Exploring the Unexciting: Reasons to Visit Shanghai's Free Exhibition

On the last day of National Day, I was just planning to take a casual stroll around Shanghai, but then I came across a post on Xiaohongshu: “Free new exhibition | This exhibition is really fun,” but it’s called “Nothing Fun.” Who could resist that? So I quickly took a taxi to 678 Miaojiang Road, Huangpu District – Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art. The expressway was smooth, and as soon as I got out, I looked up and saw that iconic building that looks like a big chimney. That put my mind at ease – at least I wasn’t coming for nothing.

Here’s the conclusion: Big exhibition hall, lots of works, and free entry, totally worth the subway fare

Free, no reservation needed, with around 50 works filling up all five floors! The air conditioning is great too, you can wander around for two hours without sweating. The official site says the exhibition runs until January 4, 2026, so there’s plenty of time, but the sooner you go, the better—less crowd means easier photo ops.

Two main themes I noticed, doing your homework in advance

1. Internal: Body, aging, pain
   Right as I entered the exhibition hall, I saw a silhouette of a “body” made of cotton thread, looking like an X-ray that’s been stitched back together by hand. Standing there immediately reminded me of being with family for a CT scan last year. The artist really hits hard with the personal experience, no subtlety there.

2. External: Breaking down daily objects and reassembling them into new “containers”
   Clothes hangers, wooden ladders, and old sweaters are all dismantled and rewrapped with cotton thread into a maze. Officially, this was inspired by the Minotaur's Labyrinth, but honestly, it felt more like my grandma used to wrap old yarn into balls and toss them in a cardboard box—those memories getting retied and hung on the wall, transforming into something new that holds emotions.

Three small pieces I spent ten minutes on – key points for you

Practical tips, just copy my homework

Bonus: The riverside promenade next door adds to the exhibition's vibe

When you leave the museum, just cross the street to Huangpu Riverside Promenade. Walk south for five minutes, and the Nanpu Bridge piers are right in front of you. In the evening, when the lights come on, the bridge cables look like giant harp strings, echoing those cotton threads in the exhibition. I propped my phone against the railing and did a three-minute time-lapse—it captured boats leaving trails beneath the bridge, and the wind shattered those water patterns like threads—it’s a free bonus scene that’s even better than a filter.

One last tip—just a few more reminders

1. There are a lot of cotton thread works, so wear solid-colored clothes to avoid clashing patterns in photos.
2. The exhibition hall is well air-conditioned, so bring a light shirt, or you might end up like me, sneezing while snapping pictures.
3. If you want to buy some merch, there are artist-collaborated woven bracelets at the exit counter for 39 yuan each, colors are random—I got a gray and fluorescent green one, looks pretty cool as a keychain.

Alright, that’s all the homework done. Now it’s your turn to check out the fifth floor of Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art to see if “Nothing Fun” is actually fun. Remember to come back and tell me which piece struck you the most!