"It has only been popular globally for about a decade, but it has shaped the urban character of Shanghai," artist Ding Yi said in an interview with Yicai Global.

Two sets of furniture are placed opposite each other in the exhibition hall. One set is from Paris, France, and the other from Shanghai, China. The screen depicts "Panorama of Paris," presenting the full view of the "City of Light" with unique spatial perspective: landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame de Paris, Les Invalides, Place de la Concorde, and the Louvre are all arranged according to their actual locations. The furniture on the other side, at first glance, appears to be in the traditional Chinese style, simple and bright, but upon closer inspection, it is adorned with many delicate decorations. For example, the small square table has wheels underneath, the soft dining chairs have geometric patterns on the backrests, and the small windows on the wall are also made of colored glass in geometric shapes.

These two sets of furniture share the same style: Art Deco. In 1925, the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes was held, giving birth to the Art Deco style. By 1933, Shanghai had already seen Art Deco buildings rising. In the history of art and design, we often use Art Deco to refer to the aesthetic trend that spread across the world in the 1920s and 1930s, influencing fields such as architecture, interior design, furniture, fashion textiles, film, and publishing.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and the anniversary of the birth of the Art Deco style, the national humanities and arts project "European Countries' Treasure Exhibition" uses "The Art Deco Movement" to connect the century-old cultural and artistic ties and urban context between China and France, presenting the exhibition "Modernity: Intersecting Worlds." The exhibition is held at No. 1 Bund Origin, Shanghai, from [specific dates]. The exhibition brings together century-old collections from the National Furniture Management Museum of France, the Galliera, Fashion Museum of Paris, the French Film Archive, as well as jewelry houses Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels; the Shanghai collections of artist Ding Yi over the past twenty years, and the pattern qipao treasures of qipao and textile fabric expert Gong Jianpei.

The style that once appeared in Paris, France, is also simultaneously presented in modern Shanghai. At that time, we were equal in spirit and emotion, which allowed for more communication. Yu Weiqi, the initiator of the "European Countries' Treasures Exhibition" project, told the First Financial Daily reporter, "What we convey is people's yearning for a better life, which is also the reason we organized this exhibition."

The Paris International Exposition of Decorative Arts and Modern Industry in the year called for the arrival of a new world. At that time, the nightmare of the First World War had passed, women's status began to rise, leisure travel became increasingly popular, transportation systems developed rapidly, skyscrapers were rising, and the overall social atmosphere was optimistic. On the other hand, in the era of mechanization, a large number of affordable household appliances were mass-produced, new technologies greatly improved the quality of life, and the development of print media such as newspapers and magazines changed people's understanding of the world.

Born in this context, it satisfied the emotional needs of people seeking pleasure while incorporating the characteristics of the mechanized era, becoming a highly modern and elegant style. At the same time, Europe's admiration for East Asian art, especially Chinese art, did not wane after World War I due to the pursuit of "modernity"; it flourished once again, becoming a prominent source of inspiration in the Art Deco movement. In the exhibition, we will see how French decorative artists of the time used techniques and materials from the East to depict a rich and vibrant vision of the East—on a screen, lacquer artist Jean Dunand depicted a geometric dense forest, hiding oriental mythical creatures, exotic birds, plants, fruits, and flowers, creating a dreamlike scene full of exotic charm, leading viewers to imagine the beautiful Eden and thus soothe the wounded hearts of people after the war.

In the era when globalization was just beginning to take shape, this decorative art style, absorbing cultural nutrients from all over the world, quickly spread across the globe and took root in many cities. When Ding Yi first became interested in this style, there was very little information available. Later, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London held a global exhibition, from which he obtained an illustrated book that included a chapter on Shanghai. It was then that he learned Shanghai was a very important part of the global style. He told the First Financial Daily reporter that across Asia, the cities primarily involved in this style were Shanghai, Tokyo, and New Delhi, all of which were highly internationalized cities at the time. "Sometimes looking back at them, one can imagine the extent of international exchange back then."

At that time, Shanghai's industry and commerce were rapidly developing, and the population was surging. With the expansion of the city, Shanghai underwent large-scale urban construction. Many foreign firms were engaged in architectural design in Shanghai, adopting the most advanced and popular languages of the time. Meanwhile, the first batch of Shanghai architects who had studied in Europe and America returned, also following the same styles. In the first decade of the century, Ding Yi once carried a camera and photographed the facades of many buildings in Shanghai, covering a wide range of architectural styles. These included large public buildings such as the Peace Hotel and Cathay Cinema, as well as residential buildings like villas, new lanes, and old lanes.

Alexander Shoe Store, Johnson Wine Shop, Lazaro Tobacco Merchant, Daisy Music Store, Chocolate Candy Shop, Cathay Theatre, Hamilton Hotel... Revolving, forever revolving neon lights. Mu Yingshi's work "Five People in the Nightclub" depicts the bustling and modern urban life of Shanghai. In fact, from literary works, films, calendars, to the cheongsam worn by women, one can see that the style permeated every aspect of urban life, also forming the stylistic foundation of Shanghai's modernity.

The era saw the birth of the cheongsam in Shanghai, which became the attire of the "new Chinese woman" over the next two decades. The cheongsam evolved from traditional Chinese clothing and was influenced by Western fashion culture. The transformation of clothing was closely linked to significant changes in the social status, identity, and lifestyle of the wearers. In the first half of the 20th century, under the influence of Western modernist ideas, Chinese women began to leave their secluded homes and participate in various social activities. If the cosmopolitan Shanghai of that time, offering a variety of leisure and entertainment and filled with allure and temptation, was like a kaleidoscope, then the clothing worn by modern Chinese women moving through this urban space was the dazzling reflections within that kaleidoscope. It was on the universal platform of mass commodified media that Shanghai began to absorb and assimilate Western design languages, developing its own modern visual culture.

Furniture, appliances, films, photographs, literary fragments... Different forms of exhibits construct fluid time-spaces, allowing the audience to wander in the world, and constantly surprised by the contrasts between the ancient and the modern, the new and the old, Paris and Shanghai, internationalism and localism. Among the most unexpected are the old Shanghai furniture interspersed throughout the exhibition hall, a small selection from Ding Yi's thousands of furniture collections. They are exquisite, elegant, quietly placed in a corner of the exhibition hall, yet undeniably narrating the tangible history of Shanghai's urban life.

Ding Yi is a Shanghai artist whose iconic work, "Cross Sign," meticulously constructs the canvas with repeated cross or asterisk patterns, building artistic freedom within the regularity of lines. His collection reflects a deeper and more complex appreciation and love for Shanghai culture. Speaking about his collection, Ding Yi opened up. Around the years before and after, many areas in Shanghai were undergoing old district renovation and demolition, resulting in a large number of old furniture flowing into the market. Ding Yi recalls that he would visit a residential community in Meilong every week, "There was a market there that would sort and sell the items from the demolitions to different people." Ding Yi was originally interested in Ming Dynasty furniture but had missed the best period for collecting them. When he saw batches of old Shanghai furniture, he was quickly drawn to their style. From furniture to appliances, daily necessities, and even posters... his collection gradually accumulated.

Ding Yi told Yicai that while it is an international style, Shanghai's version also has its own regional and local characteristics, which can be seen in furniture, cheongsams, and carpets, all of which exhibit distinct Chinese features. Just as the style itself is a hybrid product connecting tradition and modernity. For instance, many pieces of furniture contain traditional Chinese auspicious symbols: gifts from younger generations to elders often feature patterns of cranes, symbolizing longevity, while wedding gifts from parents to children may include furniture with patterns of pomegranates and hibiscus flowers, signifying fertility and prosperity. Ding Yi specifically mentioned the wheeled table, "symbolizing the then-emerging car culture; cars were not yet common, so many people's aspirations were reflected in their furniture."

Shanghai boasts a wealth of furniture with ingenious designs. Many left-wing writers once resided in attic rooms, reflecting the city's ongoing housing shortage, which necessitates clever, space-efficient designs to create comfort. In the exhibition hall's atrium, there is a mountain of chairs, many of which have reversible seats and backs, allowing for summer and winter use. Ding Yi mentioned that he also owns a ladder chair, which flips over to become a ladder. These designs are all about saving space. There is also a set in the exhibition hall.