Ian Ferguson is a former Canadian diplomat who during his 35-year career served in a variety of regions (Latin America, Africa, Middle East, United Nations). More recently, he has pursued an interest in art and received his M.A. in Art History from Carleton University in 2014. He is a member of the board of Heritage Ottawa and volunteers as a docent at the National Gallery of Canada. He has attended several World Congresses on Art Deco, including the one held in Shanghai, November 2015.
This talk focused on architecture built in Art Deco style in Shanghai during the inter-war period (1919-39). It explores why the city counts among the largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world and looks at examples of hotels, department stores, cinemas, private residences, and public buildings. Art Deco can be viewed as an example of how styles and products travel from one region to another. The talk will situate Art Deco within the growing Chinese interest at that period in Western concepts of luxury, nightlife, cinema, graphic art, fashion and furniture. Now part of China’s heritage, Shanghai’s Art Deco architecture also asserts itself in the overall history of modern architecture while paying tribute to the Chinese and foreign architects and workers involved.
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