Time" features Chinese ink and Western oil paintings.
"Identity and Empathy" and "Paradigm and Trend" are devoted to Chinese brush works in a poetic and romantic way, exploring "Chineseness" in a world of black and white, ink and water.
The exhibition coincides with a six-month celebration of the museum's 4th anniversary that runs until May.
Exhibition info
Dates: Through May 18 (closed on Mondays), 10am-6pm
Venue: Shanghai Powerlong Museum
Address: 3055 Caobao Road
