A volcanic creation erupting with light

The Shanghai show James Turrell: Immersive Light includes installations that convey the magic of light and shadow.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"Then, it is a feeling that James says: 'With all the fears leaving your eyes, you are adapting and adjusting to receive the incredible light experience until the end.'"

Pace Gallery has spaces in New York, London, Beijing and Hong Kong.

It was at Turrell's exhibition at its New York space last year that Long Museum's director, Wang Wei, first saw his works and decided to bring him to Shanghai.

Wang co-founded the museum with her husband, art collector Liu Yiqian.

Turrell's show is one of their many efforts to enrich Shanghai's art scene by exhibiting works by internationally recognized artists, including a show of Danish-Icelandic Olafur Eliasson's pieces last year and an upcoming exhibition featuring works by British artist Antony Gormley.

Wang says the cost of staging the exhibition has surpassed their initial budget by 30 percent. But it's worth it to bring Turrell's deeply meaningful works to Chinese art lovers.

Shanghai visitor Ge Yi says that, unlike a lot of US artists, Turrell doesn't create to salute the changing commercialism of today.

"Light means the beginning of life and hope," she says.

"Turrell's works always bring me a spiritual feeling - like you'd get inside a church. The longer I'm in front of his works, the more absorbed I feel."

She says she's surprised by Turrell's ability to express exactly how he understands the relationship between light, shadow and space, and to further maximize viewers' experiences.

"I think that is why some people say he works with the precision of Da Vinci."

If you go

10 am-6 pm, Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays; 10 am-9 pm, Fridays and Saturdays, through May 21. Long Museum (West Bund), Lane 3398, Longteng Avenue, Xuhui district, Shanghai. 021-6422-7636.