The "art train" on the Huangpu River is one year old! The "youngest" art museum on the West Bund has new highlights this summer
On the last weekend of June, although the weather was a little hot and humid with showers, the iconic train of the Star Art Museum in Xuhui Riverside was bustling with activity. On June 29, 10 groups of families participated in the "Mosaic Game" art workshop of the public education project of the Star Art Museum's art train, and experienced a "pixel journey" in the space transformed from the old green train.
Zhang Zhihui, the person in charge of the public education project of the Art Train of START Art Museum, said that the visual elements of the world-famous "Pac-Man" video game can be traced back to the mosaic craft from the 5th to 4th century BC, when the world's earliest pixel paintings appeared. Later, pointillism represented by artist Georges Seurat was considered another source of pixel art. Today, Lego blocks loved by adults and children, and "Space Invaders" street art works that can be seen in the streets and alleys of Europe, all have the imprint of pixel art.
In the "Mosaic Game" art workshop, children and parents, under the guidance of young artists, used novel puzzle materials to collage stars, smiley faces and various animal patterns, and they could also create their own imaginative "Pixel Elf" pendants. With the help of an open source web sequencer, children could also create theme songs for their own "Pixel Elf".
The reporter noticed that during the teaching and DIY process, Zhang Zhihui occasionally interspersed the history of the development of image art in her explanation, including the difference between dynamic and static images, and the evolution from ancient Greek mosaic art to Impressionism and Pointillism. At the same time, she also combined her sculpture major to explain the connection between mosaic art and Lego toys to the children, stimulating the children's observation, thinking and imagination. At the end of the project, each child had a "Baji" cartoon badge made by themselves. When wearing it in daily life, they can actively tell their classmates and partners about their experience of participating in artistic creation.
As the youngest art museum on Xuhui Riverside's "Art Gallery Avenue", Star Art Museum launched the "Art Train", an all-age friendly art education project in July last year, using the train compartment space left over from the original site of the museum, Nanpu Railway Station, to create an art interactive space for the public. Over the past year, the "Art Train" has brought more than 180 art workshops to the general public on holidays and weekends.
Zhang Zhihui, a young artist born in the 1990s, is currently the director of the Art Train Public Education Project. She graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts with a degree in sculpture and studied in Paris and London. After coming to Shanghai in 2020, her first job was brand development for children's art design courses. In her opinion, the sustainability of private art galleries in carrying out public education projects faces multi-dimensional challenges such as funding, talent and audience.
The reporter learned that when private art galleries, including the Star Art Museum, carry out public education activities, there are both free places for public welfare and some paid activities, with prices ranging from less than 100 yuan to several hundred yuan. The public education activities with a single charge of less than 100 yuan mainly cover the cost of consumables for the course. "A good phenomenon is that people are now more willing to pay to participate in public education activities in art galleries, provided that the quality of the courses and activities is guaranteed." Zhang Zhihui said.
Located at No. 111, Ruining Road, Xing Art Museum was initiated by art researcher He Juxing in 2015. The main building was designed by Jean Nouvel, a Pritzker Prize winner and international architect. The original site of the museum was the "Rihui Port Warehouse", the first modern sea-land railway platform in China, which was built in 1907. It was later renamed Rihui Port Railway Station, Shanghai South Railway Station, and Nanpu Railway Station. It officially withdrew from the historical stage on the eve of the Shanghai World Expo.
After the Star Art Museum opened at the end of 2022, the train carriage was retained on one side of the main building. There were various considerations for the use of the carriage, such as restaurants, cafes, pop-up stores, and special exhibition halls. In the end, the museum operator decided to open this industrial relic with historical value as an urban public art space. In addition to holding various art and brand pop-up events from time to time, it will be used as a venue for the museum's public education activities, allowing the friendly "green train" to echo the avant-garde contemporary art exhibitions in the museum.
This year, the Art Train Project has joined the Xuhui District's "Social Aesthetic Education" campaign. Through interdisciplinary art courses, workshops, and research, it has created a child-friendly space and provided an art activity platform that stimulates interest and inspires thinking for children, adults, families, and groups on the banks of the Huangpu River.
Currently, the Star Art Museum is exhibiting two major exhibitions, "Backside: Yu Hong and Eliasson" and "Fuster: Taking Shape". The former is a new exhibition of the "World Art History since the 1960s" theme section of the Star Art Museum, exhibiting artist Yu Hong's first VR work "She Was Here" created in 2017 and Olafur Eliasson's 2011 work "Your Cosmic Campfire", and the latter is a solo exhibition of young Chinese painter Fuster. Both exhibitions will close on July 7.
This summer, the Star Art Museum plans to launch the first anniversary party of the Art Train in mid-July, inviting the general public, especially families with children, to "get on board" to make a three-dimensional art book and create their own "Train" anniversary album. In addition, the museum also plans to launch activities such as the "Art Train Fun Club" and the "One-Day Train Conductor" for young people. Follow the museum's public education and research team to plan and design workshop content, understand the operation links and course creation process, and present the Star Art Museum's "all-people, all-age, all-region, all-time" aesthetic education system in multiple dimensions, contributing more artistic creativity and vitality to Shanghai.
