China's Sanxingdui and France's Rodin collide in Shanghai

Wang Haoling
You can experience what happens when two worlds in art come together as pieces separated by over 3000 years go on display at Shanghai University Museum in a special exhibition.
Wang Haoling

What kind of sparks will collide when China's Sanxingdui meets France's Rodin? What would be the scene when two sets of art pieces separated by over 3000 years are placed together in the same space? You can personally experience it at the Shanghai University Museum.

A special exhibition titled "Glory of Bronze Civilization: A Dialogue Between Sanxingdui and Auguste Rodin Across Space and Time" is currently at the museum.

China's Sanxingdui and France's Rodin collide in Shanghai
Ti Gong

The special exhibition is titled "Glory of Bronze Civilization: A Dialogue Between Sanxingdui and Auguste Rodin Across Space and Time."

Both Sanxingdui bronze artifacts and Rodin sculptures use bronze as the main material for expression, with humans and gods as important subjects. Sanxingdui opens the door to the ancient Shu civilization, while Rodin opens the prelude to modern sculpture.

The exhibition explores the common connection between the spiritual world of the ancient Shu civilization and Rodin's creative ideas by creating a profound dialogue between the two sides in the fields of nature, humans, and gods, showcasing the eternal interests of human civilization crossing regions and time and space, and carrying out a transcendent dialogue that connects ancient and modern China and foreign countries.

China's Sanxingdui and France's Rodin collide in Shanghai
Ti Gong

The exhibition showcases a total of 57 works from Sanxingdui and Rodin.

The exhibition showcases a total of 57 works, including 36 unearthed ancient cultural relics mainly from Sanxingdui and 21 modern artworks mainly from Rodin. Works include the famous "Gold Mask," "Bronze Head with Gold Foil," "Bronze Tiger" and other typical and representative artifacts of the ancient Shu civilization; as well as influential and representative works in Western sculpture, such as "Balzac's portrait," "Madame Fenaille," "A Woman Wearing a Veil," and "The Gate of Hell, 2nd Model."

The exhibition will run through February 1, 2024.

China's Sanxingdui and France's Rodin collide in Shanghai
Wang Haoling / SHINE

Works from Sanxingdui and Rodin are placed together in the same space.

China's Sanxingdui and France's Rodin collide in Shanghai
Wang Haoling / SHINE

Rodin's "Balzac's portrait."

China's Sanxingdui and France's Rodin collide in Shanghai
Holin Wang / SHINE

"Bronze Human-Face Mask" from Sanxingdui.

If you go:

Date: Through Feb 1

Venue: 1/F, Shanghai University Museum 上海大学博物馆1楼

Address: 333 Nanchen Rd 南陈路333号

Admission: Free. Please take your passport if you are an expat. Reservation is recommended on the "Shanghai University Museum" WeChat mini program.

Chinese explanation is available at 10am, 2pm and 3:30pm every day.


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