Museums open to a new age

On Sept 9, the first exhibition, Uffizi Self-Portrait Masterpieces, will open to the public and run to Jan 8, 2023.

Fifty self-portraits by famous artists, including classical masters Raphael and Rembrandt, and contemporary artists Yayoi Kusama and Cai Guoqiang, will be on show.

The self-portrait exhibition was originally meant to be the second Uffizi exhibition in Shanghai, according to Zheng Chun, a spokesperson for Tix-Media, the operator of the Bund One Art Museum. The first, featuring Italian master Botticelli, was scheduled to take place in April. The organizers are still discussing when to hold this show.

Meanwhile, China Art Museum Shanghai, which sits on the east bank of the Huangpu River, has been preparing for two shows. The first will consist of large-scale artworks featuring the city of Shanghai and the second will showcase paintings with peaceful and joyful motifs, including still life and abstract works by modern masters such as Lin Fengmian, Zao Wou-ki and Wu Guanzhong.

Since the first COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, museums in Shanghai had started introducing online events to maintain contact with the public.

As such, many of these venues were well-prepared for the latest outbreak and quickly rolled out livestreaming sessions and virtual exhibitions.