Before that could happen though, I had to get out of town. I got on the bus at 1315, 15 minutes early and managed to snag a seat. For some reason, the bus company decided to send the small 33 seat bus during one of the peak periods of the day. Coupled with Ghost Town’s steadily increasing population, it was a recipe for disaster. The people that came at 1320 were not so lucky and the whole centre aisle was full of people standing. Tensions between the expats and local people flared when one of the Germans from my company insensitively stood up and yelled “Hey Chinese people, get off the bus! I have an appointment!” A Chinese woman who could understand English took offence. At that moment I felt caught in the middle. Sure, all the people standing in the aisle were Chinese people, but I also felt a tinge of racism in that remark. It was a reminder that I was a part of both communities, yet belonging to neither. I think the locals have an impression that expats think they’re better than everyone else, and to an extent that observation is justified. I can only hope I don’t become a self-hating racist!
Finally, at 1350 the standees grudgingly got off and we departed.
MoCA
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) is located in People’s Square Park, which reminds of Central Park in New York City, albeit, a fraction of the size. Although there were a lot of people there, it was very calm, and there were many old men playing chess. And lots of couples making out. I have to say that the locals engage in quite a lot of PDA. On the subway a girl was taking care of her boyfriend’s acne. I wonder if that counts as PDA...
The Museum of Contemporary Art is a futuristic and impractical building, a perfect venue for the artwork it contains. This year’s exhibit was titled MoCA Envisage II: Butterfly Dream. I had my hesitations about spending the afternoon there, but it turned out to be a very dynamic exhibit. One of the major themes was the relationship between old China and new China, the presentation of China’s identity as being neither singular nor stagnant. I’m not really a haute follower of the arts, although I did periodically visit the Art Gallery when I was home (the KRAZY collection on comics was really cool). I was really impressed with the overall exhibit at MoCA. There was a diverse variety of methods and media on display, from paintings to sculpture and digital pieces. Most pieces were created by Chinese artists, although some international artists were also featured. Many works highlighted Shanghai’s sense of newfound sensuality. Several even had Disney accents, can you spot them?
A few pieces I liked in particular include:
This "woman" is fashioned with braids of paper. Apparently the designer has previously worn this as a dress to a fashion show. Is that Prada or Gucci?
These lightbulbs were fashioned out of solid blocks of jade.
This piece is called The Real Toy Story, by Michael Wolf. It is a homage to the factory workers that manufacture some of the world's most beloved icons.
This sculpture is called The Desire of a Mosquito, by Zhuang Kaikai. There's a stereo next to it that just plays a continuous recording of the mosquito's buzzing sound. Really annoying. I'd like to think that it drove the guard sitting close to it crazy.
At the top of the museum, there's a restaurant with a patio, which offers some nice views. It may be a tourist trap, but even artists have to eat.
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