This September, the renowned Musée Rodin in Paris will open its first international branch in China. The Centre d’Art Rodin, a private museum authorized by the French institution, marks the culmination of eight years of preparation and coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China.
The new museum, situated in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area, is privately funded by a board led by Wu Jing, a French-Chinese private collector who previously established the Museum of European Art in Hangzhou. The artistic director of the Centre d’Art Rodin, Kong Xianhe, highlighted Shanghai’s cultural significance, vibrant art scene, and economic potential as key factors in choosing the location.
The Musée Rodin, notable for being the only fully self-funded national museum in France, will collaborate closely with its Chinese counterpart on research and curation. Auguste Rodin, the 19th-century sculptor famed for works like The Thinker (1904) and The Kiss (1882), revolutionized sculpture by breaking away from classical traditions to depict raw human emotion and vulnerability.
The inaugural exhibition at the Shanghai museum, titled “Rodin: The Inheritance of Modern Sculpture,” will feature approximately 50 of Rodin’s sculptures. Among them will be plaster versions of The Thinker and The Age of Bronze, alongside bronze renditions of The Kiss and The Walking Man (1900). This exhibition, slated to run for two years, will also showcase works by Rodin’s mentor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and his students Aristide Maillol and Antoine Bourdelle.
A unique aspect of the opening exhibition is the display of Rodin’s collection of Chinese art, which includes a Guanyin statue, terracotta figures from the Tang dynasty, and porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties. This collection will be exhibited to the public for the first time, offering a rare glimpse into Rodin’s appreciation for Chinese art.
Standard tickets for the opening exhibition will be priced at 120 yuan (US$16.50) per person. The Centre d’Art Rodin is located in the building that housed the French Pavilion during Expo 2010, designed by French architect Jacques Ferrier, featuring an expansive atrium of over 1,100 square meters.
The addition of the Centre d’Art Rodin enriches the cultural landscape of Pudong New Area, which has seen a surge in private cultural ventures. It joins other notable projects like the New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center, opened by the Hong Kong-based Artyzen Hospitality Group.
“The opening of Centre d’Art Rodin in Shanghai is an exceptional example of French and Chinese cultural exchange,” said Kong Xianhe. “It aims to highlight Rodin’s artistic spirit and achievements while underlining the connection and mutual affinity between Rodin and China.”
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