An artistic duo in China have applauded Shanghai and its citizens for their appreciation after their quirky piece of public participation performance art, in which they mimic clouds and invite passers-by to do likewise, went viral on and offline.
The pair, a man who uses the online alias Zhang Daqiang and is girlfriend, moved to Shanghai from Fuzhou in the southeastern province of Fujian in July.
They had operated an art studio in Fuzhou for several years, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.
Last month, the couple began staging their “out there” performances which see them don makeshift headgear resembling rain-making formations in the sky before asking the public to join in.
Their head-in-the-clouds idea struck a chord and they have become an unlikely hit online and on the street.
“We want to invite strangers who pass by here to become a cloud like us. It is a state in which you do not need to speak or think, you can feel the freedom and joy that clouds feel,” Zhang was quoted as saying in the report.
He said he hoped many people would “play” with them, adding that they had prepared themselves for the possibility that no one would be interested.
However, before long, curious onlookers began taking photos of the duo and their props, sharing them on the popular short video platform Douyin.
Soon, the crowds grew big enough on one street that they attracted the attention of authorities, who ordered the couple to stop performing because they were disrupting pedestrian traffic.
“We left Anfu Road and later found a convenience shop on Wukang Road. The helpful owner allowed us to use the space in front of her shop and even lent us two cool-looking chairs. Thanks to her, we completed our task for that day before sunset,” Zhang said.
The artist said he has formed a very good impression of Shanghai because of its “inclusiveness and respect” for arts and culture.
“No matter what we are doing and whether our performance is understood or not, we are still able to put our ideas into practice,” said Zhang.
Stories about performance artists regularly trend on mainland social media.
Last year, two women in their early 20s staged a controversial performance in Chongqing, southwestern China, in which they gradually cut off pieces of the cheongsams they were wearing.
It was intended as a warning that traditional Chinese culture was gradually being destroyed, but it triggered an online backlash from people who criticised it as pornographic.
In the same year, a female university student in central Henan province wore a face mask that covered her eyes while she stood in a square on the campus, asking for hugs from onlookers.
The student said her intention was to call on the public to show more warmth to strangers, but many students said they avoided her because of her weird appearance.
