50 Moganshan Road

m50 Art District
Established 2000
Location Shanghai
China
Coordinates 31°08′42″N 121°15′56″E / 31.1451°N 121.2655°E
Type Contemporary art
Public transit access Zhongtan Road 3 4
Website m50
Island6 arts centre in the M50 art district.
Graffiti art in the Moganshan Road area.

50 Moganshan Road (Chinese: 莫干山路50号) or "M50" is a contemporary art district in Shanghai, China, that houses a thriving community of more than a hundred artists whose studios are open to the public.[1][2] It is often compared with New York's SoHo and Beijing's 798 Art Zone.[3] The art quarter has become a popular cultural attraction for local and international visitors alike, and was named among the top ten things to do in Shanghai by Time Magazine.[4]

Location

The name refers to its actual address in Shanghai, and is often shortened to M50 or Moganshan Road. It is tucked away in an old industrial area along the Suzhou Creek. The art quarter is located in industrial and residential Putuo District, but conveniently close to downtown Jing'an District.

History

50 Moganshan Road was once the Chunming Slub Mill. The art scene was started in 2000 by local artist Xue Song who was initially attracted by the cheap rent of the disused industrial space. Other artists including Ding Yi, Qu Fengguo, and Wang Xingwei, soon followed.[5] Today the quarter’s former factories and warehouses have been converted into art galleries, artists’ studios, design agencies and other visual art and cultural businesses of various sizes. The land and buildings are still owned by Shangtex, the state-owned textile group that operated the now defunct factory.[3]

Artists and galleries

M50 hosts over 120 galleries and art studios. Some of Shanghai's best known artists work here, including Zhou Tiehai, Ding Yi, Xu Zhen and the media art collective Liu Dao. Galleries include ShanghART, EastLink Gallery, Island6, Pantocrator Gallery,[6] and Biz Art.[5]

See also

References

  1. Moganshan Lu.
  2. Pitts, Christopher (April 2013). "Top Sights: M50". Pocket Shanghai (3rd ed.). Lonely Planet. pp. 86–87. ISBN 978-1-74179-963-7.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Shanghai SoHo--50 Moganshan Road.
  4. Shanghai: 10 Things to Do, Time Magazine.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Shanghai’s Blossoming Arts District.
  6. Pantocrator Gallery.

External links

Coordinates: 31°14′51″N 121°26′55″E / 31.24750°N 121.44861°E