China, Shanghai, 2004
Before the hype, 50 Moganshan Lu was a collection of warehouses that housed what were then Shanghai’s up-and-coming independent galleries. It was all very low-key and seemed to blend in effortlessly with what had been there already. This recording was made one late Saturday afternoon and I was taken by the serenity of the whole scenery: children playing, people singing while passing on their bicycles, birds chirping. A year later the place had been rebranded as M50, listed in tourist guides, and building works were under way in every corner. These days, the place is like a miniature arts entertainment district, filled with commercial galleries, design shops, art bookshops and the obligatory cafes. Recorded for the D-Fuse project Brilliant City.