Viewing Rooms Online to Allow for the Enjoyment of Contemporary Art

Viewing Rooms Online to Allow for the Enjoyment of Contemporary Art
#BulgariStories

The persistence of the lockdown in Shanghai has put all social environs to the test. Many of the galleries in the city have reacted by developing ex-nuovo online events or by enhancing their schedule of online exhibitions, also seeking to engage the public in the creative processes of the artists with whom they collaborate. The offerings are extremely rich and demonstrate the great spirit of resilience of the city which has sought to transfer some of the pro-active attitude which marks its daily life into the online experience. Along with exhibitions visible online directly on the sites of art galleries, with images of set ups taken live before the forced shutdown, as with the double personal exhibition Michael Lin&Heidi Voet: Doublespeak at the BANK MABSOCIETY, are exhibition/events conceived for the virtual environment expressly. Spring Encounters at Ota Fine Arts is the online transposition of an exhibition which speaks symbolically of rebirth, re-awakening - a contemporary genesis which offers comfort in taken on the current challenge we are facing. In The Studio: Hilmi Johandi, which can be seen in the viewing room section of the same platform, meanwhile, is an introduction to the modus operandi of the artist residing in Singapore Hilmi Johandi, with videos, images and a complete interview. Capsule Shanghai has implemented its schedule online, offering “guided visits” in 360° of a selection of the exhibitions organised by the gallery with an offering ranging from Sarah Faux to Alice Wang, from Cai Zebin to Miranda Fengyuan Zhang. The Video section also offers a trailer of some of the works and introductions to the exhibitions held over the years. The Lisson Gallery, in its Studio section, conducts the spectator into the privacy of the studios of artists, such as Van Hanos, Channa Horwitz, Ryan Gander and Christian Jankowski. While the virtual experience - sustained by a growing market - cannot substitute the live experience, in this moment of lockdown, this approach is not a surrender but a potent, energetic signal from the world of contemporary culture.

Manuela Lietti - © 2022 ARTE.it for Bulgari Hotel Shanghai