Art festival highlights ancient Jiangnan architecture

A two-month art festival running at Wisdom Bay in Baoshan District is aimed at promoting the charisma of the ancient buildings in Jiangnan region to teenagers in town.

Jiangnan, south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, has for centuries been depicted in a romantic, classic and poetic manner.

Many teenagers might have visited some ancient gardens and buildings in Jiangnan region in the past, but this festival offers a more detailed insight about them.

The ongoing art festival covers a series of activities and events, varying from two exhibitions and public installation to painting and woodcraft workshops.

"We hope the teenagers could touch and feel the things they have learnt about in books," the organizer said.

One exhibition introduces the basics of ancient Jiangnan buildings, including the materials used, the construction process and the structure of a typical house. The concrete objects enhanced by animation and VR techniques vividly reflect the history and knowledge behind these buildings.

Another exhibition showcases a group of works by five artists inspired by Jiangnan buildings and gardens. For example, artist Chen Hanyu compiled a science book composed of cartoon illustrations.

"The book could be a little difficult for teenagers, but it is a good starting point for them," he said, "As I compiled it, I couldn't understand some of the building techniques till I did a lot of research to grasp the details in my illustrations."

Likewise Zhou Yang, whose black-and-white photos are on display at the exhibition, said "I want to invite teenagers and their parents to feel the ambiance wafting over those Jiangnan gardens instead of just listening to the tour guides. They can imagine the fantastic stories that could happen there."

Exhibition info

Date: Through August 31 (closed on Mondays), 10am-8pm
Address: 6 Yunchuan Rd, Baoshan District