The theme of this second collection is Culture and Capital(ism) and the cities chosen are New Orleans and Washington, D.C., both rich in history and culture, and the booming megalopolises of Las Vegas and Dubai. With this theme we asked: how does a capital investment in manufacturing culture impact city form?

Shanghai
Shanghai, the largest commercial and financial power in China, is one of the largest ports in Asia. Its central location on China’s Pacific coast has made the city a major gateway between China and the Western world. The city’s urban center has a unique organic form, caused in part by the wide curve of the Huangpu River, which bisects the city and comes across as a dramatic swath of blue on the plate. The areas allotted to foreign powers after the Opium Wars – the British, French, and Americans – reflect the grid-form of traditional Western city planning.

These porcelain plates measure 12” across, with each city’s downtown core printed on a black background. Key buildings are represented with red icons, while rivers and public spaces are shown in blue and green. Each plate is boxed and includes a key to the buildings and spaces included on the plate.