Exhibition 'Unmasks' the best of China and Italy

"Unmasked, Sino-Italian Contemporary Photography Exhibition" at the Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art features over 100 works by ten contemporary photographers and artist groups from both China and Italy, including big names such as Lu Yuanmin and Andrea Cavazzuti.

The exhibition, which runs through July 12, is curated by Francesco D'Arelli and Zeng Yulan.

Centered on the theme of face, the exhibition directs the artist's gaze toward the human subject and, particularly, the visage.

"The face is the uncovered part of the body," said Francesco D'Arelli. "It shapes and defines the singular identity of the individual, to the point that it represents the primordial source of social identification. It represents the society, the social sphere, the community, the acts of living with each other, the visible essence of humanity."

The artists depict people in different social, cultural, and environmental contexts using a distinct visual language. Instead of traditional portraits, the artists depict contemporary human thoughts, feelings, and situations.

By depicting individuals with empathy and insight, "the exhibition encourages a confrontation with cultural differences, dissolving prejudice through understanding," said Zeng Yulan.

The curatorial approach is clear: all works are presented without frames. Such presentations allow images to confront viewers directly, dissolving the barrier between art and observers.

Ma Liang's 2012 "Mobile Photo Studio," featuring joyful, improvised portraits from a truck-turned-studio traveling China, is on the first floor. Guido Harari's Italian black-and-white portraits, like Ma's, suggest a staged, theatrical sense of identity.

On the second floor, Lu Yuanmin's 1980s Chinese urban life photos and Andrea Cavazzuti's gentle early reform photography are impressive.

Another intriguing and provocative piece is by Yang Wenbin. His AI multimodal model created 15 "characters" speaking similar lines on a white background.

These faces don't exist, but force viewers to ponder, "Are we willing to notice and remember someone who doesn't exist? Do you accept an image because of your emotions or habits?"

If you go:

Date: 10am-6pm (close on Mondays), through July 12

Venue: Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art 上海多伦现代美术馆

Address: 27 Duolun Rd 多伦路27号

Admission: Free