Chanel’s Métiers d’Art at the Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai
The Chanel exhibition in Shanghai, la Galerie du 19M, opened on September 25 and runs until November 15.
It occupies the entire third floor of the iconic Museum of Art Pudong (MAP), facing the Bund.
Le 19M, for the First Time in China
The program’s third international stop after Dakar and Tokyo, and its first in China, the exhibition showcases the savoir-faire of le19M’s eleven Maisons d’art.
Created by Chanel in 2021 between Paris and Aubervilliers, le19M brings together more than 700 artisans. In Shanghai, an introductory section designed by Studio Adrien Gardère presents their gestures, tools and materials.
What the Chanel Exhibition in Shanghai Says About Luxury in China
Today, offline experience is where connection with Chinese audiences is built, provided it is fully adapted.
The choice of partners confirms it: the Power Station of Art, the exhibition’s strategic partner, has worked with Chanel since 2024. Chanel does not export its savoir-faire: the house creates an artistic experience together with local voices.
A Dialogue Between Craftsmanship and Artists
Most luxury house exhibitions still tell the story of their heritage.
Chanel chose a different path: building a dialogue between artisanal craftsmanship and artists.
“A Sense of Touch”: More Than 30 Chinese and French Creatives
Titled “A Sense of Touch” (触碰, “Chù Pèng” in Chinese, meaning “touch”), the exhibition brings together more than 30 Chinese and French creatives, most of them working in collaboration with le19M’s ateliers.
It was shaped by a Sino-French editorial committee: Gong Yan, director of the Power Station of Art; artist Lin Tianmiao; designer Zhang Lei; and Christelle Kocher, artistic director of Lemarié.
The artists include Ding Yi, Yin Xiuzhen, Shen Yuan, Wu Jian’an, Bi Rongrong and Qian Lihuai from China, alongside Diane Chéry, Deborah Fischer, Mathilde Albouy and Julian Farade from France.
As a result, French embroidery, featherwork and pleating meet Chinese bamboo weaving, lacquer and ceramics.
Yin Xiuzhen: When Offcuts Become Art
One example: artist Yin Xiuzhen divides a goddess statue into 19 hollow sections, a nod to the name le19M, using recycled Lesage materials.
This choice extends her practice: since the 1990s, the artist has built her sculptures from recycled textiles and objects. Here, the ateliers serve the artist, not the other way around, and offcuts become art.
Lesage: 100 Years of Fashion and Decoration
Alongside the main exhibition, a retrospective celebrates the 100 years of Lesage, the embroidery house founded in 1924, and its ties with China. Developed by Lesage and Émilie Hammen, it was first shown at la Galerie du 19M in Paris.
It ranges from the Coromandel lacquer screens so dear to Gabrielle Chanel, translated into embroidery, to the recreation of the Chinese silks of Victor Hugo’s red salon.
Prepare Golden Week Like a Product Launch
Chinese Golden Week is not simply a date in a promotional calendar. It is a strategic moment that should be prepared like a product launch.
In this market, visibility is no longer won at the moment of purchase, but at the moment desire takes shape. The question is therefore not how to exist during Golden Week, but how to be present when travelers are building their journey.
