Fotografiska Center of Photography

Current Exhibitions:

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UN/MASKED: The exhibition ‘UN/MASKED – True Self, Masked Life’ is on display from November 7, 2024, to February 16, 2025. Following the Fotografiska museums in Stockholm, Berlin, and New York, the artist Bolodina is set to present her solo exhibition in Shanghai, leading Chinese audiences into a ‘mirror world’ filled with surrealism, symbolism, and experimental fashion elements. This exhibition delves into self, identity, and emotions, exploring how we present ourselves to others and the multifaceted nature of our hidden personalities.

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Bolodina states that the works on display discuss ‘the roles we put on and the masks we create to make the lives of others or our own more comfortable and easier to understand.’ The exhibition features 150 of Bolodina’s works, showcasing her profound skills in fashion and art photography, and leading viewers through a series of experimental pieces for a soulful dialogue with the artist. Visitors will be able to intimately observe Bolodina’s artistic talent, immerse themselves in her emotional journey, and unlock the self-extension of ‘us’ in parallel universes.

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Sweet Dream: The exhibition ‘Sweet Dream – System’s Dream’ runs from October 13, 2024, to January 12, 2025. In the era of information overload, what is the true ‘good dream’? Is it a brief respite from reality or a re-examination of our relationship with the world and ourselves? This exhibition offers a platform for reflection, prompting viewers to deeply discuss the complex relationship between the internet, sleep, and humanity.

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By exploring these themes, the artist simulates the dilemmas of contemporary urban life, inviting viewers to rethink how to establish their own time and independent spirit in a technology-driven society. The artist’s focus on screen-based contemporary life is presented theatrically, showcasing the intricate realities and psychological states of modern society. As the exhibition title ‘Sweet Dream’ suggests, it signifies the systematic characteristics of modern life and the dreams we create within the system.

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Viewers will experience the interweaving of dreams and everyday life in the reconstructed context by the artist. Chen Wei constructs an immersive audio-visual environment through photography, video, installations, and sound works, allowing viewers to directly experience the profound impact of digital life. In this space, viewers are not just observers but participants, facing the bombardment of blue light and digital information, perceiving how technology profoundly shapes our emotions and behaviors.

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Through this immersive experience, the artist guides viewers to contemplate the shaping of technology and time in modern life and how to face the impact of such systems on everyday life.

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Three in One | Exhibition Dates: October 13, 2024, to January 12, 2025

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In a world increasingly dominated by similar digital image and construction tools, how should creators approach their work? Many of Li Weiyi’s works stem from reflections on decades of a career as a designer and image maker, such as the brutalities within the image-making industry and the efficiency and delays of images as a medium of communication. The title of the exhibition ‘Three in One’ is derived from the works on display and mirrors the three parts of the exhibition: the ‘Three in One’ practical chair that reinvents art classics, the ‘Flower Arrangement Practice’ on 3D scan cross-sections, and the floating image of the girl in water ‘Sisters in Water’.

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These three pieces represent different facets of the artist’s creative practice and sketch out their background, personality, and environment, compacting into a portrait of Li Weiyi as a ‘Three in One’ entity.

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Marvellous Realism | Exhibition Dates: August 30, 2024, to December 1, 2024

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The African photography exhibition ‘Marvellous Realism’ opened in Shanghai on August 30, 2024. The exhibition focuses on sub-Saharan African countries, adopting a transnational perspective to display photographic and video works by both renowned and emerging artists. Through these works, artists envision contemporary African cultural characteristics as a state of continuous possibility, where myth, memory, and movement intertwine into a rich tapestry of imaginative art.

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Despite the long-standing economic and political exchanges and good relations between China and Africa, the Chinese public remains relatively unfamiliar with the rich and diverse contemporary art and culture of Africa. The exhibition ‘Marvellous Realism’ aims to enhance the audience’s understanding and awareness of this aspect of Africa. The works of the participating artists depict Africa as a naturally inclusive state of the world, similar to philosopher Achille Mbembe’s description of the African continent as ‘a movement body born from overlapping lineages and multiple intersections’.

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Lady Linda Wong Davies, founder of the Dato’ Ong Kim Seng Foundation and co-organizer of the ‘Marvellous Realism’ exhibition, said: ‘We are very excited to collaborate with two outstanding curators to successfully plan this crucial exhibition and bring it to life, to further deepen Sino-African cultural relations. In Asia, we have never witnessed an exhibition like this—one that fosters a broader recognition and understanding of mutual cultural benefits, re-examines biases against China and Africa, and promotes the rich creative potential that Africa can offer to other regions of the world through such captivating artistic media.

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If one were to describe Shanghai in the early 1990s with a single adjective, what would come to mind first? Stylish? Open? Transformative? In the early 1990s, Shanghai was undergoing a new transformation, with countless new things rapidly changing the cityscape, people’s lives, and interpersonal relationships. Between 1990 and 1993, Dutch photographer Robert van der Hilst roamed the streets and alleys of Shanghai, capturing through his lens the portraits of people in different spaces during this specific era.

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His work not only showcases the bustling scenes of this international metropolis but also narrates the traces of time in the old urban areas. The solo exhibition ‘Shanghai: Time & Timeless 1990-1993’ at the Fotografiska Image Art Center takes you back to Shanghai in 1990, open, passionate, and with a hint of coldness, through photographs taken during several visits to the city in the first four years of the last decade of the 20th century.

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Curated by curator and writer Shi Han Tao, the exhibition is specially supported by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai. During the exhibition period, multiple lectures and交流活动 themed around 1990s Shanghai will also be held. In addition to Mandarin and English audio guides, Shanghainese audio guides will be added, with Ms. Pang Jie, founder of Branding Shanghai and cultural consultant for the drama ‘Fan Hua’, invited to record the audio guide for this exhibition.

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Full opening hours: 01/01-11/03 closed on Mondays; 11/06-12/31 closed on Mondays; 01/01-11/03 open Tuesday-Sunday 10:30-22:00; 11/06-12/31 open Tuesday-Sunday 10:30-22:00; 11/04-11/05 closed. Concessions: Students (Master’s degree and below), please present valid student identification to purchase student tickets at the Fotografiska Image Art Center. Valid student identification includes full-time diploma, undergraduate, and master’s degree identification from ordinary colleges and universities, as well as identification for students in primary and secondary schools.

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Discover the Fotografiska Center for Photography and Art, a hub for art enthusiasts and photographers alike. Offering discounted tickets for a more accessible experience, this center is a must-visit destination for those seeking to immerse themselves in the world of visual arts.

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