Art Deco and the aesthetic soul of modern Shanghai
Print Edition
THE “Modern Story — Art Deco in Modern Shanghai” exhibition opened on the 5th floor of Shanghai Library East Branch last month.
Focusing on the development and innovation of Art Deco in the city, the show is divided into five sections and features over 100 rare pieces — including old photographs, design albums, periodicals, posters, furniture and fashion pieces — to reveal how Art Deco became deeply embedded in Shanghai’s urban and cultural DNA.
Starting with documentary materials, the exhibition traces the arrival and spread of Art Deco in China, and designers’ innovative approaches to theory and practice, and highlights the city’s creative reinterpretation of the style through graphic design, architecture and lifestyle aesthetics.
A series of talks and events with scholars and experts in architecture, jewelry and design will accompany the exhibition.
Venue: Shanghai Library East
上海图书馆东馆
Address: 5/F, 300 Hehuan Rd
合欢路300号5楼
What is Art Deco?
Emerging in the 1920s and reaching its peak in the 1930s, Art Deco had a profound impact on nearly every visual art form — from graphic and architectural design to fashion, photography and interiors. Far from a single, uniform style, Art Deco drew inspiration from a wide array of movements and cultures, including Art Nouveau, Cubism, Futurism and Bauhaus, as well as non-Western artistic traditions.
Exhibition highlights
1. The Lishui Bathhouse | 丽水浴室
One special feature of the exhibition is the Lishui Bathhouse section, presented in collaboration with Shanghai Daily and its Qiao Shanghai studio.
Built in 1936 just outside Xiaonanmen, the Lishui Bathhouse is a rare surviving example of Shanghai’s Art Deco architecture. Following the release of a Qiao Shanghai video about the building in September 2024, public interest surged. This exhibition recreates the bathhouse through present-day photos and historical records, exploring its intricate Art Deco details and evoking memories of longtang (alleyway) life in old Shanghai.
2. Expo Nexus | 世博链接
The exhibition also connects with the “Expo Nexus” a digital project from the World Expo Museum. This interactive display, currently featured at Expo 2025 Osaka, maps the evolution of World Expos from 1851 to the present.
Let’s explore the distinctive features of each exhibition area.
Section 1
This section explores the early arrival of Art Deco and the influence of Chinese artists who studied in France. Figures such as Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Pang Xunqin and Liu Jipiao absorbed the latest international moves in Paris and brought those ideas back to China, planting the seeds of modern aesthetics in Shanghai.
Section 2
Returning artists and local innovators blended Expressionism, Constructivism, Futurism and Deco into a distinct Chinese visual language. In this environment, Art Deco took root in both art education and practice, and the concept of “pattern” emerged as a key mode of expression. This era saw a fusion of Eastern and Western, traditional and modern influences.
Section 3
Focusing on the golden age of publishing and advertising, this section highlights how Art Deco-inspired design reshaped Shanghai’s urban visual culture and sparked new waves of creativity among designers.
Section 4
This section presents a rich collection of early professional architectural journals, historical photographs, and contemporary architectural photography.
Section 5
This final section immerses visitors in the world of Art Deco as it was lived — through fashion, home décor and lifestyle objects. From the glamorous women on calendar posters to qipao (a kind of traditional Chinese one-piece dress), modern furniture, and household goods, the display reflects how Deco aesthetics became part of everyday life in Shanghai.
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