| HAPPY@60 | PHOTOS | PRESSE | |||
Happy@60 photo exhibition will be extended during the Nanluoguxiang Hutong Festival. The location is a Book Club at N°4 Mao'er Hutong, fourth crossing on the left from the south entrance of Nanluoguxiang. Looking at each other, a photographers’ exchange
In the framework of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the People’s Republic of China, the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing initiated a photography project between the two countries. Chinese photographer Zhu Yinghao and Swiss photographer Petri de Pità were asked to portray the life of 60-years-old Chinese and Swiss citizens under the theme “Happiness”. The photographers, Zhu and de Pità spent three weeks around Bern-Interlaken and Beijing respectively, following the models they had chosen through networks or newspaper announcements and classified ads. The models welcomed the photographers into their home, and showed them their work, their family and pets, their hobby, and what makes them happy at the age of 60. The photographers decided to take a close-up portrait and a hobby/happy portrait for each model. The close-up portrait focuses on the face, the reality of time on a background of green leaves. The hobby portrait represent the model while practicing an activity that makes him/her happy. The photographs of each Chinese model are then put in a single frame together with photographs of a Swiss model side by side. This comparative mode highlights similarities more than differences, showing the union between two people from different cultures. The photographers did not select the models based on the types of their hobby on purpose, that is what makes it more striking when one can still find similarities between the activities of two people that live apart on two different continents, between two countries and two cultures. 14th September 1950 is the date Switzerland and the People’s Republic of China established diplomatic relations. The opening of the exhibition is taking place on the same date, in 2010, at the exact same time both in Switzerland (12h00) and China (18h00). The Swiss location is the Egdar Frei Private Gallery in Bern and the Chinese location is MR Gallery in Beijing. A live Internet video broadcast will link the two galleries during the opening. Mr. Zhu Yinghao will be present at the Swiss opening and Mr. Petri de Pità will be present at the Chinese opening. “Happy@60” is part of the art festival CULTURESCAPES happening in different cities of Switzerland from September to December 2010. For more information, please see: http://www.culturescapes.ch |
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