There is a moose, white with trepidation, standing on a disintegrating ice floe high up in the Bund 18 atrium. Lu Jiawei’s “Warmed Ice” installation suggests fragility and impermanence in a site that protests its durability in marble and diamonds.

The work had to be installed after-hours so as not to interfere with the trade of the building’s luxury boutiques. That meant Lu Jiawei and his team were pulling all nighters last weekend, trying not to be distracted by people staging their stumbling retreats from nights out at Bar Rouge and Lounge 18.

“Warmed Ice” was curated by Biljana Ciric and is presented in collaboration with 18 Gallery. That moose will be giving people the chills until June 10.

Up in 18 Gallery proper, Yang Yongliang, master dodger, master burner, has a solo show called “Artificial Wonderland.” He mostly continues and develops his practice of using nontraditional means to make pictures that resemble traditional Chinese ink landscapes: combining images of skyscrapers, cranes and power pylons using graphic manipulation software. It’s work that still impresses. There’s a VIP opening for the show tonight, 6-9pm, so if you’re very important (and you are; I just know it) then go check it out. The show runs until June 8.

Bund 18 Gallery, 4F, Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. Tel: 6323 8099.

The artists at Weihai 696 are throwing open their studio doors again this May 8-9 for International Artists' Day. It’s a great chance to check out dozens of artists and designers’ studios, and see the colourful, graffiti-ish canvases of Chris Gill (and usually a neat pyramid of tonic cans somewhere) and Ma Liang’s amazing props playroom. Chris has some more information about the event on his blog, Shanghaieye: “Various things planned such as a performance by a Spanish sound artist in the Office 339 space from 4pm. Audience and artists encouraged to wear pajamas.” Hells yeah they are.

696 Weihai Lu, near Shanxi Nan Lu.

With the World Expo only days away, Spain certainly is not missing out on the chance to showcase their cuisine in the international spotlight - and perhaps debunk a few misunderstandings about Spanish cuisine to Chinese gastronomes.

Renowned Chef from Spain, Pedro Larumbe, demonstrated a few Spanish favorites from the new bilingual - Spanish and Chinese - version of “Cooking in Spanish” at Miguel de Cervantes Library yesterday.

Larumbe, who was chosen as ambassador for Spanish Cuisine at the 2010 Expo, whipped up paella - rice simmered with seafood and infused with saffron and olive oil, and Tortilla de Patatas , a Spanish potato omelette of sorts, in front of members of the restaurant industry, media and food connoisseurs.

The audience ooh-ed and ahh-ed at Larumbe’s culinary finesse, even in the makeshift kitchen. However, others were more skeptical about China's reception of Spanish cuisine in general: Would diners who are used to Chinese cuisine accept this non-traditional preparation of rice and other foods? The question, however, was quickly answered, as guests later sampled Larumbe’s dishes with much content while sipping on Sangria and Spanish wines.

Larumbe, along with a staff of 150, is heading the Spanish Pavilion Tapas Bar during his stay in Shanghai. He also one of 45 Michelin chefs as a part of a cultural extension program sponsored by the Spanish Pavilion to cook at the Gran Melia in Pudong throughout the six months of the Expo.

My father once told me the proudest and most humbling moment of a father’s life is when his son outperforms him in some way. I always try hard not to over-think this comment as it suggests I may have peaked too early – I was “out-sporting” my father from about the age of seven. What I think he meant was that there is joy and admiration in seeing the subsequent generation excel – it’s a sort of evolutionary commendation.

And evolution is working rather effectively at Concordia International School.

Aida is the second Concordia performance I have now seen after Macbeth last October and I must admit I’m an avid fan. It’s hard to imagine a greater leap from The Bard’s play to this Elton John / Tim Rice collaboration. While the former is all furrowed brows, deceit and a distinct lack of gaiety, the latter is a torrent of colour and sound, emotion and, well … Elton John. As many of the young performers were returning cast members, I was keen to see how they would cope with this great leap forwards.

If they impressed me with their mastery of Shakespeare, they left me breathless with this high-octane production. It was a tumult of acrobatic dance, powerful solos and genuine feeling. A huge nod here must go to the innovation of new dance choreographer Andrea Go, who had channeled the hip and hop inside each of the cast members. Nowhere was this better exhibited than in the far too cool for school ‘Like Father, Like Son’: a dance-off featuring Richard Wang’s Radames and Hans Kim’s Zoser. I’ve got no idea who won, but it took filial disobedience to a very elaborate new level. Think Footloose in ancient Egypt.

Indeed it was the collaborative aspects of this production that stood out for me above anything else. All singing, all dancing Aida could not have been created without a dedicated team behind it. Wardrobe, makeup, lighting, set design, stage management, voice coaches (outstanding work by Amy Camp), orchestra … the input of each and every one of these was evident throughout and that’s a credit to all, especially the coordination of director Chad Doering. But what really resonated was the obvious affection the cast had for each other and their recognition and appreciation of the backstage crew.

It feels hollow to single out any particular performers, but I’m sure the cast won’t begrudge me making special mention of Aida herself, Emily Parkinson. If there were a girl more born to be on the stage, I would be astounded. Emily’s effort was brilliant. Her lines were delivered with an ease and articulation that belied her age and she clearly stole her voice from a trained opera singer about three times her size. She also has a commendable talent in reacting. As Joey Tribbiani tells us, this is not acting again: it’s the gift of contributing, without speaking, and Emily glossed Aida throughout with this gift.

Two other standouts were Wang as the Egyptian Captain Radames and Nathalia Tavares as Amneris, daughter of the Pharaoh. Wang, part Korean pop star, part strapping lead, provided the macho posturing required and also displayed an evolved man kind of sensitivity. It’s no wonder the four girls sitting near me in the audience clung to his every word and every thrust of his sword.

Tavares brought some comic levity to Aida. Another with a voice that defied convention, she drew plenty of attention from the audience, despite playing second fiddle to the two leads. She owned the best lines of the musical and certainly didn’t disappoint in delivering them, even when “buck-naked princess” became “bucket-naked princess”.

Elsewhere, the young Don Zhang has a Sinatra-esque voice that could make a wolverine purr and Hans Kim (tyrannical) and Nora Kusaka (selfless) both impressed in their respective roles.

When the cast talk of their passion for this musical and the demanding rehearsal time that was involved, it’s easy to forget that these are high school students with mountains of course work, a wide swath of extra curricular activities and, let’s hope, social lives.

A truly excellent all-round performance and another feather in the hat of the Concordia Arts Department.

Apparently, there's more to Swedish fashion and design than all that's humble and functional at H&M and IKEA. 

A new exhibition 'Swedish Fashion: Exploring a New Identity' is showcasing the talents of 13 Swedish fashion designers at Shanghai's River South Art Center. Organized by the Swedish Institute and the Swedish Consulate-General in Shanghai, the show features exquisite examples of Swedish designers' creativity and guts.

''This exhibition and the work of these designers can be a real impulse for the Chinese youth to be more creative,'' said Shanghai-based dance artist Jin Xing, at a press conference launching the exhibition last Friday.

Volume, especially around the sleeves and the bust, is an eye-catching feature seen in most of the Swedish designs. The exhibition also features video displays made by high profile Swedish filmmakers, in which visitors can find out more about the designers' sources of inspiration.

9 April to 23 May, 'Swedish Fashion: Exploring a New Identity.' River South Art Center, 1247 Nan Suzhou Lu. Tel: 6359 8989.