Book sharing brings literature and art together

For people loving culture in different forms, the Center of Light Space at Pearl Art Museum is a place to visit.

Designed by world-famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the venue fuses literature, music and art.

An event combining book reading and a musical performance was held at the venue recently.

Pan Xiangli, winner of the fourth Lu Xun Literature Prize, shared her latest novel, "The Love Ukiyoe in Shanghai," with a group of invited guests including a renowned pianist, violinist, dancer and publisher such as Zhu Jiejing, Cui Lan and Xi Meijuan.

Pan included nine stories in the book under the theme of love between a man and woman in Shanghai in different generations.

"This place is open to everyone who would nurture their soul and inspire their mind through various encounters with art and literature," said Li Dandan, director of the art museum.

As a unique place that links an art museum and bookstore, Li and her team have embarked on a series of journeys filled with "words and art" in the past years, such as "Theater of Time: Zhai Yongming's Words and Photographs," the first presentation of the writings and photography of one of China's most important contemporary poets, and a comprehensive exhibition of the life of French writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885) through paintings, sculptures, photos, books, manuscripts and everyday objects.

"This book-sharing event is another attempt to promote literature to the public with something new," Li said. "The music played on site unwittingly brings the listeners closer to the characters depicted in the novel. They might fully focus on the world conjured up by the writer, utterly forgetting about the outside hustle and bustle."

Guests from diversified walks can also discuss their interpretations of love with the writer – the eternal subject of life – and try to broaden it in the areas of performance, dance and music.

"We hope to build up 'another dimensional reading' for the readers, or to be more exact, a multi-dimensional experience for them," Li said.

Event info:

Opening hours: 10am-7pm, Tuesdays-Thursdays; 10am-10pm, Fridays-Sundays

Venue: Pearl Art Museum

Address: 8/F, Aegean Place, 1588 Wuzhong Rd