Across the ocean in Madrid, Spain, an old man in his sixties sat in the Prado Museum and stared at "Palazzo E" for a whole day. In the middle Longhua Road subway station in Shanghai in late autumn, young people who came and went in a hurry glanced at the replica prints hanging on the walls and slowed down. Two people in different time and space, in different states, are connected by the same work of art: "The unknown world in the picture makes people want to go deeper into it." ”
Art is no longer limited to "locking" in the exhibition space, she is walking towards the vast outdoor lawn, but also into the crowded transportation hub. Today (6th), the exhibition "Metro Meets Prado" was unveiled in the station hall of Longhua Middle Road Station of Line 7/12 of the Shanghai Metro, and 29 of the most representative works from the Prado Museum, one of the "Four Major Art Museums in the World", were exhibited on the spot, allowing citizens and tourists to feel the charm of Western art.
"The street corner in Argentina, the park lawn in Mexico, but only in Shanghai, the design of the museum entrance subway station can be realized." The exhibition's initiator, Imma, said. Indeed, Shanghai's all-encompassing nature allows each artwork to find a unique "habitat", and the spiritual sustenance of "beauty and coexistence" promotes the integration of artistic atmosphere into ordinary people's homes. The space of art has changed, and what has not changed is the pursuit of perfection and beauty.
Dark blue wall stickers, equal proportions of restoration, the museum "broke into" the subway station
Yima never imagined that the Prado Museum, which had been visited countless times, could "collide" with a Chinese subway station. Dark blue "renders" Longhua Middle Road Station, where 29 paintings of varying sizes hang on the walls. Stop and go, memories come to mind.
How do I "build" a museum in a subway station?
Originally, the subway exit 2 was temporarily closed, and the 1st exit led directly to The Grand Le City, and the area between the two exits formed a "concave" semi-enclosed space. Taking advantage of the unique environment, Shanghai Metro has opened up 600 square meters of space to arrange exhibitions. "We hope to make Chinese audiences feel as if they are in the exhibition hall of the Prado Museum in an instant, zero distance and face to face with classic works." Wu Xinyi, director of the Party Building Work Department of the Party Committee of Shentong Metro Group, introduced that the internal walls and support columns of the subway are pasted with dark blue wall stickers, which is not only the main color of the Prado Museum, but also creates an elegant atmosphere.
Unlike the dim silence of the Prado Museum, the crowded subway station is very open, and the artwork relies on "light". In front of each work, at least one spotlight is placed, and the largest work even uses three lamps, thus vividly showing the colors and details in the painting. At the same time, the paintings are also fixed at an angle by a steel wire, and do not look exactly against the wall to create a better visual effect. These 29 works are restored according to the proportions of the original work, in order to reproduce "exactly the same", the Prado Museum also specially sent color correction cards, in the production process of one by one comparison, to avoid color differences affect the perception.
Moving counterclockwise, Ima saw Charon Crossing the Styx at a glance. The firm heart expressed in the painting is not afraid of difficulties, which once gave her spiritual strength, and the "reunion" made her feel a lot of emotions. "These works are not only to help broaden your horizons, but also to influence life and enrich your life with art."
The mobile "Station Art Museum", a concept proposed by Irma, is so that everyone can "carry the museum home". A QR code is affixed next to each painting to provide an online way for pedestrians to come and go. "Works of art move from the cabinet to the exhibition hall, from offline to online, with wider coverage and more vivid works."
Not only to do the culture in the subway, but also to create a "subway culture"
Whether it is the "Chinese and Foreign Poetry Metro Exhibition" or the "Tale of Two Cities" event, these cultural exhibitions have been selected at well-known stations with large traffic such as "Nanjing East Road" and "Xujiahui".
Why did you choose Middle Longhua Road Station? Wu Xinyi introduced that this is the interchange station of Line 7 and Line 12, with about 70,000 passengers per day. The station is adjacent to the West Bund Art District, and if you want to go to the famous exhibition halls in Shanghai, you will change trains here. This is where "two-way drainage" comes in: citizens with appreciation habits are naturally attracted, and people who have no intention of passing by can also be aroused by curiosity and enter more venues.
It can be said that this is the "debut" of the combination of the Prado Museum and Chinese public space. Prior to this, the Prado Museum had exhibited in Argentina, Spain and other countries in the form of outdoor exhibitions, and also held a small professional appreciation meeting in Beijing. Only in Shanghai can the Prado Museum truly establish a "bond" with ordinary people. In the near and far, such urban character provides a platform for many cultures to share, and also allows sister cities to compete with Shanghai.
The subway is no longer just a commuting tool, but also a "spiritual paradise" that allows people to gain something by walking by. The monotonous two-point and one-line travel can also become a cultural journey with temperature and feelings. A passenger who inadvertently passed by Longhua Middle Road Station stood in "Cloth, Salt Pot, Gilded Goblet, Pie, Pot, Porcelain Plate containing Olives, and Roasted Wild Fowl on the Table", and he was pleasantly surprised to find that the porcelain in the painting was actually made in China. "I scanned the QR code and saw the introduction of this somewhat unfamiliar painter, and it felt like I had opened my horizons." Hearing music and seeing works, even if there is only one beautiful detail, can also make pedestrians feel a little touched, and ingrain the gene of beauty in the subtlety.
Shanghai Metro, currently the world's largest rail transit network, has been building a subway since 2013 while carrying out the public culture construction of "the second space of the city". Every year, well-known designers from abroad visit Shanghai subway stations to exchange ideas and provide inspiration. "We not only want to do the culture in the subway, but also create an exclusive subway culture to add vitality to the city." Wu Xinyi said.
Related links: "Metro Meets Prado" exhibition works list
1. Self-Portrait by Albrecht Dürer
2. Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci (Studio)
3. Charon Crossing the Styx by Jogim Parthenil
4. The Tax Collector and His Wife, Marinas van Remosville
5. The Knight with His Chest by Hand, El El Greco
6. Charles V at the Battle of Fort Mill, Titian
7. "Mary Tudor, Queen of England, Second Wife of Felipe II", Antonio Morrow
8. Prince Don Carlos, Alonso Sanchez Coello
9. Isabelle Clara Eugenia and Princess Caterina Mikaela, Alonso Sanchez Coello
10. "Cloth on the Table, Salt Pots, Gold-plated Goblets, Pies, Pots, Porcelain Plates with Olives, and Roasted Wild Fowl", Clara Petez
11. "Vision" Pedro Pablo Rubens, Jan Bruegel Sr
12. The Painter's Family, Jacob Jordance
13. "Yodd at the Banquet of Gerofonis", Rembrandt Halmansson van Rhein
14. Still Life: Artichokes, Flowers and Glass Containers, Juan van der Haman I. Leon
15. The Dance of Mythical Figures and Villagers, Pedro Pablo Rubens
16. Still Life, Francisco de Surbarand
17. The Drunkards, aka The Triumph of Bacchus, Diego Rodríguez de Silva Velázquez
18. The Forest of Guns, aka The Surrender of Breda, Diego Rodríguez de Silva Velázquez
19. God of War by Diego Rodríguez de Silva Velázquez
20. "Palazzo Etoile", Diego Rodríguez de Silva Velázquez
21. The Weaver Woman, aka The Fable of Aracne, Diego Rodríguez de Silva Velázquez
22. "The Parasol" by Francisco de Goya Lucientes
23. Drifting Snow, aka Winter, Francisco de Goya Lucientes
24. The Maha in Dress, Francisco de Goya Lucientes
25. The Half-Trapped Dog by Francisco de Goya Lucientes
26. "Amalia de Arno Dotres, Countess of Bilchis", Federico Maderaso Kuntz
27. The Mancorvo Canal in the Europa Hills, Carlos de Aes
28. Rest, aka The Landscape of Pompeii by Lawrence Armagh Tadema
29. The Cid, Rosa Bonnard
Author: Zhan Yue
Photo: Shanghai Metro Public Cultural Development Center
Editor: Wang Jiayi