A striking artwork made up of nearly 100 shoe-sole imprints is drawing visitors to the Guatemalan National Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. Titled “Traces,” the piece was created by Yang Yexin, an artist based in Putuo District’s M50 art hub.  

“Every shoe sole has a different story and different experiences,” Yang said. “Whether a person is ordinary or great, their identity, status and wealth may differ, but their shoe soles are much the same and equal, yet each leaves behind unique traces.”  

The 61st Venice Biennale, themed “In Minor Keys,” champions diverse artistic expressions from subtle, introspective and individual perspectives. Yang was invited to present “Traces” as part of the Guatemalan pavilion exhibition “Las Invisibles,” which runs through November 22.  

For this piece, Yang used the worn soles of Guatemalan women as his creative medium, transforming the marks of walking and labor into a visual language of resilience. He hopes every viewer can see themselves in the work – “and take pride in their own ordinary yet remarkable lives.”  

The Venice Biennale, first held in 1895, is one of the world’s oldest and most influential international art exhibitions. Yang’s participation marks a major milestone in his career and yet another high-profile appearance for Shanghai’s contemporary art on the global stage.  

Yang has long kept his studio in M50, one of Shanghai’s earliest creative clusters housed in a converted textile mill that preserves its 1930s architectural character. Today, M50 is transforming from a contemporary art trading hub into a dynamic “cultural experience complex.” Since this year, foreign visitors have accounted for over half of M50’s foot traffic, and among those spending money in the district, the proportion of expats has reached as high as 90 percent.