Touristification of a contemporary art scene: M50 district in Shanghai, China

Basile Michel ()
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Basile Michel: PLACES - EA 4113 - PLACES - Laboratoire de géographie et d'aménagement - CY - CY Cergy Paris Université, ESO - Espaces et Sociétés - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UM - Le Mans Université - UA - Université d'Angers - UR2 - Université de Rennes 2 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Nantes Univ - IGARUN - Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes - Nantes Université - pôle Humanités - Nantes Univ - Nantes Université - Institut Agro Rennes Angers - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement

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Abstract: Analyzing the case of Shanghai's M50 district through the lens of the scene requires adopting a dynamic approach that is sensitive to the concurrent developments of the area and its artistic players. This chapter will therefore unfold in six stages to present (1) the historical and territorial context of the M50, from which (2) a dynamic agglomeration of artistic activities developed, leading (3) to the emergence of a lived scene in the early 2000s, before (4) local authorities institutionalized this scene starting in 2005 (constructed scene), which (5) contributed to accelerating the neighborhood's transformation, with a recent decline in the lived scene (6) leading to the gradual transformation of the M50 into a tourist enclave marked by an intense experienced scene and a well-established publicized scene. The aim is to summarize this case study and conclude with the main lessons to be learned for the concept of scene as defined in the Scaena project.

Keywords: China; Scene; Art district; Art; M50; Shanghai; Contemporary art (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05642560v1
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Published in Charles Ambrosino; Basile Michel; Dominique Sagot-Duvauroux. Artistic scenes and the city. Volume 2: International case studies and perspectives, PUG, pp.23-32, 2026, Research Virus, XXL series, 978‑2‑7061‑5860-5

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