A striking new art installation, Continental Breakfast, by Swedish artist Anna Udenberg has captivated audiences at Tank Shanghai, a contemporary art hub in the city’s West Bund.
Unveiled this week, the sculpture is a bold addition to Udenberg’s ongoing exploration of luxury, comfort, and consumerism, themes that have defined her provocative body of work.
The Continental Breakfast installation features furniture-like sculptures that blend sleek, futuristic design with unsettling, anthropomorphic forms.
Resembling high-end lounge chairs and chaise longues, the pieces are crafted with glossy materials and ergonomic curves, evoking the allure of luxury goods.
Yet, their distorted shapes and suggestive positioning challenge viewers to reconsider society’s obsession with comfort, status, and bodily control.
The work critiques how consumer culture commodifies personal experience, merging desire with discomfort in a visually arresting display.
Udenberg, known for her incisive commentary on contemporary culture, draws inspiration from everyday objects and environments—think airport lounges, fitness studios, and high-end retail spaces.
Continental Breakfast transforms these familiar settings into a surreal commentary on how luxury shapes behaviour and identity.
Visitors to Tank Shanghai have described the installation as both seductive and disquieting, with its polished surfaces and contorted forms sparking varied interpretations.
Tank Shanghai, housed in repurposed industrial oil tanks, provides a fitting backdrop for Udenberg’s work, its raw architecture amplifying the installation’s futuristic sheen.
The exhibition, running through August 2025, has already drawn significant attention, with art critics praising Udenberg’s ability to blur the line between attraction and critique.
“Continental Breakfast challenges us to question what comfort means in a world driven by consumption,” said curator Li Wei.
The installation is open to the public, inviting viewers to engage with its unsettling yet alluring commentary on modern life.
I’m sorry but what the F is going here pic.twitter.com/wTAgFUNAYl
— Out of Context Human Race (@NoContextHumans) June 16, 2025
