Film-based 'Ode to Shanghai' at Mu Xin Art Museum

"Ode to Shanghai: Films, photographs and paintings from 1934-2024" will be on show at the Mu Xin Art Museum in Wuzhen from June 1 to September 1.

The exhibition, under the title of Mu Xin's literary work "Ode to Shanghai," covers more than 140 classic clips of Shanghai-themed films and TV dramas, photographs, and paintings created from the 1930s to the present day, making it the most complicated and diversified show since the opening of the Mu Xin Art Museum in 2015.

Almost two decades ago, the name Mu Xin (1927-2011) was unknown to most people in China. These days, Mu is widely recognized for his talents in art, literature, and music.

"Leaning in the window or standing to the side of the balcony, you can see the big house like a stage set piece blocked the blue sky," Mu wrote in his "Ode to Shanghai."

"There is a kind of great mercy reflected by the white cloud floating on the slashed sky."

"Blossoms Shanghai," a TV drama directed by Wong Kar-wai, swept the country.

"In fact, the topic of Shanghai on the screen has been quiet for a long time," Chen Danqing, the director at Mu Xin Art Museum, said. "So we try to present this small visual documentation of Shanghai to the public, based on the spiritual core of Mu's `Ode to Shanghai'."

In the film section, visitors would encounter the clippings of some famous old movies including "Farewell, Shanghai," "The Crow and the Sparrow" and "The Wanderings of Sanmao" that were produced from 1934 to 1957.

Movies of the 1960s and 1990s with topics related to Shanghai are also selected for the exhibition, not to mention the latest TV dramas and films such as "Blossoms Shanghai," "B for Busy" and "The Wasted Times."

The exhibition also includes a series of pictures captured by Lu Yuanmin and Yong He, two renowned local photographers widely known for their recording of the ordinary life scenes and people in the past several decades. Their photos perhaps are the best witness to reflect the vicissitudes of the society and people.

The paintings created by Zhang Leping (1910-1992), Zhang Guangyu (1900-1965), Jin Yucheng and Yu Youhan (1943-2023) are on display at the painting section of the exhibition.

One of the spotlights of the exhibition is the overcoat of Mu Xin on show at a small room. The overcoat was purchased by him in New York. Mu moved to New York in 1982.

"Although the man had spent his young adulthood in a particular era when he never owned one of the pure wool suits that he depicted, yet it appears on the main character of 'Blossoms Shanghai' in the first episode," said Chen Danqing.

Exhibition Info

Date: July 1-September 1, 9am-5pm, (closed on Mondays)

Venue: Mu Xin Art Museum

Admission: 20 yuan

If you go:

By train: Take a high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station or Shanghai South Railway Station to Jiaxing or Tongxiang City, then take a bus or taxi to Wuzhen. The whole journey takes around 1-2 hours.

By bus: Take a long-distance bus from Shanghai East Bus Station to Wuzhen.

By car: Wuzhen is roughly 120 kilometers from Shanghai and takes approximately two hours to reach.