Exhibition sculpts district's unique identity
Eighty-seven pieces of sculptured works are on display in the 2018 Jing’an International Sculpture Project, which runs from September 20 through December 20.
The works by 40 artists from 14 countries and regions will mostly be on show in the Jing’an Sculpture Park. The rest will be exhibited in Daning Park and Shibei High Technology Park.
The city’s biennale sculpture exhibition was launched in Jing’an in 2008. Over a decade, sculpture has become a distinguishing feature of the district’s urban landmarks, said Gong Mingjun, an official with the Jing’an greenery authority.
“Sculpture promotes the urban scene and improves public cultural appreciation,” he said. “In 2016, we extended the exhibition from Jing’an Sculpture Park to Daning Park. This year we are adding the Shibei High Technology Park, where the city’s top big data experts, startup entrepreneurs and other young people work. We hope to cover more groups and areas in the future.”
Pieces that shouldn’t be missed
"Stand quiet and gaze over the Mediterranean"
'Stand quiet and gaze over the Mediterranean'
This giant upside-down truck sculpture, designed by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm, is part of well-known “One Minute Sculptures Series” that captivated the world during the Venice Biennale in 2017.
It is erected where last biennale’s star attraction “Urban Fox” stood. The giant straw-and-metal fox installation was demolished last month.
“Stand quiet and gaze over the Mediterranean Sea” is expected to be this year’s big drawcard.
It’s more than just a “view-only” sculpture. It has a staircase that leads people to an observation platform at the top, where visitors are asked to imagine that they are enjoying the beautiful views of the Mediterranean.
“Wurm wants people to not be restricted by what they actually see and to extend the limits of their imagination,” said organizer Mao Wencai.
"Der Morgen oder Holderlin"
'Der Morgen oder Holderlin'
The bronze statue of German poet Friedrich Holderlin was made by German artist Markus Lupertz, one of the most important post-World War II artists in Germany. He built the statue to pay tribute to Holderlin because both men were fascinated by the mysteries and romance of Greek myths. The artist uses colorful paints on the statue to express a rebellious attitude.
"Triskaidekastack"
'Triskaidekastack'
Evan Holloway from Los Angles uses colorful aluminum to make a row of faces, with bulbs as noses. Every face has different expressions. They are surprised, suspicious or fascinated by something. Holloway uses a simple, humorous style to inspire people to think about today’s social values.
"Rebirth of Shared Bicycles"
'Rebirth of Shared Bicycles'
Local artist group A.R.T Institute uses discarded shared bikes to make a group of animal installations. The bike-made animals look like they are running down the slope beside the Shanghai Natural History Museum. The artists were inspired by the social “headache” created when volumes of old shared bikes were randomly piled on roadsides. They are trying to send the message that discarded bikes can be recycled and transformed into something new.
"Kaleidome"
'Kaleidome'
This work is designed by Hong Kong-based artist group LAAB. Hundreds of stainless- steel mirrors form a huge semi-circle. People can see their images on the mirrors and become part of the work. LAAB said it wants people to go beyond being just visitors and become an intrinsic part of public art.
