Shanghai Art Museum

Daily life in Shanghai isn't really all that different from back home. Work, dinner, a little tv, read a bit, then sleep. The specifics might be different, but the rhythm is the same.Every now and then though, we try to remember that we're not here in Shanghai just to work and watch three seasons of Ugly Betty in a week. Nope, there's more to Shanghai than dirty street food, futureland like malls, and grandmas pushing you out of the way (and sometimes out the door) on the bus. With that in mind, James, Stephanie, Nicole, and I went to the Shanghai Art Museum.This is outside the museum, which used to be the main hall of the old Shanghai horse racing club. Next to it is the new Shanghai.This steamtrain circa the Cultural Revolution was a part of the museum as well.What you don't see is that the large group of Chinese people taking pictures of us.This is inside the train.scary doll.Inside the museum was everything I have been missing since coming to Shanghai. Look, culture...art...opinion. Above is a miniature replica of a slummy apartment.The layout of the museum was strange, since it was forced into the space of a stately Victorian building.I took a picture of people taking pictures of themselves. A video of people passing by was projected onto the wall.In all, there was too much for me to post everything, but I'll put up a few highlights.

There were these crazy happy dinosaur people things.
Stephanie and Nicole getting into the dinos.
Nice foot action
oops, me getting carried away.


There was also this disco ball room, with voices speaking both English and Mandarin.

This is what the disco ball room looks like with the flash on.
Nicole and Steph dancing. That's James talking, I'm following them around with the camera.





a neat video in the museum. Hmmm, quite Chinese of me to secretly record this. Maybe I can sell it for 5 rmb on the street.
Outside the museum, in People's Park.Everything lights up in People's Square after dark.

The museum was exactly the kind of break we needed. It was just nice to be surrounded by art that was meant to challenge. Living here, it's easy to let our brains slowly decay, especially considering the simple material we're teaching. The museum was a kind of jolt to the synapses, like the ultra-sugar rush of shanghai sweets.