Two works in the Haudenschild Collection were loaned to the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada for the exhibition Shanghai Kaleidoscope on view May 4 – November 2, 2008. The works loaned were Yang Zhenzhong’s Let’s Puff (2002) video installation and Shi Yong’s light-box installation Gravity: Shanghai Sky (2004). Click here for more information on the exhibition.

This unprecedented view of one of the world’s most dynamic cities examines Shanghai as a laboratory for 21st-century urban creation. Leading artists, architects and fashion designers provide an insider’s view of the high-speed, high-density, high-rise culture that is rapidly emerging in China’s largest city.

What started out as a bustling seaport known for its corruption, casinos and opium trade has quickly become one of the world’s most forward-thinking cities. From the Bund to Pudong, Shanghai has transformed itself into a leading destination. Business peoples, designers, investors and tourists collide in what is a remarkable cultural and urban whirl.

Shanghai Kaleidoscope presented four key aspects of the city’s vibrant culture: architecture, urban design, contemporary art, and fashion. The exhibition brought together an adventurous mix of architectural models and digital simulations; designer fashion apparel, drawings and runway videos; and paintings, photo-works and video installations by the city’s leading contemporary artists.

Watch guest curator Christopher Phillips talk about the exhibition below:

Yang Zhenzhong, Let's Puff, 2002 Video

Shi Yong, Gravity: Shanghai Sky, 2004