Andreas Seibert. Huai He – The Colors of Growth
17/10/2012.
Fotomuseum Winterthur. Fotostiftung Schweiz. [Winterthur (Zürich)] Switzerland
metalocus, PEDRO NAVARRO
metalocus, PEDRO NAVARRO
Following his highly-regarded work on the life of Chinese itinerant labourers (From Somewhere to Nowhere – China’s Internal Migrants, 2008), the Tokyo-based Swiss photographer Andreas Seibert addressed a new politically-charged theme. The project Huai He – The Colors of Growth highlights everyday reality and the challenges being faced in China today.
Province Anhui, 2011 © Andreas Seibert (Ausschnitt).
Reed bundles are loaded from a barge and brought to construction sites. Jiangsu province, 2011 © Andreas Seibert.
Waste water tank of a food factory. Henan province, 2011 © Andreas Seibert.
Cormorant fishing on the river Quan. Fuyang, Anhui province, 2011 © Andreas Seibert.
Sand mining on the river Huai for concrete production. Anhui rovince, 2011 © Andreas Seibert.
By blue-green algae polluted waters of the Chao. Anhui province, 2011 © Andreas Seibert.
Ms. Zhang, 22. More than 8 million people live in the city of Xuzhou. Jiangsu province, 2012 © Andreas Seibert.
Mr. Wang sells his fish for ¥ 6 (€ 0,73) per half kilogram. Henan province, 2011 © Andreas Seibert.
The main focus is the almost 1,000 kilometre long river Huai which Seibert travelled from source to estuary. For the first time, the Fotostiftung Schweiz is presenting the quintessence of that complex research work in the exhibition “Andreas Seibert. Huai He – The Colors of Growth” (“Andreas Seibert. Huai He – Alles im Fluss”), curated by Peter Pfrunder.
The Huai He is one of China’s most important rivers. It is both a major lifeline for millions of people and at the same time exemplifies the changes and contradictions inherent in the burgeoning growth of the Chinese economy: although the cultures and living conditions in the different provinces differ greatly from one another, everywhere the peoples and settlements along the Huai He are confronted with the fact that today the river’s water resembles a poisonous sewer rather than a life-giving element.
Andreas Seibert’s work emerged over the course of several long journeys and is a documentary project in the classical sense. The strong impact of his images results not least from the fact that he pursues an aesthetic of his very own. The abstract facts in Seibert’s photographs take on a sensual aspect that captivates through its ambivalence. His landscape images succeed, despite everything, in conveying a melancholy beauty, and his portraits show people whose dignity and pride often outshine their inner despair. The photographer’s sense for special moods and his evident empathy with the people he met on his travels are important components of his lyrical documentary style.
Venue: Fotostiftung Schweiz, Winterthur, 27 October 2012 to 3 March 2013.
Opening: 26 October 2012, 6 pm.
Artist Talk on Sunday, 28 October, 11.30 am – 12.30 pm, Andreas Seibert will conduct a tour of the exhibition.
Film Screening on Wednesday, 5 December, 7.30 pm, Villi Hermann will present his film: "From Somewhere to Nowhere – China’s Internal Migrants (2009).”
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Andreas Seibert
Andreas Seibert born 1970 in Wettingen, Aargau, Switzerland. He studied Photography at the Zurich University of the Arts (1997) as well as German Literature and Philosophy at the Zurich University (1990-1992). He has been living in Tokyo since 1997. His photographic works have been published in numerous international magazines and have been on show in exhibitions around the world. He has been member of the photographers agency “Lookat Photos” (2001-2004). Since 2002 work on a photographic documentation about life and work of China's internal migrants and China's transition under the influence of globalization. Photojournalistic work in Asia for many international magazines. 2003 founding member of LookatOnline.
