Event

Film Screening at Sprout

Sprout Lifestyle is hosting a free screening of The Cure Is, a transformational film about how every human body is brilliantly designed for vitality and longevity. It addresses questions such as why health and life expectancy gradually decline, whether we've lost our connection to the natural way of living, and whether there is a powerful and effective means of addressing disease? Woven with testimonials from top scientists, doctors and evolutionary leaders, the amazing true stories in the film create a mind-blowing journey of self-discovery that will radically shift the way you look at health and disease forever. The film is in English and has no subtitles. Reservations are required via e-mails at events@sproutlifestyle.com.

Date: April 23, 7 pm

Venue: Sprout Lifestyle

Address: Unit 412, Surpass Court, 570 Yongjia Road

永嘉路570号永嘉庭412座

Admission: Free

Visit http://www.sproutlifestyle.com/ for details

Exhibitions

Mind and Nature

Born in the 1980s, contemporary artist Li Zesong from Yunnan Province displays his White and Black Series in his first solo exhibition in Shanghai. He has been living in Dali, Yunnan Province since a young age and his works are inspired by the rich culture as well as magnificent natural surroundings of the remote city. He attempts to find an approach that distinguishes his works from the trend of arts globalization. He uses simple blacks, whites and grays to compose his contemporary paintings along the lines of traditional Chinese ink painting. In his paintings, the contrast between large landscapes and tiny human figures symbolizes loneliness, fragility and helplessness. However, Li believes our emotions and spirits are as infinite as nature. Viewers can find a sense of humor in Li's work, as well as the tranquility and co-existence of humanity and nature.

Date: Until April 25, 1 pm to 9 pm (closed on Mondays)

Venue: Noeli Gallery 诺易画廊

Address: 150 Yueyang Road

岳阳路150号

Admission: Free

Call 6431-9442 for details

A Fragment in the Course of Time

Himalayas Museum has invited 36 Chinese artists to contribute around 180 ink paintings which were created in the 1980s to a month-long exhibition. The displayed paintings are divided into two parts, 1979 to 1984 and 1985 to 1989. Influenced by the Western realism of the 1980s, the contemporary ink paintings mostly focus on objects rather than emotions. The invited artists include Zhang Lansheng, Liu Zijian, Qin Feng and Li Jin.

Date: Until April 10, 10 am to 6 pm

Venue: Himalayas Museum

喜马拉雅美术馆

Address: 3/F, Section A, 869 Yinghua Road

樱花路869号A区3楼

Tickets: 30 yuan

Call 5033-9801 for details

The Chinese Shadows

Born in 1952 in Naples, Italian contemporary artist Francesco Clemente will hold his second solo exhibition in the city this month. During his first visit to China, Clemente created a dynamic series of 13 unique hand-painted monotypes, utilizing watercolor, gouache and ink on traditional Chinese paper mounted to silk. For the upcoming The Chinese Shadows exhibition, Clemente has created a cohesive, sequential body of works that address the metaphysical or mythological self and the ancient Chinese philosophical principles of the universe: yin (associated with the female, earth, dark, and cold) and yang (male, heaven, heat, and light) as a composite of the human spirit.

Date: Until April 13, Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 6pm; Sunday, midday to 6 pm; Monday by appointment

Venue: James Cohan Gallery

Address: 1/F, Bldg 1, 170 Yueyang Road 岳阳路170号1号楼1楼

Admission: Free

Call 5466-0826 for details

Under the Sun

Young Chinese artist Liu Weijian's new solo exhibition at ShanghART H-Space will display more than 20 acrylic paintings created between 2011 and 2013. Born in Hunan Province in 1981, Liu graduated from the art school of Shanghai Normal University in 2005. The Shanghai-based artist has exhibited extensively in major Chinese cities, Spain and Italy. Curator and art critic Demetrio Paparoni describes Liu's works as managing to capture "the hotness of day, thirst, the coldness of the night, the worry of getting lost, and the fear of moving forward."

Date: Until April 24, 10 am to 6 pm

Venue: ShanghART H-Space

Address: Bldg 16, 50 Moganshan Road 莫干山路50号16号楼

Admission: Free

Call 6359-4570 for details

Contingency Plans: or, Living with Unstable Grounds

This exhibition looks at how the unexpected forces of nature shape landscapes and human lives. Entitled Contingency Plans: or, Living with Unstable Grounds, the exhibition draws on understudied cases from overlooked places through 19 case studies assembled by over 20 contributors. Each case study is based on an unexpected terrestrial event. Examples include a landslide in Hong Kong, persistent desertification in China, volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, the seepage of mining waste in West Papua, and the gradual accumulation of the surface of the Earth in the UK.

Date: Until June 1, 10 am to 8 pm

Venue: The University of Hong Kong / Shanghai Study Centre

香港大学上海学习中心

Address: 298 Beisuzhou Road

北苏州路298号

Admission: Free

Visit ash.arch.hku.hk for details

The Ears Have Walls

The Ears Have Walls is a new solo exhibition by one of today's most sought-after Dutch artists Gabriel Lester. A follow-up of his grand survey Roxy at Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum in 2012, this show at Leo Xu Projects features a collection of works dealing with global immigration and changing living conditions. Also on display is a unique musical performance designed to pay homage to early 20th century theater. Born in Amsterdam, Gabriel Lester is a visual artist and film director who splits his time living and working between Amsterdam and Shanghai.

Date: Until April 6, 10 am to 6 pm

Venue: Leo Xu Projects

Address: Bldg 3, Lane 49 Fuxing Road West 复兴西路49弄3号楼

Admission: Free

Call 3461-1245 for details

Distant Places

Distant Places is a new exhibition by Chinese artist Zhang Yongxu. Much of Zhang's practice is about his travels, observing and seizing upon chance encounters. For Zhang, the travels are not just something to be remembered, but also something to be reinterpreted and manipulated. The exhibited works encompass almost three decades of the artist's exploration of his native Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as well as temporary stays in New York and California, and of his current base, Beijing.

Date: Until April 14, 11 am to 9 pm

Venue: Shanghai Gallery of Art

沪申画廊

Address: 3/F, Three on the Bund, 3 Zhongshandongyi Road

中山东一路3号外滩三号3楼

Admission: Free

Call 6321-5757 for details

On Stage

The Bach Choir:

The Glory of Easter

Founded in 1876, The Bach Choir is recognized as one of the world's leading choruses, building upon a tradition that combines musical excellence with creativity and innovation. From the first performance in Britain of Bach's Mass in B minor to the soundtrack for Ridley Scott's epic Prometheus, their musical heritage is as rich as it is diverse. Directed by David Hill, one of the country's most eminent conductors and choir trainers, they regularly perform and record across London and the UK in prestigious venues, from the Royal Albert Hall to Abbey Road Studios. The Shanghai concert programs include Brahms's A German Requiem, Vierne's Carillon de Westminster (Organ Solo) and Bach's Lobet den Herrn.

Date: April 10, 7:30 pm

Venue: Shanghai Oriental Arts Center 上海东方艺术中心

Address: 425 Dingxiang Road

丁香路425号

Tickets: 80 to 380 yuan

Call 5108-5050 for details

Club for Five Shanghai Concert

Founded in Helsinki in 2001, Club for Five is a five-member contemporary a cappella group, specializing in vocally imitating the sounds of musical instruments. Club for Five sing in both English and Finnish. Their hits include renditions of Finnish folk tunes and covers of pop songs. The band released their first album Ensi-ilta in 2004 and their second album Uni was released two years after. The 2007 Christmas album Rekiretki was awarded album of the year in Finland and won The Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards in 2008.

Date: April 30, 7 pm to 9:30 pm

Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art Center 上海东方艺术中心

Address: 425 Dingxiang Road

丁香路425号

Tickets: 100 to 880 yuan

Call 400-650-5050 for details

Nightlife

The Black Dahlia Murder China Tour

Founded in 2000, The Black Dahlia Murder is an American metal band from Michigan. Their name is derived from the 1947 unsolved murder case of aspiring young actress Elizabeth Short. The band's lineup features vocalist Trevor Strnad, guitarists Brian Eschbach and Ryan Knight, drummer Alan Cassidy, and bassist Max Lavelle. The Shanghai gig is The Black Dahlia Murder's second leg of their Chinese tour.

Date: April 22, 8 pm to 10 pm

Venue: Mao Livehouse

Address: 3/F, 308 Chongqing Road South 重庆南路308号3楼

Tickets: 230 yuan presale and 330 yuan at the door

Visit http://www.guitarchina.com/ for details