THREE SHADOWS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

Duration:  March 30, 2024 – April 28, 2024

Venue: Three Shadows Photography Art Centre（155A Caochangdi,Chaoyang District,Beijing)

Finalists (Alphabetically)：

Chai Mi, Chen Chuanduan, Chen Yuanbo, Dong Yalin, Gao Shan, Gao Yan, Guo Changju, Hester Yang, Jiang Xue, Jiang Hanxuan, Li Xiang, Lu Jiatong, Nian Qin&Huiwen, Peng Jia, Ren Zeyuan, Sun Xiaozhou, Tan Lijie, Tu Xiaolian, Wen Hao, Leah Zhang.

Work Team:

Art Directors: RongRong&inri

Project Manager: Yan Qi

Curator：Hu Jiawen

Project Executive：Yao Gaocai, Zhao Yumeng, Li Zijian, Guo Jingyao

Activity Planning：Liu Mengting, Tang Rongjia, Su Ri, Zhao Hanqing, Du Yizhuo

PREFACE

Every dormant seed in the cold winter harbors a deep longing for a bright spring day. In the fall of 2023, with the gradual retreat of the pandemic, Three Shadows decided to restart the interrupted Photography Award after three years. During the submission period, a total near 700 valid submissions were received from Chinese photographers. In-depth communication and voting of the Organizing Committee for the Three Shadows Photography Award and Dong Bingfeng, who was specially invited for the primary selection, 20 groups (21 artists) with unique perspectives and artistic expressions were eventually shortlisted.

The works of these outstanding artists will be presented in the “The 13th Three Shadows Photography Award Exhibition” from 30 March to 28 April 2024 at the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre. Members of this year's international jury includes Véronique Souben, Head of the National School of Photography in Arles, France; Yumi Goto, independent curator and photo editor in Japan; Isabella Tam, curator of visual arts at the M+ Museum in Hong Kong; Dong Bingfeng, curator and critic of video art; and RongRong&inri, co-founders of the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre. They will talk to the shortlisted artists face to face and then cast their votes for the winners of this year's prizes.

On 30 March, the opening day of the 13th Three Shadows Photography Award Exhibition, the winners of three important prizes will be unveiled: the Grand Prize of the Three Shadows Photography Award with a bonus of 80,000 RMB (before tax, and the award-winning works will be collected by the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre); the Charles Jin Collection Prize with a bonus of 80,000 RMB (before tax and the award-winning works will be collected by Charles Jin), generously supported by renowned collector Charles Jin, and the “Luo Bonian Photographer Prize” with a bonus of 10,000 RMB (before tax ）,which was jointly established by the Luo Bonian Foundation and Three Shadows +3 Gallery since 2019.

Against the backdrop of continuous global turmoil, individuals and communities have been subjected to unprecedented spiritual and existential trials. In the face of such severe challenges, the artists explore with perseverance, open their inner worlds without reservation, and engage in positive dialogues while tearing themselves apart from the realities of the environment.

In this complex and diverse world, the artists use a variety of media and creative techniques to weave together individual life experiences, social micro-phenomena, and historical memories: Gao Shan revitalizes discarded objects through “Staged Photoraphy”, revealing unseen connections between them; Guo Changju uses low-sensitivity film to challenge the information errors of visual perception; Ren Zeyuan explores the concepts of time displacement and in-betweenness through his prose-like films and black-and-white photographs; Sun Xiaozhou blends Chinese traditions with contemporary craftsmanship to capture and convey the power behind sadness; Qin Nian & Huiwen recast a dialogue between the individual and the world through the blending of AI images and traditional darkrooms; Jiang Xue creates an “alienated” universe based on her study of the theory of “Media Ecology Theory”; Chai Mi builds a storytelling theatre that explores the relationship between discourse and other rights in an allegory of images and Leah Zhang links industry, politics and the individual in the continuity of memory and hometown.

However, underneath the reality of our lives and existence, there is another possibility that is not easily noticed, but has a profound impact on our path to “knowing ourselves”: Li Xiang uses selfies as mirrors, and observes self-growth in intuitive colored and black-and-white photographs; Chen Yuanbo's diptychs use words and photographs to record private dialogues between him the stranded Chinese people in the UK due to the Covid-19 pandemic; Jiang Hanxuan collects conversations in the kitchen, focusing on the emotional links between strangers and the formation of “our consciousness”; Dong Yalin chooses to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, and goes deep into a barren mountain to present the interwoven personal memories and paranormal experiences through photographic art; Tan Lijie explores the true meaning of “I” through her family photo album; Chen Chuanduan's exotic encounters subtly blend personal memories and supernatural experiences; Tu Xiaolian reconstructs the image of her deceased mother while restoring her memories and achieving reconciliation with self; and Peng Jia takes the course of her biological mother's life as a clue to embark on a journey of healing in terms of mother-daughter relationship.

As the physical body becomes a metaphor for travelling and returning, the artists not only focus on the spatial displacement of the body and its tension in time, but also emphasize spiritual freedom and transcendence: Wen Hao's performance video and photography diptychs during his travels in Germany illustrate his understanding of all things in the world and the duality of life; Lu Jiatong uses videos to show the world the existential and emotional struggles of people with chronic Lyme disease in the US; Hester Yang dives into the history of Chinese migrant labourers in the UK with a focus on the intergenerational traumas and identities; Gao Yan's focus after returning to China is locked on the objects on display at the Chinese museums, in an attempt to reveal the close connection between public memories and the construction of the history.

At a time when the boundaries of photography are constantly being challenged and expanded, each year's Three Shadows Photography Award is a way for us to open a new door to the future of Chinese photography. Organizing the Three Shadows Photography Award is also a show of resilience for photographers to explore new worlds together with us.

Text/Hu Jiawen