Amid the din of traffic and construction and enveloped in a heavy haze stands a conductor on top of a building, facing the distance and waving his hands as if to guide the sounds of the city. Yet the sounds don't follow his direction but remain tuneless, dreadful noises.

This is the focus of a video work titled 4'33'', which is on display together with eight other video works at Epson Imaging Gallery on Moganshan Road.

All of the nine videos, four of which are animated, were chosen from a shortlist of works created since 2007 drawn up by Creative M50 Awards co-organized by Shanghai Tex Fashion and Shanghai M50 Cultural and Creative Industry Development Company.

Each year, a jury of about a dozen renowned artists and art critics in China select some 20 works created by Chinese art students to compete for the final awards, including several nomination prizes credited by art galleries and organizations.

A video work titled 4'33'' is displayed at Epson Imaging Gallery Photo: Courtesy of the gallery

4'33'', winner of the nomination prize of ShanghART Gallery in 2013, is the work of Zhang Yu from the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts. Taking its title from John Cage's 1952 composition 4'33'', which demonstrates the idea that every sound in the world is music, Zhang's video is a personal reflection upon the development of urbanization.

Lorenz Helbling, founder of ShanghART Gallery and a member of the jury in 2013, spoke highly of the work, saying that the lonely figure of the conductor who faces up to boundless urbanization is like Don Quixote daring to challenge mainstream society with his personal strength.

According to Xia Chunqing, an editor at Shanghai M50 Cultural and Creative Industry Development Company, what the jury values most is creativity in both theme and use of materials and technologies.

"Animation technology in China is now nearly as advanced as it is in the West, and you can see the quality of some students' works is equal to that of commercial animation studios," said Xia.

Visitors can see the 3D animation Beiju Shenghuo by a group of students from the China Academy of Art and the Shanghai Institute of Design, which won the Gold Prize in 2010. It follows a freelancer who experiences a series of embarrassing situations. The story is a response to the Chinese character jiong that was widely used to express feelings of shock or embarrassment at the time.

"The artists born after 1980 have shown extreme interest in their own feelings and their outlook on the world," said Xia.

Other videos on view at the exhibition include a documentary about a late-night food market, an artist's interpretation of clowns in China and the West, as well as a double-channel video looking at one's existence and connection with others.

All the award-winning artworks of Creative M50 2013 are on display at M Art Center (Room 101, Bldg 6, 66 Moganshan Road, 6299-6610) until March 12.

Date: Until March 12, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm

Venue: Epson Imaging Gallery

爱普生影艺坊

Address: Room 106, Bldg 7, 50 Moganshan Road

莫干山路50号7号楼106室

Admission: Free

Call 6266-9191 for details