From a riverside lined with chimneys to an open and shared urban hotspot, Yangpu Riverside carries the legacy of Shanghai's century-old industrial civilization. It revitalizes industrial heritage through the integration of art and technology, driving urban renewal. Factories have transformed into show venues, warehouses into exhibition halls, and public art pieces harmonize with the riverside scenery. Various cultural and artistic activities are continuously being introduced, enriching the vibrant landscape.

Since the Shanghai Urban Space Art Season 2019, Yangpu Riverside has become a new art landmark in Shanghai, attracting global attention. Driven by the Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, the Bureau of Culture and Tourism, and the Yangpu District Government, the 5.5-kilometer public space along the southern section of the riverside has collaborated with world-renowned artists. With 20 permanent artworks injecting artistic vitality, Yangpu Riverside has always upheld the important concept of a people's city, writing a new urban life landscape in an artistic way.

As the warm sunshine of early summer intensifies, Yangpu Riverside welcomes the 21st new commissioned public art piece——artist Ding Yi's sculpture "Light Tower." This work, specially commissioned by the Art Pioneer Studio, grandly unveiled on May 19th at 4 PM at the Minghua Sugar Factory Green Space along Yangpu Riverside in Shanghai!

©APS, SHANGHAI

"Light Tower" consists of six interlocking concrete "boxes," with Ding Yi's signature cross-shaped blocks extracted from various cubes and repositioned onto different surfaces of the tower. The hollowed sections serve as light inlets, creating diverse light and shadow patterns that intersect across different faces of the tower.

"Light Tower" embodies the concept of "maximizing utility" in its form. Each cut block is reintegrated into the tower, creating an interplay between the exterior shape and the concave and convex inner walls. The concept of the work is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's "organic architecture" theory, emphasizing a design method that organically generates and maintains overall unity in its conceptual execution.

At 16:00 on May 19th, the Inauguration of DingYi's Sculpture "Light Tower" was held grandly on the Yangpu Riverside! This inauguration not only gathered many guests, but also attracted more than 200 art lovers to witness this important art event.The main guests include:Mr. Ding Yi, a leading figure in contemporary Chinese abstract art and an internationally renowned artist; Mr. Zhu Xiaojun, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Shanghai Yangpu Riverside Investment and Development (Group) Co., Ltd.; Mr. Liang Shaoji, The famous contemporary artist；Ms. Robin Wong, Founder of the Art Pioneer Studio and Director of APS museum，and Ms. Azure Wu, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of "Art Contemporary" and "Public Art" magazines and curator of the "Crisscrosses: Ding Yi's Public Art for Twenty Years" exhibition.

the Inauguration of DingYi's Sculpture "Light Tower" was hosted by the famous TV host Ms. Zhang Ying and kicked off with a speech by Mr. Zhu Xiaojun, Mr. Zhu extended his heartfelt thanks and warm welcome to the artists and business representatives present. He expressed his hope that Ding Yi's "Light Tower" would enrich the public spaces of Yangpu Riverside and wished for a bright future for the area.

Artist Ding Yi shared his honor in completing a permanent sculpture at this new fashionable center of Yangpu Riverside. He hopes that the "Light Tower" will become a spiritual beacon for Shanghai, a city constantly renewing itself.

Following the speeches, Mr. Ding Yi, Mr. Zhu Xiaojun, Mr. Liang Shaoji, Ms. Robin Wong , and Ms. Azure Wu jointly unveiled the sculpture.

This inauguration not only marked the official debut of the "Light Tower" sculpture, but also enriched the cultural landscape of Yangpu Riverside and set a new benchmark for Shanghai's public art activities. In the future, Yangpu Riverside will continue to be committed to promoting the development of public art, improving the cultural taste of the region, and bringing more artistic enjoyment and cultural experience to citizens.

The 20th-century sculptor Henry Spencer Moore once said, "Any sculptor hopes that their work will be appreciated by the public. Because of this, they wish for their work to be placed in an environment that suits it... The sky is the best background for a sculpture because it contrasts the sculpture with the surrounding space."

Public sculpture, as a tangible form of public art, enters urban spaces, signifying that sculpture is no longer merely a construction and depiction of the artist's personal life. It has evolved into a cultural practice with significant "publicness." Sculpture has moved from the "white box" to the outdoors, becoming part of public experiential space. This shift transcends mere artistic expression and demonstrates a more serious and profound sense of reality, achieving a co-creative practice between people and the environment.

Ding Yi extends a simple, intersecting symbol from a two-dimensional canvas to urban public space, reflecting the artist's deep contemplation of urban development and humanistic care. His unique design heralds a new cultural height for Yangpu Riverside!

Additionally, the exhibition "Crisscrosses: Ding Yi's Public Art for Twenty Years" unveiled simultaneously with the "Light Tower." This exhibition comprehensively traces Ding Yi’s trajectory in creating public art since the new century, showcasing his ongoing reflections and creative outcomes in four dimensions: construction, Integration, participation, and publication. The exhibition highlights his work in terms of temporal span, spatial extension, cultural integration, and social involvement. It is located on the first floor of the Minghua Sugar Factory at Yangpu Riverside and will be open from May 19 to May 26, 2024.

Compared to his highly condensed and sensorially abstract paintings, Ding Yi's public art practice is more straightforward and responsive, demonstrating deeper reflections on social humanity and urban development. Amid the wave of urban renewal, Ding Yi's works not only reshape the public's perception of form and order, the finite and infinite, and the self and the external world but also inspire us to seek a sense of belonging and emotional resonance in a rapidly changing world.

At the same time, the exhibition "City Walk, Art Walk: A Retrospective of Public Artworks in Shanghai" also kicks off on May 19! This exhibition will take the audience on a journey through time, revisiting significant public art pieces from Yangpu Riverside over the years. It showcases how Yangpu Riverside tells its story through cultural art, enhances regional cohesion, and highlights the tireless efforts and achievements of Yangpu District in promoting urban cultural development.

The power of art lies in its ability to reflect society from a creative perspective, lead change, and build a vibrant and harmonious cultural ecosystem. Ding Yi's new sculpture and exhibition allow us to collectively envision the potential influence and forward-looking role of public art in shaping future urban development. These activities vividly showcase the immense potential for the sustainable development of public art, strengthening the connection between art, the audience, and social life. They enrich the cultural life of citizens, elevate the cultural stature of Yangpu Riverside, and further support Shanghai's journey toward becoming an international cultural metropolis!

丁乙《光塔》雕塑发布
Inauguration of DingYi's Sculpture
"Light Tower"
时间：2024.5.19 下午4:00

交织：丁乙公共艺术实践二十年
Crisscrosses: Ding Yi's Public Art for
Twenty Years
展期：2024.5.19-2024.5.26

杨浦滨江 城市艺游：上海杨浦滨江公共艺术作品回顾
City Walk, Art Walk: A Retrospective of Public Artworks in Shanghai
展期：2024.5.19-2024.5.26

Ding Yi was born in Shanghai in 1962, where he still currently resides. He is one of the representative figures of Chinese contemporary abstract art, working primarily with “+” and its variant “x” as formal visual signals. Ding Yi has exhibited extensively at various institutions and galleries: The British Museum; Power Station of Art (Shanghai); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York/Bilbao); Centre Pompidou (Paris); Museo Nazionale Delle Arti Del XXI Secolo MAXXI (Rome); Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing)--among many others. His works have also been included in 45th Venice Biennale, The First Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, and the Yokohama 2001 International Triennale of Contemporary Art. His solo exhibitions as of recent were held in the Ningbo Museum of Art and Huamao Museum of Art Education (Ningbo), the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning, the TAG Art Museum (Qingdao), the Jebum-gang Art Center (Lhasa), the Long Museum (Chongqing/Shanghai), Galería RGR (Mexico City), Galerie Karsten Greve (Cologne/Paris/St.Moritz), the Guangdong Museum of Art (Guangzhou), Xi’an Art Museum, and the Hubei Museum of Art (Wuhan).