Fotografiska Center for Photography and Visual Arts

Current Exhibitions: System Dreams | Sweet Dreams Exhibition Dates: October 13, 2024, to January 12, 2024. In an era of information overload, what does a ‘good dream’ truly represent? Is it a temporary escape from reality or a reexamination of our relationship with the world and ourselves? This exhibition offers a platform for reflection, prompting visitors to delve into the complex relationship between the internet, sleep, and humanity. Through the exploration of these themes, the artist simulates the dilemmas of contemporary urban life, inviting viewers to reconsider how to establish personal time and independent spirit in a technology-driven society. Focusing on the screen-saturated life of the present, the exhibition unfolds theatrically, presenting the intricate realities and psychological states of contemporary society. As the exhibition title ‘System Dreams’ suggests, it indicates the systematic characteristics of modern life and the dreams we create within these systems. Visitors will experience the interweaving of dreams and everyday life within the reconstructed context by the artist. Chen Wei constructs an immersive audio-visual environment through photography, video, installations, and sound works, allowing visitors to directly experience the profound impact of digital life. In this space, visitors are not just observers but also participants, sensing how technology deeply shapes our emotions and behaviors amidst the bombardment of blue light and digital information. 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. Three in One | Exhibition Dates: October 13, 2024, to January 12, 2024. In a world increasingly dominated by similar digital image and construction tools, how should creators produce art? Many of Li Weiyi’s works stem from reflections on decades of a career as a designer and image maker, such as the cruelties within the image-making industry, and the efficiency and delay of images as a medium in communication. The title of the exhibition ‘Three in One’ originates from the works displayed and also mirrors the three parts of the exhibition: the ‘Three in One’ practical chair that transforms artistic classics, the ‘Ikebana Practice’ on 3D-scanned object cross-sections, and the floating image of the drowning girl ‘Sisters in Water’. These three works represent different facets of the artist’s creative practice and sketch their background, personality, and environment, compacting into a portrait of Li Weiyi, like a three-in-one entity. Marvellous Realism | Exhibition Dates: August 30, 2024, to December 1, 2024. The African photography exhibition ‘Marvellous Realism’ opened in Shanghai on August 30, 2024.
The exhibition focuses on countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, adopting a transnational perspective to showcase the photographic and video works of both renowned and emerging artists. Through these works, artists have envisioned the contemporary African cultural characteristics as a state of ongoing possibility, where myth, memory, and movement interweave into a vibrant tapestry of imaginative art. Despite the long-standing economic and political exchanges and good relations between China and Central Africa, the Chinese public remains relatively unfamiliar with the rich and diverse aspects of contemporary African art and culture. The ‘Extraordinary Realism’ exhibition 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, akin to the description of the continent by philosopher Achille Mbembe, as ‘a body in motion formed by overlapping lineages and multiple intersections.’ Lady Linda Wong Davies, founder of the Dato’ Jimmy Wong Foundation and co-host of the ‘Extraordinary Realism’ exhibition, expressed her excitement about collaborating with two outstanding curators to successfully plan this crucial exhibition and bring it to life, in order to further deepen Sino-African cultural relations. In Asia, we have never witnessed an exhibition like this—one that fosters a broader and mutually beneficial cultural understanding and recognition through such captivating artistic media, re-examining biases against China and Africa, and promoting the rich creative potential that Africa can offer to other regions of the world. Robert Van Der Hilst | Shanghai: Time & Timeless 1990-1993 Exhibition Date: August 9, 2024, to November 3, 2024. If you were to describe Shanghai in the early 1990s with one adjective, what would come to mind first? Stylish? Open? Transformative? Shanghai in the early 1990s was undergoing a new transformation, with countless new things rapidly changing the cityscape, people’s lives, and even the relationships between people. Between 1990 and 1993, Dutch photographer Robert van der Hilst roamed the streets of Shanghai, capturing through his lens the group portraits in different spaces of this particular era, showcasing both the bustling scenes of this international metropolis and the traces of time belonging to the old urban areas.

The personal exhibition ‘Shanghai: Moments and Eternity 1990-1993’ held at Fotografiska Image Art Center takes visitors back to the open, passionate, yet somewhat cold Shanghai of 1990 through photographs taken during several visits to the city during the first four years of the last decade of the 20th century. Curated by curator and writer Shao Hanhao, the exhibition has received special support from the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai. Throughout the exhibition period, multiple lectures and exchange activities themed around Shanghai in the 1990s will be held. In addition to Mandarin and English audio guides, a Shanghainese audio guide will also be added, featuring Ms. Pang Jie, founder of Branding Shanghai and cultural consultant for the series ‘Fanhua,’ who will record the audio guide. Opening hours: Closed all day on Mondays from 01/01-10/07 and from 10/09-12/31; Open from 10:30 to 22:00 Tuesday to Sunday during the same periods. On 10/08, closed all day. Student policy: Students (including master’s degree and below), please bring valid student identification to purchase student tickets at the Fotografiska Image Art Center. Valid student identification includes full-time junior college, undergraduate, and master’s degree identification cards from regular colleges and universities, as well as student identification cards from middle and primary schools. Discount tickets are available.

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