ARTRA's public project "Urban Exploration", as an important practice of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival's "Art in Urban Renewal", invites artists to create customised venues for Shanghai's iconic buildings full of historical heritage, to stimulate the revitalisation and rebirth of urban spaces, to renew the cityscape that citizens take for granted in an artistic way, to allow art to penetrate into new and more diversified venues, and to imagine and create new possibilities for public art.

The first ARTRA public project "Urban Exploration: Home-coming for Art" invites renowned artist NI Zhiqi and young artist NI Hao to use the external building of the The Center for China Shanghai International Arts Festival as a creative space to create a customised field of creation, and to convey ARTRA's innovative concepts and exploratory spirit through the revitalisation and rejuvenation of the public space.

The artwork consists of two parts. The refreshed exterior facade incorporates elements from the iconic "Vacuum" series, combined with the trendy "Dopamine" colour, symbolizing the diverse cultural arts from around the world that intertwine and merge at the Shanghai International Art Festival. The inflatable sculpture "Home-coming for Art" located in the sky garden signifies the grand return of the art festival while continuously seeking and connecting artistic vitality from various corners of the world.

Artist: NI Zhiqi

NI Zhiqi was born in Shanghai, China. In his early years, he studied abroad and pursued advanced studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium, where he received the first prize at the Karel Veslat Art Exhibition. He currently holds the position of Professor at the School of Design, East China Normal University, and serves as the leader of the Public Art discipline and the Art Director. NI Zhiqi's works have been exhibited multiple times in Asia and Europe and have been widely collected.