Reconstructing the Historical Appearance of Shanghai Hongkou Art Deco, Erdongqiang as the Exhibition City | Shanghai Style | Erdongqiang
Exquisite wooden antique writing desks, mottled ship cabin windows, and a replica of the Good Friends Pictorial editorial department, these wonderful combinations of time imprints in the Zhu Qizhan Art Museum have opened up the artistic journey of Shanghai style urban archaeology with the art language of ART DECO. Famous photographer Er Dongqiang, from an artistic perspective, reorganizes the relics along the Yujingpu, Shajing Port, Hongkou Port, Suzhou River, and Huangpu River, searching for and activating the contemporaneity, avant-garde, and modernity of Hongkou over the past century from the texture of urban natural geography. Screen out new shining points in well-known neighborhoods such as Sichuan North Road and Tilanqiao.
On August 14th, the "Thousand Sails Competition - Hongkou · ART DECO Erdong Strong Jiangnan Field Survey Literature Exhibition" kicked off at the Zhu Qizhan Art Museum. By delving into the sea of history, searching for old shadows and old papers, combining historical images with current creations, using literature, artifacts, and images to reconstruct the rich historical appearance of Hongkou ART DECO, exploring urban renewal and neighborhood revitalization, and inspiring people's thinking in the collision between historical relics and modern life.
Art Deco refers to the Art Deco movement, which first appeared in Paris in 1920 and became popular worldwide, reaching its peak in the 1930s. As an artistic style, its characteristics are simplicity, brightness, emphasis on lines and colors, full of dynamic and positive charm. It responds to the demand of the times for machines and new materials, strives to downplay the conflict between art and industry, dissolve the traditional distinction between artists and craftsmen, and adapt to the requirements of large-scale production through design.
Shanghai is the second largest city in the world in terms of existing Art Deco buildings, second only to New York. Art Deco has a wide range of performances in Shanghai. From towering buildings, elegant furniture, speeding trains, exquisite toys, to common calendar boards, billboards, paintings, movies, books, magazines, they are everywhere. This exhibition takes a unique approach and is divided into 7 themed scenes using Art Deco's artistic language. The entire venue showcases the urban cultural connotations of enriching international style, showcasing Chinese elements, and showcasing Shanghai style characteristics. It is an active practice to highlight Shanghai's cultural brand.
Mr. Er Dongqiang is a famous artist in Shanghai. More than twenty years ago, he held ArtDeco art photography and collections exhibitions in Shanghai, Tokyo, Miami, and Melbourne, which were widely praised. The book "Shanghai ArtDeco" showcases the connection between Shanghai and ArtDeco from various aspects, interpreting the character of Shanghai's openness, innovation, inclusiveness, modernity, fashion, radicalism, richness, and courage to move forward. He has received awards from professional organizations such as the American Institute of Architects, and his related achievements have been repeatedly reported by Western media such as Time magazine in the United States.
Now, he has focused his vision on Shanghai style urban archaeology and conducted nearly a year of field research in Hongkou. Through static system recording, research, and sorting out the cultural texture and ecological distribution in the physical space of the city, he dynamically integrates, inventories, and extracts urban cultural resources, and uses Shanghai style urban archaeology to activate urban historical and cultural resources. This exhibition aims to create a three-dimensional and multi-dimensional Shanghai urban promotion IP from the "Glorious Navigation Era" on the first floor, the "Classic Hongkou Creation" on the second floor, to the "Advanced Urban Culture" on the third floor. Through the artistic interpretation of "Poetry and Distance", it interprets the process of discovering, experiencing, and sharing cities, and practices the pursuit of promoting cities through art. It comprehensively explores the rediscovery of urban cultural resources, rediscovers the value of urban art, and re experiences a better urban life.
As the birthplace of Shanghai style culture, Hongkou has a unique international perspective. China's first telephone was connected here, the first electric light was lit here, and the first formal cinema was also born in Hongkou. In terms of accepting and promoting ArtDeco, Hongkou is also a high-density area distributed in Shanghai, with a wide range of artistic elements integrated into various aspects. From a more fundamental and specific perspective, "Qianfan Jingfa" showcases the consistent international style and unique charm of Hongkou, particularly the numerous ArtDeco style exhibits collected and manufactured in Hongkou, including furniture, household appliances, household utensils, posters, journal books, and more.
Now, he has focused his vision on Shanghai style urban archaeology and conducted nearly a year of field research in Hongkou. Through static system recording, research, and sorting out the cultural texture and ecological distribution in the physical space of the city, he dynamically integrates, inventories, and extracts urban cultural resources, and uses Shanghai style urban archaeology to activate urban historical and cultural resources. This exhibition aims to create a three-dimensional and multi-dimensional Shanghai urban promotion IP from the "Glorious Navigation Era" on the first floor, the "Classic Hongkou Creation" on the second floor, to the "Advanced Urban Culture" on the third floor. Through the artistic interpretation of "Poetry and Distance", it interprets the process of discovering, experiencing, and sharing cities, and practices the pursuit of promoting cities through art. It comprehensively explores the rediscovery of urban cultural resources, rediscovers the value of urban art, and re experiences a better urban life.
