West Bund Museum's Newest Exhibit

In continuous pursuit of cultural exchange between China and foreign cultures, the West Bund Museum x Centre Pompidou Project officially presents a new semi-permanent art exhibition: The Voice of Things.

There are two galleries in total, with approximately 160 artworks split into 18 sections. In chronological order, the exhibition showcases representative works from the avant-garde era of the 20th century to the most recent contemporary creations of the 21st century, focusing on the significance and evolution of the use of the object in art.

The exhibition’s title is derived from the English translation of “Le Parti Pris des Choses”, an iconic collection of prose poems by French poet Francis Ponge (1899-1988) that was published in 1942 during World War II. Viewing the war-torn world from a new perspective, Ponge described the beauty of the mundane in his compositions and breathed life into even the most banal objects. Thus, there couldn’t have been a more fitting name for this exhibition - The Voice of Things.

The first gallery (sections 1 to 11) explores objects representing the deconstruction of space and the expression of modern beauty using different mediums. Featured artists include Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Bernard Buffet, Jürg Kreienbühl, Herbert Bayer, René Zuber, Martin Parr, Thomas Demand, Pier Giacomo, Achille Castiglioni, Gae Aulenti, Andrea Branzi, Dov Ganchrow, Ami Drach, and Jean-Baptiste Fastrez.

From Surrealist objects, realistic paintings of classicism, and the celebration of the object through photography, the meaning of art itself is questioned, as are the objects’ functional and spiritual dimensions.

The second gallery (sections 12 to 18) explores how objects were considered in art as consumerism became prominent after World War One and features works from the Pop Art, New Realism, and Fluxus movements, ending with recent 21st century works that continue to question humans’ relationships with objects in this genre of still life.

After you’ve perused to your heart’s content, be sure to check out the museum’s café for their art-inspired cakes. This one is decorated based on Jackson Pollock’s paintings!

Duration: 2021.07.28 - 2023.02.05

Opening hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Venue: West Bund Museum (2600 Longteng Avenue, Xuhui District)