On the banks of the River Suzhou there’s the Shanghai M50 artistic community. M50 was  created from typically industrial area that has been transformed and reclaimed over more than 10 years me and has today become an “art symbol, creativity and life” in Shanghai.

The M50 artistic scene was started in 2000 by local artist Xue Song, who was attracted by the low rents of these former industrial premises. Other artists would join him shortly afterwards, including Ding Yi, Qu Fengguo and Wang Xingwei.

The site consists of a group of industrial buildings built in different periods, from the 1930s to the 1990s, with a total area of 43,000 square metres. The owner is the Shangtex textiles group that originally operated on the site.

The spaces are a real “industrial art park” devoted to visual art and modern design. It has more than 140 structures, including artists’ studios, galleries and creative spaces from more than 20 countries. The atmosphere that you experience is special, full of culture and creativity. In addition, there is the fascination of the conservation of the former industrial site that has preserved a piece of the city’s history.

Owing to all the advertising provided by magazines and tourist guides, more and more tourists are visiting the site, which also whets the appetite through its trendy bars and cafés.
M50 is not just a place to look at: you can also buy works of art at very attractive prices. You can find all types of artistic creation, from drawings to sculptures, including installations and strange compositions consisting of metal scrap. Artists exhibiting at M50 could be tomorrow’s Damien Hirsts, because a lot of people are investing in works of art that could become valuable in the future.

Stilleben travel is a photographic collection of places we saw and we liked, in which we found ourselves or which inspired us.