Codes of Tides (Shanghai)

Co-exhibitors:

Andy Lomas, David Cotterrell, Fabio Latanzi Antinori, Lu Sisi, Redblack D. Lawrence, RuoFan Chen, William Latham & Team, YongLiang Yang, YuXi Cao, Yue Zheng

The exhibition “Codes of Tides – Shanghai,” which opened on December 12, showcased artists from China and abroad working in video, installation, performance, photography, and painting. Ten artists responded to the data-driven world by creating site-specific layouts that translated classical Chinese shanshuilogic into a cinematic path defined by light, sound, data, and movement.

Part of the ‘Our Water’ programme, the exhibition series “Codes of Tides” opened in June along the Thames River in London, fostering an art-led exchange between Shanghai and London.

Inspired by classical Chinese gardens and landscape aesthetics, the exhibition route was designed like a slow garden walk, guiding visitors through shifting scenes and perspectives. This translation of Eastern ideas of time and space into a contemporary art context enhanced the experience.

The exhibition was held at the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai, which also hosted the opening event.

Originally home to the Lester School and Henry Lester Institute of Technical Education, founded by British industrialist Henry Lester, the building carried a layered history. Its ties to both Shanghai and London were evident in the exhibition, where architecture, history, and contemporary art conversed across time and place.