An exhibition showcasing film art opened in Shanghai on June 14 during the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival and will run until Sept. 17.

Concept art for the upcoming second installment of Wuershan's "Creation of the Gods" trilogy is on display at "Where Dream Was Created," a film art exhibition. [Photo courtesy of Alibaba Pictures]

The "Where Dream Was Created" exhibition, jointly created by movie ticket app Taopiaopiao and the Unlimited Art of Damai, both owned by Alibaba, at Shanghai's Immersive Art Gallery, is the largest group exhibition of film art in China and aims to provide insights into the movie production process.

At the launch ceremony, Li Jie, president of Alibaba Pictures, said: "As the birthplace of Chinese film art, Shanghai is where the Chinese film dream began. We are launching the 'Where Dream Was Created' art exhibition with the hope of refocusing attention on the place where these dreams originated."

He further explained that the exhibition aims "to retrospectively share the magical moments of dream creation during the early stages of film art."

Li added that they hope to transform "Where Dream Was Created" into a platform that caters to filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and the film industry. "While presenting and discussing the current creative, technological, and aesthetic trends in the film industry, we also aim to continually enhance the offline art experience for cinema enthusiasts," he said.

Li Jie, president of Alibaba Pictures, speaks at the opening ceremony of "Where Dream Was Created," a film art exhibition held in Shanghai on June 14, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Alibaba Pictures]

The exhibition showcases behind-the-scenes materials from over 30 high-profile Chinese and international film franchises, such as "Creation of the Gods," "Wolf Warrior," "Avatar," "The Terminator," and "Doraemon." Divided into seven thematic units – Vision, Slices, Time Anchor, Construct, Character, Keyframes, and Field – the exhibition features a wide array of items, including film storyboards, artistic drafts, scene props, and handwritten notes, letters, and manuscripts from numerous global movie stars and filmmakers.

A standout feature of the exhibition is the Construct unit, which spotlights Wuershan's "Creation of The Gods I: Kingdom of Storms" and reveals, for the first time, key designs from the upcoming sequel, showcasing the creative power behind the Chinese mythology epic.

(From left to right) Actors Zhou You and Eddie Peng, director Guan Hu, and producer Liang Jing pose for a photo before they tour "Where Dream Was Created," a film art exhibition held in Shanghai, June 14, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Alibaba Pictures]

Another highlight is the Field unit, featuring artistic notes and film props from Chinese director Guan Hu's "Black Dog" and "The Eight Hundred." "Black Dog" recently won the best film award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard selection. The items on display provide insights into Guan's unique artistic style.

Guan, his wife and producer Liang Jing, and cast members Eddie Peng and Zhou You toured the exhibition on its opening day. Guan expressed that the exhibition not only stirs people's passion for movies but also motivates film creators to persist and progress, holding substantial value for cinema history.

"We will preserve the creative materials from the film creation process in the future, documenting the most valuable items throughout the process," he said, clearly inspired.

Taopiaopiao also revealed plans to host a series of special events designed to integrate film art into urban lifestyles and provide movie enthusiasts with a wider range of entertainment options. These events will include forums, screenings, movie podcast weeks, film art exchanges, and career panels for young professionals in the film industry.

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