A Buffet For The Senses

A45-ton train perched on real tracks, rice paddies, wine sloshing on window panes providing a burgundy-hued view of People’s Square, luggage strewn on the floor, disco balls in VIP rooms, multimedia presentations on typographical errors in DVDs, massive ants marching on walls and a Carpenters song emanating from a video. As soon as you step past the Shanghai Art Museum’s gate and before you even purchase your ticket, the 7th Shanghai Biennale has sufficiently piqued your interest.

Dubbed “Translocalmotion” or kuai cheng, kuai ke (“quick city, quick visitors”) the Biennale is impressive not only in expanse (four stories) but also in variety and cultural representation. Featuring the works of more than 50 artists, mostly from multi-cultural and multi-lingual backgrounds, the artists and their works are representations of the show’s overall theme. Focusing on the reality of migration, cultural identity, transience and movement against today’s rapid urbanization and globalization, this year’s show was markedly more serious than 2006’s “Hyperdesign” given the reality and complexity of its theme. A lot of information is packed into the show, from timelines to documentaries, to allegories and social commentaries. An hour is simply not enough and packing it all in one visit may potentially result in a sensory overload.

But it is worth a visit–or two. “Translocalmotion” provides numerous insights into life in Shanghai–its glorious past, the present that we live in, and its careening future. Two year’s worth of amassed art provide a veritable sensory buffet of all forms of media imaginable. Exhibits range from traditional videos, paintings and photographs to unusual installations which use edible materials, clothing and even live animals. “Translocalmotion” is total immersion in art portraying reality and a testament to the evolution of Shanghai's art scene.

Rosario Juan

DETAILS

When: Through Sunday, Nov. 16
Where: Shanghai Art Museum
Tel: 6327-2829