A toy-house glowing under Christmas lights plays a soft lullaby. As viewers approach the house and gaze through the open window, they’re greeted with the blank stare of a child gripping a blade. Next to him lies the lower body of an unidentified man; his blood splatters have smeared the wallpapers scarlet.
The World of Tim Burton is the current exhibition in Shanghai’s Lafayette Arts & Design Center (323 Fuxing Zhong Road). Besides installations inspired by Burton’s movies (such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Big Fish, and Edward Scissorhands), the gallery also features his own animations, sketches of character designs, letters to collaborating actors, unreleased projects, and even photography.
Visitors are first greeted with the gaping mouth of a black-and-white striped creature at the entrance, then a sea of people. Even on a Friday morning, the gallery is a popular attraction.
“On the first week of opening, people lined up for two hours to see the exhibition,” said staff member Zhao Chen Xin.
Besides the number of heads surrounding each display, you’ll also be exposed to flashes from iPhones and cameras. The staff is understanding enough not to interrupt visitors’ photography session despite the “no photography” rule.
Guests are also welcome to display their own artwork in the gallery. Anyone may request a tissue to draw on. If the drawing is influenced by Burton’s own artistic style, the finished composition is collected by staff members and pasted on the wall. Currently, the wall features various thank-you messages to Burton, a drunk prostitute, and a few doodles of genitalia.
Fortunately, the exhibition’s content itself makes up for the overcrowding and inappropriate illustrations, as it effectively captures the dark and imaginative mind of Tim Burton. Most pieces are drawn by the director himself, and depict the same wonderfully bizarre fantasies portrayed in his films. His artistic expertise was also a surprise to many guests at the exhibition.
“I’m dumbfounded,” said Zhang Hui Qian, another visitor at the gallery. “I never knew that he designed his own movie characters, let alone that he was so good at drawing.”
One painting parodies the classic Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet. However, the two characters are reimagined monsters—with one living on land and the other an aquatic creature. The piece depicts them at the shoreline, gazing lovingly at each other.
Another cartoon features a pale couple on Valentine’s Day. The boy reveals a card complete with a beating human heart to his girlfriend, and she’s clearly won over by the gesture.
While The World of Tim Burton has turned out to be more of a tourist attraction than an art exhibition, it offers a glimpse of a side of Burton that can’t be found in his films. Each piece is a peek into Burton’s transformation from a child outcast to the prominent director he is today. Even those who looked at each artwork through a camera lens agree: “Was [the ticket] expensive? Yes. Were there a lot of people? Also yes,” reflected junior Ye Rin Hur. “But was it worth it? Definitely. I’m already thinking about coming again.”
The World of Tim Burton is the current exhibition in Shanghai’s Lafayette Arts & Design Center (323 Fuxing Zhong Road). Besides installations inspired by Burton’s movies (such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Big Fish, and Edward Scissorhands), the gallery also features his own animations, sketches of character designs, letters to collaborating actors, unreleased projects, and even photography.
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| Taken by Angela Ma |
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| Taken by Angela Ma |
Besides the number of heads surrounding each display, you’ll also be exposed to flashes from iPhones and cameras. The staff is understanding enough not to interrupt visitors’ photography session despite the “no photography” rule.
Guests are also welcome to display their own artwork in the gallery. Anyone may request a tissue to draw on. If the drawing is influenced by Burton’s own artistic style, the finished composition is collected by staff members and pasted on the wall. Currently, the wall features various thank-you messages to Burton, a drunk prostitute, and a few doodles of genitalia.
 |
| Taken by Angela Ma |
“I’m dumbfounded,” said Zhang Hui Qian, another visitor at the gallery. “I never knew that he designed his own movie characters, let alone that he was so good at drawing.”
One painting parodies the classic Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet. However, the two characters are reimagined monsters—with one living on land and the other an aquatic creature. The piece depicts them at the shoreline, gazing lovingly at each other.
 |
| Taken by Angela Ma |
While The World of Tim Burton has turned out to be more of a tourist attraction than an art exhibition, it offers a glimpse of a side of Burton that can’t be found in his films. Each piece is a peek into Burton’s transformation from a child outcast to the prominent director he is today. Even those who looked at each artwork through a camera lens agree: “Was [the ticket] expensive? Yes. Were there a lot of people? Also yes,” reflected junior Ye Rin Hur. “But was it worth it? Definitely. I’m already thinking about coming again.”
Angela Ma
