Featured Events in Shanghai in February, 2025(January Updated)

China (Shanghai) International Optics Fair and trade exhibition in China is one of the largest optical exhibitions in Asia that showcases most of the international brands and products China (Shanghai) International Optics Fair and trade exhibition in China is one of the largest optical exhibitions in Asia that showcases most of the international brands and products.  Range of exhibits include Spectacle frames, Sunglasses, Lenses, 3D glasses, Digital lenses, Visual test equipment, Machinery & materials for making spectacles frames and lenses, Spectacle accessories, parts & components, Raw materials for frames and lenses, Moulds, Eyecare products & solutions for lenses, Cases, Instrument for Optometry and Ophthalmology, Ophthalmic products, Tools & equipment for optical workshop, Ophthalmic lenses, Low-vision aids and test equipment, Trade magazines and exhibition and other associations of the optical industry, from various development councils to Ministry of Commerce. Information Source: China Optometric & Optical Association | expotobi

"Top of the Pyramids: Ancient Egyptian Civilization Exhibition" is the fourth exhibition in the Shanghai Museum's "Dialogue with the World" cultural relics and art exhibition series. It will be grandly opened at the People's Square Pavilion on July 18, 2024 and open to the public on July 19. As the world's largest and Asia's highest-level overseas exhibition of ancient Egyptian cultural relics in history, the exhibition brings together 492 groups of 788 precious cultural relics from different periods of ancient Egyptian civilization, of which more than 95% are in cooperation with the capital of the Egyptian government. The exhibition will last for 13 months, fully revealing the appearance of ancient Egyptian civilization and its archaeological discoveries to the audience, and promoting mutual learning between Chinese and Egyptian civilizations.

To commemorate the 700th anniversary of the death of the famous Venetian traveler Marco Polo, the Shanghai Museum will hold a special exhibition "The World of Marco Polo: China and the World in the Eyes of Marco Polo" from November 23, 2024 to March 30, 2025. In April 2024, the Shanghai Museum and the Venice Municipal Museum Foundation jointly hosted the "The World of Marco Polo: The Travels of a 13th-Century Venetian Merchant" exhibition at the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy, which received good social response. This exhibition has been re-planned by the Shanghai Museum, fully based on the Chinese cultural context, and has been adjusted and optimized in terms of exhibition narrative, exhibit selection, and exhibition methods. It will be presented again in Shanghai under the theme of "The World of Marco Polo: China and the World in the Eyes of Marco Polo".

Science, the pursuit of human rationality Art, the sublimation of human sensibility Exploration, the eternal pursuit of mankind National Geographic China as a scientific media Always using images Record, discover, communicate and experience science National Geographic China ExplorationSpecial Selection More than 100 photographers and scientists A total of more than 150 pieces Works of great scientific value and artistic expression Supplemented by valuable scientific research data Held an audio-visual feast "Extreme Discovery Science Art Image Exhibition"

Taking Dunhuang culture as its gene, through academic research, exhibition, collection, publication, education, digital transformation and public projects on modern and contemporary art, the museum presents the rich and diverse world of art and thought of mankind; and strives to explore the historical logic of modern Chinese art and the contemporary translation of traditional culture in the knowledge context connecting the classical and the modern, and establish an international art practice and theoretical research platform with China as its venue with an open vision. Dunhuang is not a static concept, but a dynamic process of continuous growth and change. Dunhuang condenses all aspects of human life such as culture, art, politics, history, customs, beliefs, nature, and even different civilizations. In this sense, Dunhuang is a mirror reflecting the world of life. The museum takes Dunhuang as its image and Dunhuang culture and art as its cornerstone, hoping to create a visual field for the dialogue between art and contemporary life on the basis of inheriting the oriental background of Chinese culture. Relying on Dunhuang’s local resources and residency projects, the museum aims to become a gateway connecting the Dunhuang site with the urban art space, breaking down the boundaries between regions, ancient and modern times, and knowledge, observing the present from the perspective of tradition, and forming an art practice and research platform that connects Shanghai, Dunhuang, and the world.

The Reunion : Musical Star Concert Director｜Ramin Karimloo、 Earl Carpenter Music Director｜Adam Hoskins Performers｜ Ramin Karimloo、Samantha Barks、Earl Carpenter、Hadley Fraser、Holly-Anne Hull、Natalie May Paris Intro The Reunion 2.0 Musical Star Concertbrings together a host of celebrated West End and Broadwaymusical stars, performing iconic numbers from renowned musicals such asThe Phantom of the OperaandLes Misérables. The performersinclude Ramin Karimloo, known for playing the Phantom inThe Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Show. Hadley Fraser played Raoul in the same anniversary production. Samantha Barks played the role of Éponine in the film version ofLes Misérables. Earl Carpenter, who is nicknamed "The Carpenter" by fans, played the role of Javert in the musical version ofLes Misérables. Natalie May Paris, from the original cast of West End'sThe Six, andHolly-Anne Hull, who playedChristine in the West End production ofThe Phantom of the Opera. The concert completed its world premiere tour in Beijing and Shanghai at the beginning of 2024, offering musical theatre enthusiasts a genuinely heartfelt audiovisual feast, earning a high rating of 9.5 onDouban. In addition to retaining the classic songs, the 2.0 version introduces new songs and an innovative production for the Chinese audience. Welcome the spring of 2025 as old friends reunite on stage to perform timeless melodies. Cast Information： Ramin Karimloo Ramin recently played Fredrick Barrett in the New York City Center’s‘Encores’staged concert of Titanicand more recently Piquillo in the Washington National Opera's productionSongbird, a new adaptation of Jacques Offenbach’s operettaLa Périchole. Ramin will be appearing in The World Premier ofA Face In The Crowdas ‘Lonsome’Larry Rhodes, with music by Elvis Costello and the book by Sarah Ruhl, from September to November 2024 at the Young Vic. Also inDirty Rotten Scoundrelsas Freddy with Hadley Fraser at the London Palladium. Ramin will then return to Broadway at the Pirate King in a new production ofThe Pirates of Penzancewith David Hyde Pierce starting in April 2025. Stage credits include: Musicals: The Phantom of the Opera（asthe Phantom，a new Italian production） The Addams Family（as Gomez Addams, Broadway） Funny Girl (as Nicky Arnstein, Broadway); Evita (as Che，Theatre Orb, Tokyo & Vancouver Opera); Anastasia (as Gleb Vaganov，Broadway); Murder Ballad (as Tom，Arts Theatre, London); Les Misérables (asJean Valjean in Toronto, London & NYC) The Phantom of the Opera(asPhantom，London） Love Never Dies (as Phantom，London) Concerts: The Secret Garden (asArchibald Craven,Lincoln Centre) Camelot in Concert (asKing Arthur,London Palladium) Chess in Concert (asAnatoly,Umeda Arts Theatre, Osaka & Tokyo International Forum), Jesus Chris Superstar in Concert (asJudas,Theatre Orb, Tokyo) DoctorZhivago:Concert (asDoctor Zhivago,London Palladium & Cadogan Hall, London) The Reunion concert(Beijing，Shanghai，Shenzhen，Milan，Tokyo，Trieste) Samantha Barks Samantha started in the industry as a contestant on the TV talent show,I’d Do Anythingwhen she was 17, and had a full circle moment as she recently filmed the ITV talent show,Mamma Mia! I Have A Dreamas a Judge and Mentor. Stage credits include: Musicals: Frozen（as Elsa，original West End production） Pretty Woman（as Vivian Ward，Broadway） The Last Five Years（as Cathy Hiatt，The Other Palace） Oliver!（asNancy，UK National Tour) Cabaret(asSally Bowles，UK National Tour) Les Misérables (as Éponine，West End) Concerts： Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary（asÉponine） The Reunion (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Milan, Tokyo and Trieste) Films： Les Misérables（as Éponine） The Christmas Candle（asEmily Barstow） Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart（asAcacia） Interlude in Prague（asJosefa Duchek） Bitter Harvest（asNatalka） Earl Carpenter Stage credits include: Musical： The Phantom of the Opera（as Phantom，Her Majesty’s Theatre） The Phantom of the Opera (as Monsieur André，Trieste, Milan & Monte Carlo) ThePhantom of the Opera (as Phantom，25th Anniversary productions，UK tour) The Pirate Queen（as Dubdhara，London Coliseum) Les Misérables(as Javert，west end) Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Production (as Javert，Imperial Theater Broadway, Barbican and Queens Theatre) Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Production (as Javert，Toronto, Paris, Singapore, Manila and UK tour) Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (asthe Beast，Dominion Theatre) Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (asGaston，UK tour) Ragtime (asFather，Charing Cross Theatre) Sunset Boulevard (asJoe Gillis，UK tour) Evita (asPeron，Europe & national tour) Concerts： 2019 Les Misérables Stage Concert (asBishop of Digne and Bamatabois，Gielgud and Solheim Theatre) 25th Anniversary Concert of The Phantom of the Opera (as the Auctioneer，Royal Albert Hall) Disney 100 The Concert (UK Arena tour) Three Phantoms（also Creative Producer and Director） The Reunion (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Milan, Tokyo and Trieste) Hadley Fraser Hadley has workshopped extensively for the NATIONAL THEATRE, DONMAR WAREHOUSE, ALMEIDA THEATRE, OLD VIC and many others. He wrote the book and lyrics for the musical COMMITTEE… for the Donmar Warehouse. As a recording artist and musician Hadley has appeared on numerous albums including the recently released Lights Around The Shore with jazz pianist Will Butterworth, his own EP Just Let Go and cast recordings of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN; THE PIRATE QUEEN; The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary and Les Misérables 25th Anniversary. Hadley is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and Patron of PPA Guildford and Debut Performing Arts College, Manchester. Stage credits include: Musicals and plays： The Lehman Trilogy (Gillian Lynn Theatre) 2:22 A Ghost Story (Noel Coward Theatre) City of Angels (Garrick Theatre) The Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre) The Antipodes (National Theatre) Young Frankenstein (Garrick Theatre) The Vote (all Donmar Warehouse) Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Bristol Old Vic) The Winter’s Tale & Harlequinade (Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company at the Garrick Theatre) Les Misérables (Queens & Palace Theatres) The Pirate Queen (Broadway) The Fantastics (Duchess Theatre) The Last 5 Years (Theater Aspen, Colorado) The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary (Royal Albert Hall) Les Misérables 25th Anniversary (O2 Arena) Concerts： Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (London Palladium) The Secret Garden (London Palladium) Chess (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) South Pacific (National Concert Hall, Dublin) Carousel (Cadogan Hall) The Reunion (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Milan and Trieste) Film & Television includes: THE GOLD GENTLEMAN JACK ALL IS TRUE MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS THE LEGEND OF TARZAN LES MISERABLES Holly-Anne Hull Holly is part of Remember Monday, the UK’s viral country/pop girlband. They have been seen on the Jennifer Hudson show and opening for artists such as Billy Joel and Natasha Bedingfield. They have most recently sold out a Headline UK tour. Stage credits include: Musicals： The Phantom of the Opera（as Christine Daeé，UK Tour and Her Majesty’s Theatre） Les Misérables（asEnsemble and Cover Cosette, International Tour & West End） Concerts： Les Misérables all star Concert（asEnsemble Cover Fantine and Cover Cosette，West End） Old Friends Stephen Sondheim Gala Concert The Reunion (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Milanand Trieste) Natalie May Paris Natalie May Paris is a British stage actress, singer and dancer，trained at The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and RADA. She is best known for originating the role of Jane Seymour in the musical Six. For Six, she was nominated for the Olivier Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a musical in 2019, together with her cast mates. Stage credits include: Musical： Les Misérables (Palace & Queens Theatre) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium) Joseph (New London Theatre) Sunday In the Park with George (Menier Chocolate Factory & Wyndhams’s Theatre) Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace) Six The Musical（as Jane Seymour，west end，UKtour，UStour） The Regulars (The Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester) Pretty Woman（asKit De Luca，UK & Ireland tour 2023/2024） Concerts： Frank Wildhorn & Friends at Cadogan Hall Emojiland in Concert (Garrick Theatre) Benjamin Rauhala & His West End Besties concert at Cadogan Hall The Reunion (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Milan and Trieste) TVshows： Vocals on‘Trust’from Cupids Daughters Vocals for ITV’s Saturday Night Take Away featured singer on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing 2022 & Christmas special 2023

Matthew Liu Fine Arts is honored to present the solo exhibition "Parallel Metropolises" by Chinese artist Yang Yongliang. Showcases the artist's latest digital works, delving deeply into the complex relationship between modern urban civilization and the natural environment. For over two decades, Yang's work has been firmly rooted in the spiritual core of traditional Chinese ink painting, while also breaking new ground by employing modern technology. He creates reconstructed landscapes that captivate viewers with their dense layers of meaning, offering a profound contemporary visual experience. This exhibition marks a pivotal turning point in Yang Yongliang's creative career. Since relocating to New York in 2018, the artist has been shuttling between Shanghai and New York, observing and experiencing this Western metropolis through the unique lens of his Eastern cultural perspective. The concept of "Parallel Metropolises" not only reveals the artist's geographic span, but also symbolizes his profound reflections on cultural identity and artistic creation. This "parallel" embodies the convergence and resonance of Eastern and Western civilizations within the work, reflecting the arduous exploration of cultural translation and self-reconstruction undertaken by this Chinese artist in a foreign land. The exhibition bears witness to Yang's philosophical contemplations on individual identity, the collision of civilizations, and the expression of art within a cross-cultural context, embodying his unwavering pursuit of bridging cultural divides and facilitating spiritual communication. In the series of works presented in this exhibition, Yang Yongliang reconstructs the New York City landscape into a series of vividly evocative contemporary landscapes using his unique digital art language. From grand city panoramas to intimate street scenes, the artist's keen observation and meticulous creative skills capture the diverse and thriving spirit of New York, integrating it into his works. These pieces are no longer simple records of urban scenes, but rather a modern interpretation of "rhythmic vitality" (qiyun). Just as the Song dynasty painter Fan Kuan's landscapes pursued the unity of "form and spirit”, Yang's works focus on conveying the inner spiritual qualities of the city while also recreating its external forms. His creative approach inherits the artistic characteristics of traditional Chinese landscape painting, where "distant views are all mountains and water, while close-up views are all brush and ink”, while also incorporating innovative contemporary digital techniques. In the work "Phantom Metropolis”, for example, the artist employs cutting-edge digital imaging technology to reorganize the intricate details of countless Manhattan buildings into a dreamlike, mirage-like vision, evoking the classical Chinese imagery of "mirage" while also revealing the artist's philosophical contemplations on the modern city. Throughout the exhibition, Yang Yongliang skillfully navigates between tradition and modernity, East and West, reinterpreting the form of the modern metropolis through the aesthetic paradigm of traditional "rhythmic vitality." His works embody the essence of Chinese landscape painting while also pioneering new frontiers in contemporary digital art, reflecting the profound reflections of a Chinese artist on cultural translation and self-reconstruction in a foreign land. Yang Yongliang presents us with a "Parallel Metropolis" imbued with rich meaning and boundless imagination, through his unique Eastern cultural perspective and innovative artistic expression. "Parallel Metropolises" not only showcases Yang Yongliang's extraordinary achievements in artistic creation, but more importantly, it reveals how contemporary artists explore the profound issues of cultural identity and artistic innovation within the context of globalization. Yang's works seamlessly blend the foundations of traditional culture with the aesthetics of modern technology, creating a novel form of contemporary art expression. The "Parallel Metropolis" he constructs is an artistic space where the real and the imaginary intersect, and viewers, immersed in this familiar yet unfamiliar experience, are compelled to reflect on the complex relationship between human and nature, development and preservation. This is not only a quest for one's own cultural identity, but also a philosophical interrogation of the direction of human civilization. By using digital video as a medium, the exhibition prompts viewers to reflect on the values of modern society, where art becomes a path to re-examine the human condition, affirming the indispensable role of contemporary art in reflecting social development and promoting cultural introspection.