New Perspectives of Art in Shanghai:

Deconstructing the Shanghai Biennale

Sunday, 3 March 2024

2:15 pm Registration

2:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Continuing our examination of New Perspectives of Art in Shanghai, please join us in the ongoing series curated and moderated by the Art Focus Convener and Art Historian Julie Chun as we critically assess the pluralist aspects of local encounter and reception of art from abroad.

The Power Station of Art (PSA) opened on 1 October 2012 as the newest venue for the Shanghai Biennale, an international art showcase that takes place in our own city once every two years. The most recent iteration that kicked off on 9 November 2023, marking the 14th edition, is a dynamically charged comeback to re-assert the global cultural prestige of Shanghai in the aftermath of the pandemic. Under the expansive theme of Cosmos Cinema, the Chief-Curator and the Russian-born artist Anton Vidokle, has attempted to ignite the cavernous halls of the PSA with sounds and sights of immersive proportions, aligning no less than 147 artworks to the dual theme of the cosmic universe and cinematic intrigue.

For our on-site museum discussion, we will deconstruct the curatorial concept that hinges heavily on Russian history as it relates to modernist philosophy of art affecting the historical and present aspirations of space conquest. Through an interactive and participatory dialogue, we will assess how the artworks and the installations in the 14th Shanghai Biennale succeed in meeting or missing the curatorial mark. Moreover, we will also critically consider the structure of the biennales that are often ignored beyond the sphere of art professionals. Whether you have already visited the Shanghai Biennale or have yet to make a visit, this insightful session of Art Focus, conceived and moderated by Julie Chun, who has been publishing in-depth reviews of the Shanghai Biennale since 2012, will facilitate an open-access for the general members of the public to gain a deeper understanding of what the Shanghai Biennale is striving to achieve.

For more information about the exhibition, please visit: https://www.powerstationofart.com/whats-on/programs/shanghai-biennale/home​