The art pieces displayed at la Galerie du 19M Shanghai — the new international project by Chanel's le19M that runs from Sept 25 to Nov 15 at the Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The title A Sense of Touch has been refined to carry multiple layers of meaning. Zhang Lei, founder and design director of PINWU Design Studio and Rong Design Library, notes that "touch" differs from a gentle caress — it carries an impact. A local culture, he argues, can easily stagnate or vanish without collision with external influences.

The exhibition's core vitality comes from the two-way collaborative practice between Chinese and French creators. Chinese artists immerse themselves in the French workshops, drawing on centuries of technical archives, while French artists embed themselves in China, absorbing new inspiration from local folk crafts.

The collaboration between Wu and Lemarie stands as one of the most ambitious projects. Delving into the Maison's archive of over 3,000 historical molds — including necklace molds dating back to 1853 — the concept grew into the nearly 10-meter-tall totem.

Composed of over 1,500 hand-formed components that required thousands of hours of hand-painting, the work fully merges Chinese mythological imagery with French plumage (feather making) craftsmanship.

Contemporary artist Lin Tianmiao took a different path in her collaboration with the Massaro Workshop. Faced with the workshop's dazzling array of leather materials, she chose not to be overwhelmed by technical spectacle. She returned to her own lived experience, using everyday medicine boxes as her creative vehicle.

Stacking dozens of boxes to create a skin-like texture, she plays the form against leather, transforming a cold, functional medical object into an emotional vessel carrying personal memory.

"An artist must have their own ideas, life and philosophy. Only then can a craft be mastered appropriately," Lin explains.

Participating artist Qian Lihuai created the bamboo weaving work Breathing Between Two Shores in collaboration with Studio MTX, another example of two-way creation. With a metal structure as its skeleton, the work uses traditional bamboo weaving to depict both the historical and contemporary faces of Jiangnan (the area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) water towns.

"Two completely different materials and cultures constantly seek common ground while reserving differences through communication and, in the end, many commonalities can emerge in the work. The differences between cultures are not that great; once you find common ground, the work feels completely natural," Qian explains.