As the Year of the Horse approaches, Shanghai is alive with exhibitions that place this noble creature firmly in the spotlight. From imaginative installations to explorations of futuristic technology, these visual arts shows are reimagining traditional horse motifs through a bold, cross-disciplinary lens, offering visitors a richly immersive sensory experience.

Galloping Wonders: Year of the Horse Science & Culture Special Exhibition

When: Feb 17 to Aug 16

Where: Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, Pudong New Area

This flagship exhibition is a major collaboration between the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and The Palace Museum, presenting a rare showcase of precious horse-themed artifacts from the imperial collection, many of which are being shown in Shanghai for the first time.

Visitors are invited to uncover the evolutionary secrets of the horse's enduring existence, trace its profound role in human civilization, and step into an immersive recreation of the vast grasslands. It's a comprehensive exhibition designed to be seen, experienced, and understood.

Invisible Horse

When: Until the end of March

Where: CITIC Square, Jing'an district

This exhibition breathes life into the iconic galloping horses of renowned painter Xu Beihong. Through contemporary design languages of layering, geometry, and symmetry, the spirit and form of the horse are constructed within a mirrored environment.

Set within a hexagonal maze, the installation leads visitors from an outer layer of dynamic reflections towards the center, where lines, color blocks, and mirrors converge into a three-dimensional steed, a moment where scattered fragments resolve into a unified whole.

Cyber Steed: 2026 Xia Hang Solo Exhibition

When: Until April 6

Where: Jia He Art Center, Xuhui district

Jia He Art Center is presenting the latest solo exhibition by artist Xia Hang. Employing mechanical structures as his language and the "horse" as his spiritual motif, Xia initiates a multidimensional dialogue spanning technology, humanity, and tradition.

In his series of mechanical horses, the tension between metallic forms and dynamic postures explores the symbiotic relationship between "strength" and "beauty". These works serve as both a response to the advancing tide of technology and as a contemporary interpretation of Eastern aesthetics.

Duoyunxuan horse-themed woodblock printing exhibition

When: Until March 8

Where: Tsutaya Books, Changning district

The Duoyunxuan art institution's collection houses several authentic works by Xu Beihong. Since the 1960s, they have also used the intangible cultural heritage technique of woodblock printing to reproduce Xu's masterpieces.

This exhibition features Duoyunxuan's exquisite woodblock print works from the 1980s to 2010. It's a harmonious fusion of Xu's free-spirited horses, artist Qi Baishi's powerful seal script, and the opulent beauty of peony flowers on gold-flecked paper, all brought to life through woodblock printing.

Zodiac horse artworks exhibition

When: Until Feb 28

Where: Jing'an District Cultural Center, Jing'an district

This exhibition features nearly 100 selected works from a nationwide open call for art enthusiasts. Each piece radiates positive energy and a rich contemporary spirit. Collectively, the works capture the dynamic vitality of outstanding traditional Chinese culture while reflecting the artistic explorations of a new generation of creators. Through their reinterpretation of the spirit of the "horse" in a modern context, these young artists present a powerful metaphor for movement towards light, distance, and progress.

Horse or Not Horse

When: Until May 5

Where: Xiao Hui Wang Art Museum, Changning district

This grand exhibition fuses tradition and contemporary, East and West, the physical and the digital, display and participation, and gallery and arena to create a cross-temporal cultural feast.

It presents works by a stellar lineup of artists, including the renowned master Han Meilin, cartoonist Zheng Xinyao, Russian sculptor Dashi Namdakov, video artist Wang Jianfang, and glass artist Liu Jia. Working across vastly different materials and artistic languages, each artist articulates a distinct vision centered on the enduring symbolism of the horse.

Sources: WeChat account of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism at "shanghaitourism", venues mentioned above