Sure this country has plenty in the way of ancient art and artefacts, from the Qing tombs to the Forbidden City archives… But if you’re over the old and want to gain a glimpse at modern art in C.21st China, you’d best head to the China Art Palace, itself a conversation starter sitting pretty in Shanghai.
Shaped like a once-upon-a-time emperor’s crown, gussied up in red and spread over five staggering levels, the CAP is the largest art museum in all of Asia, homing a 14,000-strong collection of contemporary Sino mixed-media works – she ain’t messing around.
If you haven’t the time to devote to see the whole museum (and let’s face it, cocktail hour beckons), check out the permanent exhibit ‘The Bright Moon Rises from the Sea’, chronicling the rise of mod Chinese art starting from the fall of the Qing Dynasty…
Or take a gander at the touring shows, which in the last three years have come from an acclaimed roster of international museums including London’s British Museum, Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and Paris’ Musée d’Orsay. Alternatively, keep the focus on Asia and cast your eye to current highlight ‘The Eye and the Mind’ from New Delhi’s Gallery of Modern Art, presenting a focus on the evolution of contempo Indian oeuvres in recent years.
Whatever you choose, leave the stillies at home and get ready for a day of cultural insight. It ain’t an underground terracotta army, but it’s a thought-provoking afternoon nonetheless.
China Art Palace, 205 Shangnan Lu, Pudong, Shanghai, +86 400 921 9021, sh-artmuseum.org.cn
For more fab art in Shanghai, check out the LUXE Shanghai guide or download our handy new app with maps !
