THE SHOUTER x LITCHI present SALT

“Salt?” a friend questioned when they saw the poster for THE SHOUTER x LITCHI exhibition. “What do you mean, salt?” I queried in return. “Yeah, that’s what that character says, 盐(yan), that means salt,” they explained. “I guess that’s the name of the art exhibition,” I replied. I wondered if the meaning of the name was "lost in translation," or if this was simply another one of those art things I do not understand. 

The world of art is difficult to make sense of, but imagine trying to comprehend the message an artist is trying to share when that message is in a language that you can barely speak. I took another look at the poster for the event and was transfixed with the elegance and simplicity of the character 盐(yan) written out in salt. There was something magical about the white powder laid across a black background, it was like an incantation set down to protect from an unknown danger. Maybe there was more to this "salt" deal than I originally expected. 

From my Latin classes in university, I know that the Latin word for salt, sal, is the root of the word salary. Apparently, salt was so important in ancient Rome that soldiers spent most of the money they were paid buying salt. Maybe this exhibition was about that? A commentary on money and greed? Or maybe the "salt" in question was a biblical reference, a religious exploration of Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mouth in which he called his followers "salt of the earth." Was I reading too much into the title of the exhibition? Or perhaps not enough? Was my western lens feeding me concepts that simply did not apply? These and other questions intrigued me, but above all, I wondered, why would someone title their art exhibition "SALT?" I guess the only way to find out was to actually visit the exhibition in person. 

As I entered the space where the exhibition was held, THE SHOUTER’s immersive experience store, the only salt I could think about was the salt from the sweat that dripped down my body. It was a Shanghai summer and the burning heat had given me a mild heatstroke. My mind was melting, but as cool air blasted on my face, I finally recognized the oasis I had set foot in. I was instantly awestruck by the beauty of this space, located on the second floor of the building on No. 62, Fuxing West Road. "This must be a historic building,” I thought, noticing that the architecture of the old French-style building was balanced by an uber-modern décor around the space. Later, I learned that THE SHOUTER, an art and fashion-oriented home decoration brand, was operating its experience store out of what was once local government offices.

Slowly, I collected my thoughts, but I doubt that even if I was sound of mind at the moment I would have been able to fully perceive what was going on around me. I was in a beautiful room surrounded by beautiful objects and beautiful people – instantly I felt ugly and out of place. I approached everything with trepidation like a child lost, I was both excited and scared. My eyes wandered through every corner of the space unable to settle down due to the overwhelming sensory overload. Finally, I noticed a familiar face, a Mickey Mouse statue, about the size of a small dog, resting happily on a mantle. "Was this part of the art exhibition or part of the decoration of the space?" I wondered. 

Without a doubt, part of the pleasure of being at THE SHOUTER's experience space was trying to decipher what was a piece of art and what was a decoration. Meticulously crafted teapots, cups, lions, shoes, and guns made out of fine porcelain adorned the shelves throughout the space, on a dining room table, a display of plates and vases were set up alongside golden mice figurines, that had been sculpted so vividly they almost looked alive, and in the middle of the space, a bright neon-lit jukebox played classical music records. The mixing and matching of time periods, art styles, and fashion trends created a lively and lovely atmosphere. It is no surprise that THE SHOUTER's slogan is "design is fun," this motto is obvious in the lack of pretension and obvert seriousness in their collection, proving that something can be both classy and joyful. 

As I continued exploring the space, I finally made my way to the SALT exhibition. Possibly because I was dehydrated, though most likely because I am not as smart as I pretend to be, I was surprised that there was no salt anywhere to be seen. I know that not everything needs to be literal, but for an exhibition titled SALT, surely there would be at least a grain or two! However, I must admit that I was not disappointed by what I saw instead. All around the exhibition were phenomenal glass sculptures tinted in stunning colors, on one of the walls, a video feed was projected unto a collection of expressionless female-looking faces, and lastly, glorious paintings enriched the room. 

As I looked at the pieces of art, I started to pretend that I was fully enlightened by the meaning of the amazing display curated by the LITCHI Group, a company whose goal is to encourage consumers not only to buy things but to experience what they consume through interactions with materials that awake the five senses. I started to imagine that maybe the glass represented the ultimate form of salt. I know that salt is an integral part of glassmaking and that in fact, the amount and type of salt used during the process can determine the opacity and color of the glass produced. Maybe the artist of the exhibition, Yan Zhuang, who has received accolades on her glass sculptures all over the world, is trying to say that salt represents an individual's potential. That we are like salt, and that the shape and form that we take in life depends on how we react with the heat that is applied. Or maybe the heat was getting to me again. 

The last part of the exhibition was a workshop that featured... salt! Finally, an answer as to why the exhibition was titled SALT! In the workshop artist, Yan Zhuang, (huh I wonder if the Chinese title of the exhibition "Yan" is a pun from Yan's name?), showed the exhibition guests how to make salt sculptures. She explains that working with salt is similar to working with the raw materials used when working with glass. Both processes involve crystallization, in which high heat melts a solid structure into a liquid and as that liquid cools off and begins to harden it solidifies with is molecular integrity changed into crystals.  

In hindsight, I think that this scientific explanation further proves my theory that the salt represents people. Like salt, all individuals, some with more impurities than others, can be cast into marvelous sculptures; and sure, some salt will never become sculptures, but the point is that all salt has the potential to become sculptures! Although, even if that's the case the salt sculpture may not always look great! Here's the one I made, case and point. 

For those living in Shanghai interested in visiting this amazing exhibition, SALT is open from August 20 to September 6 every day (except Tuesdays) from 10:00 to 18:00. The exhibition is located on the second floor, No. 62, Fuxing West Road, Shanghai at THE SHOUTER Immersive Experience Store. Please scan the QR code below to reserve your tickets.