By tf-lawyer.com On September 29, the Workers’ Cultural Palace in Shanghai hosted the opening of an art exhibition titled “Striving Together, You Are the Most Beautiful—A Tribute to the Most Beautiful Laborers of the New Era.”
This exhibition represents a pioneering effort by the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions to artistically represent the essence of model workers. As a key feature of the Second Shanghai Employee Cultural Season, it embraces the theme “Striving Together, You Are the Most Beautiful” and showcases contributions from 75 industry trade unions across various sectors and districts. The exhibition invites representatives from different generations to share their inspiring stories of hard work, particularly within the framework of Shanghai’s evolution into a city characterized by innovation, openness, and aspirations.
The Central Academy of Fine Arts has a rich tradition of honoring laborers through sculpture. Over five months, 38 artists embarked on a journey between Beijing and Shanghai, visiting a wide range of grassroots locations, including government offices, companies, research institutions, factories, and construction sites. Their exploration spanned from the busy Nanjing Road pedestrian street to Yangshan Deep-Water Port, over 100 kilometers from the city, and included experiences at the C919 big passenger aircraft assembly lines and subway tunneling sites. This hands-on engagement allowed the artists to draw inspiration from direct conversations with model workers, culminating in nearly 200 high-quality artworks that reflect a variety of themes, styles, and techniques.
The exhibition is designed to provide a rich and immersive experience that celebrates the beauty of laborers, combining an impressive array of artistic pieces with extensive documentation and video materials.
Yu Ding, the chief curator and dean of the School of Arts and Design Management at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, remarked that this artistic tribute to laborers signifies a meaningful dialogue and shared journey of appreciation. The exhibition highlights the dynamic representations and work environments of 75 model craftsmen, aged from their 20s to their 90s, with participation spanning from students to faculty aged 18 to over 80. Through their rigorous artistic endeavors, the artists aimed to unveil the unique beauty embedded in the ordinary lives of these role models. In turn, the laborers discovered a renewed sense of self through the artists’ meticulous work. The artists and laborers share a common thread in their ability to nurture greatness from the mundane and find spirit in the details.
Co-hosted by the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions and the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the exhibition will also feature a series of educational activities throughout its run.
