This rapid cultural development has made Shanghai an important destination on the international art circuit: The Shanghai Art Fair, Shanghai Biennale, Museum of Contemporary Art and countless new private galleries, though young, are turning it into a contemporary arts hub to rival China's capital, Beijing.

CNN: Shanghai bids to be 'Paris of the East' once more

As evidence of its place in design history, the PRADA phone by LG 1.0 is part of the permanent collection in New York City's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Shanghai.

ENGADGET: LG, Prada officially renew phone partnership, confirm v3.0 for early 2012

The smaller of the two exhibitions, Los Angeles County Museum of Art's "Ming Masterpieces From the Shanghai Museum, " focuses on the Northern school.

WSJ: Paths Easy and Daunting | Ming Masterpieces | Artful Recluse | Lacma | Asia Society | By Lee Lawrence