Ushigokoro ... or not

After attending the massive NeoSpring Creative Festival on Suzhou Creek, Shanghaiist had high hopes for the so called Creative Box, or Ushigokoro. The concept behind this gallery is displaying art in tiny boxes; anyone can apply to display their works. They currently have an exhibition called "Lost and Found", in which participants bring in whatever they find on the street to add to the exhibition. The rest of the gallery is filled from floor to ceiling with 20 x 30 x 20 cm boxes that display everything from postcards to T-shirts to jewelry.

Neat idea maybe, but why exactly would they use tiny boxes, especially when one can have a cool artistic event in a huge warehouse on the Suzhou Creek, as the NeoSpring Festival did (similar concept, on a grander scale). Maybe in Japan, where is space is limited and above all expensive, this idea of using as little space as possible would take off (it is supposedly very popular over there). But this is Shanghai, space is not a problem and walking through a teeny tiny gallery looking at what ultimately are miniature boutiques is not our idea of a fun, or creative, Sunday afternoon.

We did not find anything that struck us as particularly innovative or all that creative (photos from Tibet? Seen that. Cool T-shirts? Done that). But their website makes it sound like they have a lot more in store in the future; perhaps we’ll go back there in a few months and see if the selection has improved. Ushigokoro is located under Diage, a restaurant and bar on Donghu Lu that has “painting” Sundays where they provide canvases and paint for those who like to let their creative juices flow while drinking heavily.

Ushigokoro, 20 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Lu, below Diage. Tel: 13621797738.