Jean Jullien’s New NANZUKA Show Tends to the Inner Child in Us All

Part art exhibition, part “dungeon crawl.”

Exhibitions
0 Comments

Summary

  • Jean Jullien is set to unveil JUJU’s Castle at NANZUKA ART INSTITUTE in Shanghai.
  • Opening July 12, the exhibition will present over 80 paintings, sculptures, art objects and installations as viewers embark on an immersive, imaginary quest through the depths of Jullien’s pastel maze.

In just a few days, French artist Jean Jullien will open JUJU’s Castle at Shanghai’s NANZUKA ART INSTITUTE, marking his first solo exhibition in China. Equal parts art show and “dungeon crawl,” as Jullien describes, the showcase features over 80 new paintings, sculptures, objects and large-scale installations, immersing viewers in the artist’s whimsical inner worlds.

Staged in a pastel-hued maze, visitors are cast as players in an imaginary quest, starting their journey by selecting one of four original characters to play as before embarking on the depths of JUJU’s Castle — a place born from Jullien’s childhood memories and lifelong love of fantasy.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jean Jullien (@jean_jullien)


Created during his stay in Tokyo, the featured paintings draw heavily from his life in the Japanese capital: scenes of busy roads and buildings that kiss the sky, the neon-lit screens of gesen racing games and epic clashes between nights and samurai. “Here it seems to me that fantasy has found myriad ways to invade reality, enhancing it, making it more dreamlike,” noted Jullien. “This enchanted everyday seems like the perfect resistance to modern life.”

As with all of Jullien’s work, the show blends sincerity, nostalgia and joy with a profound concept of tranquility and escapism. The idea behind the castle emerged from sifting through his uncle’s captain of hand-painted RPG miniatures as a kid, enchanted by the magic-wielding, dragon-slaying adventures they’d play out on-screen – a mental refuge he’s held onto ever since. “Years later, as the world seems more and more dire, I’ve decided to visit Juju’s castle once more, and open its doors to the public.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jean Jullien (@jean_jullien)


The exhibition will open on July 12 and will remain on view through October 26.

NANZUKA ART INSTITUTE
3F, Tower #1, HuaMu Time Editon
No.1, Lane 99, South Yanggao Road
Pudong New Area, Shanghai

Read Full Article

What to Read Next

New York Botanical Garden Announces Major KAWS Takeover
Exhibitions

New York Botanical Garden Announces Major KAWS Takeover

Opening in 2027.

MSCHF's ‘King Solomon’s Baby’ Sculpture Is Meant To Be Dismembered
Artworks

MSCHF's ‘King Solomon’s Baby’ Sculpture Is Meant To Be Dismembered

Every buyer gets a slice.

Sterling Ruby Confronts Le Corbusier’s La Cité Radieuse
Exhibitions

Sterling Ruby Confronts Le Corbusier’s La Cité Radieuse

Installing material-driven works that juxtapose the UNESCO heritage site.

Olympia's 'CAKE' Indulges in the Sweeter Side of Life
Exhibitions

Olympia's 'CAKE' Indulges in the Sweeter Side of Life

Over 30 artists come together for an edible, one-night-only exhibition.

Cindy Sherman Reconsiders Face Value at Hauser & Wirth Menorca
Exhibitions

Cindy Sherman Reconsiders Face Value at Hauser & Wirth Menorca

A deep dive into the artist’s parade of personas, four decades in the making.


PBG Gallery To Host Okokume and Pol Segura’s ‘Two Voices, One Path’ Exhibition
Exhibitions

PBG Gallery To Host Okokume and Pol Segura’s ‘Two Voices, One Path’ Exhibition

Opening in Seoul on July 18.

Aya Takano's Ethereal Dreamscapes Head to Perrotin Los Angeles
Exhibitions

Aya Takano's Ethereal Dreamscapes Head to Perrotin Los Angeles

‘how deep how far we can go’ will be on view from July 19 through August 30.

Inside adidas' Ode to Black Excellence

Inside adidas' Ode to Black Excellence

Curators and creative duo Rog & Bee Walker take us behind their vision for the immersive capstone experience.

BLUM to Close Los Angeles and Tokyo Galleries

BLUM to Close Los Angeles and Tokyo Galleries

Following a 30 year run, heavyweight dealer Tim Blum cites burnout as the reason for his departure.

Inside P·P·O·W's Lana Del Rey-Inspired Group Show
Exhibitions

Inside P·P·O·W's Lana Del Rey-Inspired Group Show

Works that explore the desire, nostalgia and delusion at the heart of pop music.

More ▾
 
We got you covered. Don’t miss out on the latest news by signing up for our newsletters.

Looks like you’re using an ad-blocker

We charge advertisers instead of our readers. Support us by whitelisting our site.

Whitelist Us

How to Whitelist Us

screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Under “Pause on this site” click “Always”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock Plus icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Block ads on – This website” switch off the toggle to turn it from blue to gray.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlocker Ultimate icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Switch off the toggle to turn it from “Enabled on this site” to “Disabled on this site”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the Ghostery icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the “Ad-Blocking” button at the bottom. It will turn gray and the text above will go from “ON” to “OFF”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the UBlock Origin icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the large blue power icon at the top.
  3. When it turns gray, click the refresh icon that has appeared next to it or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the icon of the ad-blocker extension installed on your browser.You’ll usually find this icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. You may have more than one ad-blocker installed.
  2. Follow the instructions for disabling the ad blocker on the site you’re viewing.You may have to select a menu option or click a button.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.