Presenting the Artistic Achievements of World Civilization in Multiple Dimensions and Exploring the Cultural Inheritance of Chinese Civilization This year

 Shanghai Expo will launch 20 special exhibitions

On the last day of 2024, the Shanghai Museum held the "Party of the Gods - Ancient Egyptian Civilization Exhibition Welcome Wonderful Night" in the People's Square Pavilion, receiving 15,100 visitors, setting a record for the number of visitors in a single day. This year, what are the new exhibitions and new ways to play at the Shanghai Expo, and who can continue the popularity of the Egypt exhibition?

The reporter learned from the press conference held on January 3 that in 2025, the Shanghai Museum will hold 12 new exhibitions in the People's Square Pavilion and the East Hall, 2 new exhibitions abroad, and 6 exhibitions that will continue to be exhibited, with a total of 20 special exhibitions. These exhibitions connect the past and the present, blending East and West, presenting the artistic achievements of different periods of world civilization in multiple dimensions, and exploring the cultural inheritance of Chinese civilization for thousands of years. "We use the 'power of the wilderness' to create rich and diverse products, and strive to repay the enthusiasm of the audience." Chu Xiaobo, director of the Shanghai Museum, said.

  Two new series

There are 20 special exhibitions, the same number as last year, and there are also many blockbuster works that attract expectations in terms of volume and highlights. For example, from January 22nd to April 21st, the "Impression Party: Impressionist Art from the Collection of the Pola Art Museum" in the East Pavilion of the Shanghai Museum presented the works of more than 30 artists across the era, such as Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso, Wolfgang Tillmans, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Yayoi Kusama, etc., connecting the profound significance of Impressionism to post-Fauvism, Cubism and even contemporary art.

As the fifth major exhibition in the "Dialogue with the World" series, the exhibition will be the largest and highest-level overseas exhibition of the POLA Art Museum, a major collection of Japanese Impressionist art, and will also be the first panoramic exhibition of the beginning, development, prosperity and lasting influence of Impressionist art in the Shanghai Museum. "Audiences who are familiar with us know that everything that is included in the 'Dialogue with the World' series is a big exhibition, and we do a panoramic display of Impressionism, just like having a big art party, and I believe it will be a visual feast." Chu Xiaobo said.

Another important exhibition series, the "Why China" Cultural Relics and Archaeology Exhibition series, will also be launched this year, "Longteng China: Special Exhibition of Ancient Culture and Civilization of the Ancient Hongshan Kingdom" will be unveiled in the East Pavilion of the Shanghai Museum from late June to early October, focusing on the highest civilization achievements of the ancient Hongshan Kingdom. The Hongshan culture dates back to about 6,500-5,000 years ago and has a profound influence on traditional Chinese culture. The exhibition brings together the latest archaeological achievements from Liaoning, Hebei, Inner Mongolia and other places, many of which are meeting with the public for the first time, and will systematically reveal the important role of Hongshan culture in the process of Chinese civilization, and is expected to become the largest special exhibition of Hongshan culture so far.

  
Fashion culture is also a major feature of Shanghai, and the Shanghai-style cheongsam is even more unique, from Shanghai to the world, developing into an independent art and comprehensive culture. From December 2025 to August 2026, "Modern Huaying: Shanghai-style Cheongsam and Centennial Fashion" will be one of the most important exhibitions in the People's Square Pavilion. Chu Xiaobo said that the exhibition planning began as early as last year, and there will be innovative explorations in the way of exhibition, "I believe that this exhibition will set off a national trend in the future, and I hope that it will become a new hot topic after the Egypt exhibition." ”

  Shangbo's influence is getting bigger and bigger

It is reported that in 2024, the Shanghai Museum will receive a total of 6,578,600 visitors throughout the year, which is among the best in the world.

Before yesterday's press conference, many enthusiastic netizens on social platforms actively "spoiled" and discussed the information of the new exhibition of Shangbo. The growing influence of the Shanghai Museum also brings greater possibilities to attract more partners. From June to November 2025, the exhibition "Glittering Chapters: Masterpieces of Cultural Relics from Guyuan, Ningxia" will showcase nearly 300 pieces of cultural relics from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Sui and Tang dynasties unearthed in Guyuan. "The local leaders and museum colleagues in Guyuan are very supportive of our work, and they generously say that as long as they like anything at the Expo, they will take it. I believe that after the exhibition is held, many visitors will want to go to Guyuan to play. Chu Xiaobo said.

In addition to introducing local cultures and civilizations, Shangbo will promote Chinese culture to go global every year. From February 28 to September 28 this year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA, will be presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA, and will be co-sponsored by the Shanghai Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA, bringing together more than 200 pieces from the collections of important institutions at home and abroad. After the exhibition closes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it will also be exhibited in the East Pavilion of the Shanghai Museum. "In the past, the Metropolitan Museum of Art held exhibitions on Chinese themes, all of which were borrowed from domestic museums, but this is the first time that the exhibition has been launched in a cooperative way, which fully reflects the friendly cultural exchanges between the two museums." Chu Xiaobo said.

Tang Shifen, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Shanghai Museum, said that this year, the Shanghai Museum will shoulder a new cultural mission, deepen the implementation of the big museum plan, amplify the driving effect of the spillover of cultural and museum fever, and strive to build an important window to promote the dissemination of Chinese excellent culture, promote civilization exchanges, and build an important platform for the best practice of Xi Jinping's cultural thought.

Source: Liberation Daily