There is mainstream art and fringe art, and ne'er the twain shall meet. And while it's the edgy, fringe works that grab the spotlight, mainstream art holds its own by being the popular favorite. After all, aside from curators and artists, does anyone really understand cutting-edge art?

Shanghai's local art scene, for the most part, veers toward the mainstream, as evidenced in the Shanghai Spring Art Salon, currently running at the INTEX Shanghai.

Established last year, the art salon is similar to the more established Shanghai Art Fair: Both invite artists, galleries or other organizations to showcase a wide range of artworks, which are for sale. But the art salon is eager to differentiate itself from the art fair. "The Shanghai Spring Art Salon is more academic and features more exhibitions," says Li Lei, executive deputy president of the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute, the organizer of the salon.

Covering an area of 12,000 square meters, the 480 exhibition booths at the salon have been occupied by China's major art academies and institutions with canvases, sculptures and installations. A cluster of shows lend credence to academic claims, particularly an exhibition featuring the Russian artist Makchmobk. M (1913-1993). Makchmobk, who came to Beijing in 1955 as a lecturer for a two-year training program at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, is a familiar name to Chinese artists. The influence of his Russian style on the Chinese students, including big names like Chen Danqing, was strong -- some say too strong. It dominated the Chinese art scene for a long period. "This exhibit is a special salute to him," notes Qiu Ruiming, president of the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute. "Reviewing his works gives us a twinge of nostalgia."

The photos of Lang Jingshan offer more nostalgia. Born in 1892, Lang is renowned on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong for works that are imbued with the essence of the ancient "Literati Painting" with a poetic harmony. The misty backdrop, shaded with distant mountains and forests with a small boat and oarsman in the foreground, is a perfect combination of light, chemical reaction and traditional arrangement.

But nostalgia is only a small part of the art salon, as it also boasts an extensive display of artists from different regions of the country. "I am thrilled to be able to join the art salon and meet my peers," says Shu Hao, a 30-year-old oil painter from Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

The exhibition features a variety of artworks, ranging from abstract, realistic to surrealistic, for an overview of the state of art in China today. But the emphasis on the academic has led some to question the commercial viability of this salon. "I am confused about the function of this salon: Is it a trade fair or exhibition?" asks a famous local contemporary artist who does not want his name revealed.

"Usually at trade fairs, you see galleries representing the established artists. But there are hardly any top local galleries at this salon, which undoubtedly raises questions about the quality of the art on display." It's a valid point: Once a salon has a certain reputation, it can be difficult to draw big names. "We're still in our infancy," Li says, in his defense. "It will take time."

Still, there are big names involved in the salon: One of the exhibitions, "Made in China," a concept furniture show, is presented by Ai Weiwei, a well-known contemporary artist and curator who is active on the international art stage. The exhibit features antique furniture fused with a modern vocabulary, or contemporary furniture input with traditional symbols which has been deconstructed, conforming and remixing with metaphors and abstraction. For example, "The Memory of New York" created by Wei Tianyu, featuring an emerald-hued bed with a protruding female back, speaks of an intimate liaison between luxury and sex.

"In addition to those exhibitions, the art salon also includes a series of seminars," Li adds. One of these, "A Better City with Art," coincides with a recent call for high-quality urban sculptures in Shanghai. Veteran sculptors and professors are invited to discuss the current status of the city's urban sculptures and to find a solution for improvement. But even this attempt at creating a discussion forum met with criticism, as some say that too much academic focus by a small group is not what a big city like Shanghai needs.

"That's the problem with urban sculptures in town," says Tang Shen, owner of Spaceart Gallery. "Some of these critics' ideas are outdated. In fact, the existing urban sculptures that are such a problem today were erected under the guidance of the academics. I think some overseas experience, both in concept and technique, will help build up the city's image."

Call it academic, or too academic, but it seems that the Shanghai Spring Art Salon has earned itself a place alongside the city's major events. As to its future, it's still too early to tell: Art is not something foretold.

Time: 10am-6pm, through June 5; 10am-3pm, June 6

Address: 88 Loushanguan Rd

Admission: 25 yuan

Tel: 021-6275-5800

(eastday.com June 3, 2004)