The installation, titled Dang, Dang, Dang, was created by Shanghai-based artist Xu Zhen for the 2004 Shanghai Biennale, a bold readjustment of the vintage clock on the bell tower of the Shanghai Art Museum, to symbolize the fast pace and dynamic nature of urban life. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"We want to say that, like waves rolling over the beaches, history washes over everybody, leaving all kinds of traces on individual memories. The exhibition is meant to review the history of the Shanghai Biennale and present the connections between individual artists and the world, and society and the vast ocean of history."

This year, the 12th Shanghai Biennale, titled Bodies of Water, will take place as planned in November.

"Human bodies are 80 percent water, and like many metropolises in the world, waterways have been of great importance to the evolution of Shanghai as a city," says Xiang Liping, a member of the curatorial team of the upcoming 12th Shanghai Biennale.