Hosted by MadeIn Company, an exhibition entitled "Shanghai Plaza” is underway at its namesack shopping mall. Curated by Xu Zhen and Xiao Han, the show pays homage to "Art for Sale,” a contemporary exhibition exploring the relationship between art and commerce at the same mall.

Shanghai Plaza, reopened in September, has transformed into more than just a center for consumption and now makes art-viewing part of its experience.

Visitors will be greeted by two giant sculptures outside the plaza — Steven Harrington’s "GOTCHA" and Jeff Staple’s "STAPLE'S PIGEON." The two main entrances feature Lu Pingyuan’s "Look! I’m Picasso! 1802-C" and "Unboxing." There's also Shang Liang’s iconic sculpture from her "Boxing Man” series.

Lu says that his new series of works is inspired by the Pixar film “Toy Story.” The series’ name is a line from a scene where Mr Potato Head rearranges his eyes, nose and mouth and exclaims: “Look! I’m Picasso!”

Game aficionado Shang brought her most recent work “Head of the Boxing Man No. 1,” a fiberglass sculpture of a huge boxing glove, to Shanghai. The matte-black left-hand glove with a cartoon mouth wears a teasing and quirky smile.

“That expression is eye-catching,” Shang told Shanghai Daily while dusting her sculpture. “You can see the smile is a bit evil, a bit naughty and provoking, and that’s really intriguing.”

In the center of the main hall is Xu's sculpture “Eternity (Greek Columns, Heels),” which combines classic Corinthian columns with a pair of red heels. The giant work collides ancient heritage with modern consumerism in a conflicting yet harmonious way.

Kebeyo Chen Café in this photo-friendly art space is a perfect choice for a coffee or dessert. Designed by Chen, the blue-toned café together with her “Relationship” series pieces are on display at the mall for one more month.

Exhibition info

Date: November 29, 10am-10pm
Tel: 6375-6311
Venue: Shanghai Plaza
Address: 138 Huaihai Rd M.