M50: Street Art in Shanghai
Push, squeeze and pull yourself through the crazy glitz, glamour and hordes of Gucci clad, cash-splashing Shanghainese in Jingan and you will materialise at the other end, in Shanghai’s grey and polluted waters of Suzhou Creek. At first sight, you’ll assume you’ve turned up at this place one year too early: construction abounds and giant diggers wade their way through a concrete mess. Or maybe you’re 5 years too late: what once was, now falls to forgotten pieces. It’s a far cry from the army of people buying the latest Prada handbag back from where you came from. You are in THE place for street art in Shanghai and you’re in for a treat.
M50, a truly refreshing space which many an artist and creative is grateful for, is Shanghai’s answer to expressing yourself and letting go. If you want to make your mark, you can go right ahead and do it.
What is so fantastic about this space is how it continues to pulsate, contort and change continuously. One week you may gawp at a T-REX, furiously blasting its way out of a wall to devour every bone in your body. Return there again in two weeks time and that dinosaur has been overpowered and exterminated by a mesmerising lady in white, staring right through you in a truly beautiful way.
Where is M50?
It’s on Moganshan Road off Zhongtan Road. The nearest metro stop is Zhongtan Road on Line 3 and 4 or you could also get off Changshou Road on Line 7 and 13. Happy art hopping travellers!
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8 Comments
usatraveler15 June 2015
Your photos are getting better and better! You've developing your eye! Are you doing all of this with just your cell phone camera? You've inspired me to go on a trip with camera in tow... but I'd rather not lug around my bulky SLR if I don't have to.
aliceteacake15 June 2015
All of these photos were taken with my mobile phone camera! I like how easy it is to just snap a picture and I'm super happy with the quality.
Marie-Carmen15 June 2015
Very nice! It's also a great change and contrast from the all so very trendy Shanghai (I know there is more to the town but it's just so... everywhere... big towns in China are just insane). I've not seen a lot of street art in the area yet except a few traditional Chinese paintings reproduced on some buildings so I'd love to see those! It gives something "young" and arty to a town that just, so often, just seems to mean business to others.
aliceteacake15 June 2015
I'm with you Marie-Carmen! I find Shanghai can be all about the money and not a lot else! Dig deeper and it is there though. I have some great arty spots I'm gonna write about this week so keep your eyes peeled :)
aliceteacake16 June 2015
Hey Laura! I'm with you: this beats all that fancy shopping centre stuff. I'm grateful for places like this in Shanghai! I think you do need to hunt it out here. When I go to Kunming, I'll make it my mission to find street art there too :)
Gabby @ theglobewanderers.com19 June 2015
This is great Alice - what a fantastic place. Your photographs and words are brilliant and really do capture the colour and life of the art. I love the idea that a wall can be dominated by one image one day and a completely different one the next. When I make it to Shanghai I'll definitely make sure I go here, armed with my camera! :)
Diego Benitez14 September 2017
Hi. Thanks for posting my art on your page. My work is on your main page and are the pink and green paintings of creatures I refer to as Wokoloni. Best, Diego www.diegolab.com
Alice Teacake23 September 2017
Awesome thanks for getting in contact Diego!
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