In alignment with the triennial currently hosted at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Australia, UP Gallery proudly presents Chen Ronghui’s solo exhibition, Modern Shanghai. This exhibition features new works from an ongoing series commissioned by NGV Triennial, presented in our 2F Screening Room. For the first time, these works filmed in 2023 will be presented in screening format.

“The triennial featuring 120 artists, designers, and collectives, creating one powerful and moving portrait of the world today.” Chen’s project is situated within the broader theme of “Megacities” proposed by NGV, spanning 10 global cities, including Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Lagos, Sao Paulo, Cairo, Dhaka, Mexico City, Seoul, and Jakarta. The overarching question posed to key artists in these cities is, ‘If, in the twenty-first century, the city represents the dominant human ecosystem, what does this mean for life in a megacity?’

Representing Shanghai, Ronghui delves into the dilemma of “Hukou” as the starting point for exploring the relationship between inhabitants and their ecosystems. Not originally from Shanghai, Ronghui, like many citizens, is an immigrant. Despite contributing through taxes and finding the city accommodating for work and life, he faces the disparity of not receiving the same benefits as those with Hukou. His exploration takes him to document life alongside subway stops where immigrants, much like himself, reside. As these stations extend away from the city center, the residents of this belt find themselves seemingly in “the land of in-between” – unable to root themselves in Shanghai but unwilling to return to the countryside or hometown, caught in a perpetual state of limbo.

About 2F Screening Room @ UP Gallery
A new initiative commenced in 2024 through collaboration with LG, designed to accentuate the significance of moving images, videos, and film works. Over the course of the entire year, within an exclusive and intimate space located on the 2nd floor of the gallery, five distinct solo exhibitions featuring artists’ works will coincide with 1st-floor exhibitions focused on photography. The gallery aspires to broaden both temporal and spatial dimensions, providing our audiences with the opportunity to deeply engage with artistic practices that demand extended contemplation and more intimate settings.

*We extend our appreciation to LG for their sponsorship, enabling the impeccable presentation of works through The LG OLED evo 8K 88inch Prestige Series television.