In terms of artistic production in China, Beijing is definitely the hub. Shanghai, in contrast, is known more as an economic center and business-oriented city. But in preparation for the upcoming EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, the city is now positioning itself in the artistic regard. It has become evident to Anne-Laure Fournier that sculptures are being set up in public spaces across the entire city, Until now, she says, painting had been occupying center stage in the local art scene.

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Originally from France, Anne-Laure Fournier came to Shanghai in order to learn the language, but she remained in the city and now manages, together with Zhao Yonggang, the Galerie 1918 Shanghai ArtSPACE. Their gallery, housed in a former storage facility, is located only a few streets down from the Moganshan Lu, the art center of Shanghai, where, aside from a few traditional galleries, the Eastlink Gallery is also located.

In the Chinese art scene, says Fournier, there is no middle ground between sophisticated modern art and very traditional art. The sculpture in China is very much classically influenced, mostly figurative, and rarely abstract. For the gallery, this was, along with the changes occurring in the city, a motivation to more actively engage with more recent sculptural work in China, and to look for positions that link the traditional with the contemporary.
In our podcast, Ms. Fournier shows us examples of which artists are being presented in the gallery, with an emphasis on sculpture. In addition, we present a brief glimpse into the status of Shanghai’s art world in view of the country’s strained economic situation. (wh/jn)

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