FRIDAY, MAY 16
Close Up JR Exhibition Opening @ Power Station of Art
Former graffiti artist, Banksy type of mysterious character, JR is a French artist rather prone to doing illegal activities in order to make a statement. The last time he was in Shanghai, 4 years ago, he got himself arrested by the Police. Now he returned to Shanghai for his ongoing project Inside Out, initiated after he got a prize from TED.
Inside Out started in 2011 as a massive participatory art project that “transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work.” Over 130,000 posters have been sent in more than 108 countries since March 2011, enabling people from New York to Afghanistan to be seen and have their voices heard on a global scale. And he still encourages people to get involved. Read more here.
Free entry // May16 – June 15 // 9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. / Tue-Sun // Power Station of Art – Lane 20, Huayuangang Lu, Near Miaojiang Lu | 黄浦区花园港路20弄, 近苗江路
TORTOISE China Tour Shanghai Live @ MAO Livehouse
American post-rock band, raised on Chicago’s fertile music lands, come to China after more than 20 years of their existence. They left the studio while working on their next album, to rock on an Asian tour. The band plays in Shanghai on Friday and on Saturday in Beijing. More details and tickets here.
Tickets: Advance 160 RMB / Door 200 RMB // Starts at 9:00 p.m. // MAO Livehouse – 308 Chongqing Nan Lu, near Jianguo Zhong Lu, Huangpu district | 黄浦区重庆南路308号, 近建国中路
RAW & UNCUT #2 – WENSEN of VOID @The Shelter
After a spellbinding show last year, Shanghai’s secret French DJ emerges from the shadows to conduct a funk-laden pantalon-shaking session at the city’s top underground music spot, The Shelter. It’s Raw and Uncut! Void says dress to “unimpress”, come to dance. Support from residents Shanghai Ultra, Ginzburg, Chris Jobs.
Tickets: 30 RMB at the door // Starts at 10.00 p.m. – late // The Shelter – 5 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu |徐汇区永福路5 号,近复兴西路
SATURDAY, MAY 17
Close Up JR Exhibition Opening @ Magda Danysz Gallery
Close Up @ Magda Danysz Gallery – Fee entry // May 17 – July 5 // 11.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. / Tue-Sun // 188 Linqing Lu, near Pingliang Lu | 杨浦区临青路188, 近平凉路
Electric Circus Pre-Party with COSMIC GATE @ MOOK
Join the last Electric Circus Pre-Party @ MOOK before the big festival next week! Get ready to go wild to the tunes of one of the biggest EDM and progressive house duo in the world: COSMIC GATE. Legendary Electronic Producers and pillars of the DJ MAG Top 100 DJs, hosting their own “Cosmic Gate stage” at some of the biggest festivals such as Ultra and EDC, COSMIC GATE will grace the decks at MOOK and support Electric Circus for their first club show in China.
✖ Free entrance if you already purchased your Electric Circus Festival Ticket! (you will be added to the guest list)
✖ 50 RMB Presale – Follow their official WeChat account: ElectricCircus电音狂潮 and show it at the door, or send your names to [email protected] to get on the presale guest list!
✖ 100 RMB at the door.
Starts at 10.00 p.m. // MOOK – 5/F, 758 West Nanjing Road | 上海市南京西路758号5楼
DAVE LIANG – SHANGHAI RESTORATION PROJECT LIVE @ QIANSHUIWAN CULTURE AND ARTS CENTER
Emmy winning producer Dave Liang brings The Shanghai Restoration Project (TSRP) to China for a 9-city tour starting on May 16 in Beijing. Dave plays live in Shanghai on May 17, at the Qianshuiwan Culture and Arts Center.
Started by New-York-based Dave Liang in 2006, TSRP mixes Chinese sounds with Western hip-hop and electronica music, and draws its inspiration from the 1930s jazz music of Shanghai. Its albums have reached the top of the iTunes and Amazon electronic charts, receive millions of plays on Pandora annually, and can often be heard in TV shows, films, and commercials around the world.
TSRP’s latest album, “The Classics” produced by Dave Liang and featuring Zhang Le, a jazz singer from Shanghai, brings us back to the 30s – 40s period in Shanghai, but on an up-to-date electronic beat.
Read full event details and an exclusive interview with Dave Liang here. There is also a free track for Shanghaiist readers included in the article. Use it as warm-up.
Starts at 8.00 p.m. // Qianshuiwan Culture Center – 179 Yichang Rd, near Jiangning Lu Bridge 宜昌路179号(近江宁路桥)// Buy tickets here.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 17-18
Art Deco Shanghai Weekend @ M on the Bund
Join Shanghai Art Deco aficionados in a celebration of the city’s signature style with a weekend of talks, walking tours and vintage cocktails. Talks include The Age of Art Deco in Shanghai; Art Deco design in Chinese films and a panel discussion on favorite Art Deco architects, while walks take in Art Deco in the Bund area and Hongkou, and end with Art Deco-themed cocktails at the Glamour Bar.
For details and full program, click here.
Tickets: Talks: RMB 150 each; Walks: RMB 250 each; RMB 600/weekend; RMB 400/day; Students: RMB 100/day – limited number of seats (Reservations required: [email protected] ) // Saturday & Sunday; starts at 11.00 a.m. – goes all day // M on the Bund – 7/F, No.5 The Bund, near Guangdong Lu | 中国上海市外滩广东路20号7楼 邮编
SUNDAY, MAY 18
International Museum Day @ 120 open museums around town
Get your culture load for free this weekend, as 120 Shanghai museums will be open to the public free of charge (or with discounted tickets) from May 17 to May 19 for International Museum Day. Most of the museums offer free access to their exhibitions, others have prepared special programs and some are even open until 9.00 p.m.
You get free access to important museums like the newly open Long Museum West Bund or the very soon to open (on Saturday) Yuz Museum, located in the same area, that have huge art collections.
Details in our article.
Yang Naiwen Live @ MAO Livehouse
Taiwanese rock singer and fashion model Yáng Nǎiwén is on a tour to promote her latest album Zero Mini.
Tickets: Advance 250 RMB/Door 290 RMB // Starts at 7:30 p.m. // MAO Livehouse – 308 Chongqing Nan Lu, near Jianguo Zhong Lu, Huangpu district | 黄浦区重庆南路308号, 近建国中路
By Andreea Dragut
[Photo via M on the Bund]