A New Bit of Socialist Realism

A new bit of socialist realist art I bumped into the other day – probably been there a while but certainly isn’t from the hey-day of the genre. This socialist realist plaque is up at what terms itself the Shanghai Sculpture Park on Huai Hai West Road. A strange place and like a lot of these new top down ‘creative clusters’ in China a bit denuded of folk and largely looking like it will eventually comprise lots of overpriced and underheated cafes of dubious quality and the usual myriad of independent shops selling tat.

I’m not enough of an art expert to speak to the quality of this bit of socialist realism. The Sculpture Park is based around a former small steel factory. The title on the bottom right says ‘Fire Red (or forged) of generations’ (and if anyone can come up with a better translation then feel free).