The 2019 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season (SUSAS) officially opened on September 28. Co-hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Planning and Natural Resources, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, and the Yangpu District People’s Government, this year’s edition continues to explore urban space themes against the backdrop of Shanghai’s ongoing urban renewal. The event is curated by Fram Kitagawa, the founder and artistic director of Japan’s Echigo-Tsumari Art Field and the Setouchi Triennale. Yoshiyuki Kawazoe, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo and an architect, serves as the curator for the Space Art section, while Professor Ruan Xin, founding dean of the School of Design at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, serves as the curator for the Planning and Architecture section. Zhang Ming, professor and deputy head of the Department of Architecture at Tongji University’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning, serves as the chief architect for the Art Season.
Under the theme "Encounter," the 2019 SUSAS is divided into two main sections: "Space Art" and "Planning and Architecture." General curator Fram Kitagawa remarked: "Shanghai is a place where China and world culture meet. The participating artists are representative figures from across the globe, and their work converges here. As a port city, Shanghai has engaged in extensive exchanges with other countries throughout its history. Whether past or present, East or West, everything meets here in a spectacular way. The theme of 'Encounter' is a reflection on Shanghai’s past and its growth, driven by our anticipation for all kinds of new encounters."
The Art Season utilizes a 5.5-kilometer waterfront public space in the southern section of the Yangpu Riverside as its main exhibition venue, with the former Shanghai Shipyard site (including the dry docks and the Wool and Hemp Warehouse) serving as the main exhibition hall area. The exhibition is open to the public free of charge from September 29 through November 30. With the opening of the exhibition, a 2.7-kilometer stretch to the east of the Yangpu Bridge and a 2.8-kilometer stretch to the west have been connected and unveiled to the public for the first time. Simultaneously, the dry docks and the Wool and Hemp Warehouse—relics of the original Shanghai Shipyard—will serve as the main exhibition area for the next two months, hosting themed exhibitions that focus on urban form and living spaces through the lens of art.
