There’s no lack of tall buildings in Lujiazui, but poetic escapes
On July 8th, Museum of Art Pudong, or MAP, opened to the public
The construction of the new cultural landmark took over 3 years
5 years ago, among bidders from all over the world
French architect and Pritzker Prize-winner Jean Nouvel won the bidding
For the art museum project in a “poetic location” in Shanghai
The “box” museum has a huge screen
Which can be seen on the Bund side
The glass wall extends as long as 50m
We wish artists to create freely here
The huge glass wall is designed to introduce a dimension beyond the venue and the building
It’s a tribute to artist Duchamp who came up with the idea of “the fourth dimension”
There’s also a “big box” inside the building
The ceiling is as high as 30m
Big works can be hung or arranged there
Artist Cai Guoqiang customizes big installations for the space
Spaceships and aliens float above
They show stories of getting rid of gravity and embracing the universe from different civilizations
On the first floor there’re treasures from Britain’s Tate
Ophelia by Millais is one of the exhibits
It’s the only art work in the hall
There’re three halls at the same positions from the second floor to the fourth floor
As you walk into a “white box”
You unlock a blockbuster exhibition
The second floor exhibits Cai Guoqiang’s Gunpowder series over the past 5 years
In 2017, he started his journey
Of visiting major art museums across the world
He painted with gunpowder to communicate with masterpieces in the art history
He returned to China in 2020
He set off fireworks over the model of the Forbidden City made of white marble
On the third floor there’s an exhibition themed “Light” with Tate’s art collection
From paintings, statues to images
120 art works with a history of over 200 years come all the way from Britain’s Tate
On the fourth floor there’s an exhibition of works by Joan Miró
The national treasure of Spain
When you walk out of the hall
You can capture the Oriental Pearl Tower in a hidden corner
In the public space, the ceiling and lights are designed in a creative way
Squares and lines meet and form playful patterns
It’s a tribute to artist Malevich
As you walk round the rooftop
You can have a good view of the various buildings in the Bund
On the side near the river, a 50-meter-long bridge extends
From the museum’s second floor to the riverside
The park near the river is as long as 700 meters
People get closer and closer to the water along the bridge
When they turn around and look at the museum’s façade
They can see the lines carved on the surface
Like marks left by falling raindrops
To design an art museum is not only to make a building for art exhibitions
It’s not only to build something with concrete either
It’s about creating the encounter of humans with art and make people think
The center of Shanghai
It’s being occupied by art