Yanghang Town sits at the center of Baoshan District. It borders the sub-districts of Youyi Road and Wusong Road across Sitang River on the east, Songnan Town and the Sub-district of Zhangmiao across Yunzao River on the south, and Gucun Town and Luodian Town on the west. As a key new urban area developed in this century, Yanghang is continually invigorated by inflowing new bloods. According to the preliminary survey, Yanghang is inhabited by three main groups: residents of old Yanghang Town, immigrants from other cities and immigrants from the city proper, showing a tendency towards a younger population. As a new area constructed after the 2000s with many new communities and new immigrants, Yanghang still lacks a mature pattern of social interactions and a communal sense of belonging. Highlights the theme of “thriving life”, the curatorial program aims to increase the vitality of the community as a public realm and accelerate the development of a new neighborhood culture. Dynamic life actually derives its force from the city’s development which, in turn, is not possible without the concentric efforts of every smaller community. In SUSAS 2021, our purpose is to maximize the concentric efforts of communities, promote strong interpersonal interactions and discuss the connections between people and community.

Curatorial Program

Activities held at Yanghang are: street interviews with Yanghang residents in the sphere reachable within 15 minutes’ walk from the community and sub-district, attracting attention with a piloting topic and breaking down the relational barriers among residents; serious stand-up comedy on the subject of young powers in community, creating a space for communication, bringing art to the residents and energizing the community; graffiti works at two community centers and streets and multi-media installations to create a profound context for art communications and aesthetic education; art marketplaces and infrastructure renovations which obscure the boundaries of art and life, promote interactions between residents, community and the sub-district, and connects the key nodes of the 15-minute Community Life Circle with various forms of art; jogging events at both primary streets as the place of residents’ daily life and leisure parks; and projects such as waste recycling to arouse environmental awareness. These creative activities promote interactions between residents, enhance creativity and art taste and create a vital, relaxed and friendly community atmosphere.