Augenblick , Profile : Hua Weicheng

I often see good project from one of the most interesting city in China , Chongqing, this time is from Hua Weicheng who has produced another Black and white project on the city . Something which reminds Muge but with some impressive photos which I like to share in this blog.

Augenblick, Profile : Qi Ying

I like some photos from Qi Ying although is hard to see proper projects in Flickr he has done some interesting series of portrait combined with country landscape. Worth to follow his progress.

Augenblick , Book : The Merci Project / Inochi by James Whitlow Delano

The Merci Project / Inochi is a book created and curated by american photographer
James Whitlow Delano which has put up a good list of 118 photographers
which accepted to donate their photos for a special fund raise. Worth to buy if you look for a good photo book . Here more from the statement of the project which is
possible to purchase also on Amazon.
"The Mercy Project / Inochi features the work of 118 photographersfrom 28 countries from Magnum, VII Photo, Noor, National Geographic, to emerging talent worldwide coming together to create awareness and raise funds for hospice and palliative care. Eleanor Clift, a Newsweek writer who has also been a beneficiary of hospice care when her husband was in need, wrote the postscript for the book. I posed one question to photographers I’d met all over the world (through my reportage work), after the untimely passing of hissister, Jeanne, and last member of his nuclear family to renal cancer: “share with me one photograph that says to you, ‘MERCY’”. I hoped that this collection of photography could contribute in a meaningful, concrete way in the effort to expand awareness about the critical role that hospice care can play, as it is likely to touch the lives of most of our families during the course of our lives. Hospice care, the most humane care I have ever encountered, allowed our family to come together and freed Jeanne from pain so that we could focus more on her final 5 months of life. I have partnered with San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine in California, which has a tremendously effective outreach program to the community and the medical profession. The Japanese partner is Japan Hospice Palliative Care Foundation."

Augenblick , Back on track with my blog

After a period of silence I am getting back on track in writing and posting on my blog. It is a very busy
time with work and I could not follow much photographers , books review and things to add. Indeed I am also agreed with one article (from another blog ) which describe the sort of inflation of photographers who decided to blog on photography and ... I am one of them... but the good thing is that at least I dont speak much of myself (and this can make it more interesting for a start) basically is not a "me me me" blog but mostly about people who are able to create their own language. Haven't say that... for this post I  use one of my photo taken with my iphone... I will be back soon with more posts, hopefully to be more constant than the last period..

Augenblick, Exhibition : Un'Impero in Posa

I was invited to an interesting exhibition here in Shanghai, "Un'Impero in Posa" is a showcase of photos done by italian Missionaries who travelled in China between the 19th and the 20th century. The Exhibition is organized by Univercity of Bologna together with the Italian Ministry of Cultural affair and the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai. Starting from the 14th at Tongji University in Shanghai (Zonghe Building).

Augenblick, Profile : Thierry Girard

"Voyage au pays du Réel" is one of the most interesting photographic essay from French photographer Thierry Girard. The photos depicting China following the same route done in 1913 by archeologists Victor Segalen and Augusto Gilbert. The project is also resulted in a book edited by Beaugeste Design solution with texts by Christian Doumet and Lin lu.

Augenblick , Profile : Giovanni Lami

Apnea is a portrait series on transgender community done by Italian Photographer Giovanni Lami . The series were done around the area of Rimini, famous touristic spot for the summer.

Augenblick, Magazine : Orte magazine

Orte Magazin is a German publication which has a great visually concept and which is a great to read. I am presenting and discovering at his 7th issues (from where I took the snapshots).

Augenblick, Exhibition : The Cuban Revolution at ICP

If you like how does it look a revolution and in particular the Cuban Revolution you should not miss (while in New York) the new exhibition at the International Center of Photography (ICP) , a collection of some unknown photos which depict the Cuban uprising and the revolution which took Che Guevara to become an icon.
Here a note from the Exhibition curated by Brian Wallis and independent curator Mark Sanders.
The Cuban Revolution of 1959 was one of the most spectacular political events of the twentieth century. A dramatic chapter in the Cold War, the improbable overthrow of the dictator Fulgenico Batista by a ragtag band of young Communist guerillas and intellectuals occurred just ninety miles from the United States. Tracing the movement from the triumphal entry of the rebels into Havana on January 1, 1959, to the abortive Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, this exhibition shows the tremendous influence of photography in recording and encouraging the revolutionary movement in Cuba. Among the most outstanding works in this exhibition of rare vintage prints are Alberto Korda's famous portrait of Che Guevara titled "Heroic Guerrilla" and never-before-seen images of Che's death in Bolivia in 1967. The show features work from over thirty photographers, including important images of pre-Revolutionary Cuba in the 1950s by Constantino Arias as well as classic images by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Raúl Corrales, and Burt Glinn, among others. Cuba in Revolution explores everyday life in Cuba before and after the Revolution and considers the ways in which both Cuban and foreign photojournalists helped construct the image of the revolution abroad.

Augenblick, Exhibition : Cosplay in China

Curator and Professor Gu Zheng has invited me to exhibit my portrait series on Chinese Cosplay together with Zhen Han and Chang Hong which they worked on  an interesting project Called Soul Stealer that focus on the idea of adopting a costume in China and make a distinction between Old traditional Opera house and modern Cosplayer. I am very happy to be part of the exhibition which take place at Epsite Gallery in Moganshan rd in Shanghai. Opening this coming friday from 4pm on and exhibition will last until the 17th of October.

Augenblick, Festival : Sifest 2010, Savignano Festival

One of the most interesting festival for photography will open soon in Savignano Sul Rubicone.The Sifest 2010 is curated by Stefania Rössl and Massimo Sordi which have prepared a very interesting program and a great list of photographer to look closely. The Sifest is also an happening with a so called "White Night" of photography, portfolio Reviews and projection. Among all the photographer that will exhibit Roger Ballen, Andrew Phelps and Paola De Grenet.
Also very interesting the collective Global Photography which will include also Vanessa Winship, Rafal Milach, Muge, and Amy Stein .
There is also a good opportunity to look at new Italian photographers such as Patrizia Zelano and Cesare Cirardini which I am going to talk later on in my blog.

Augenblick , Profile : Walter Niedermayr

Italian photographer Walter Niedermayr combine architecture photography contributing to major Architectural studio and also large scale landscapes which presents in many exhibitions. Some of his work can be seen at the Venice Architectural Biennale which opened last weekend.

Augenblick , Profile : Ken Kitano

Ken Kitano has some good impressive portraits in his series.

Augenblick, Profile : Kirill Kuletski

Speleotheraphy is what i like most about Russian Kirill Kuletski .

Augenblick, Profile : Sanaz Mazinani

I have posted already 6 different photographers from Iran, a country which I would like to travel and know more. Today I will present Sanaz Mazinani which has done different projects among one focussing on her mother land called Iran Revisited from which I took the cover photo of this post.

Augenblick, Profile : Mona Simon

"Memories" is a beautiful project done by German Mona Simon in which she explores her own cultural heritage of being Transylvanian-Saxon a minority which has lived in Romania for centuries. Her project is a personal journey focussing on people and details of Life.Here some notes from her:

Transylvania has traditionally been a multicultural place where Romanians, Saxons, Hungarians and Gypsies lived next to each other. Many Saxons have left Transylvania after the Communism collapsed, almost all of them immigrated to Germany. This project deals with exile and remembrance and shows a world in the way I saw it as a child. 

Augenblick , Profile : Muge

Muge is becoming one of the most interesting Chinese photographers to watch , his photos are already being shown in many venues. I know his works since some time and I am happy to share his work. Muge is a passage of what Chinese photography need to explore and fill up a gap of years of disclosure to what western photography produced after Diane Arbus or Robert Frank. If you happen to be in Italy you can visit his work which will be shown at the Sifest Photo Festival in Savignano from the 10th of september while his photos are visible at Arles Photo Festival.

Augenblick . Profile : Erika Larsen

"Young blood" is a great project based on portraits done by American Erika Larsen .The photo described young hunters in America.

Augenblick, Exhibition : Tatjana Loh at Beaugeste

"My Cousing fom America" is a series from Tatjana Loh which will be presented at the Beaugeste Gallery managed and curated by Jean Loh. Opening on the 24th of July from 3Pm

Augenblick , profile : André França

Brasilian photographer André França has developed a series called "Vanishing" in which he explore the disappearing beauty using dolls.I found it quite interesting , here some notes from the  statement written by Alejandra Hernandez Munoz:

To vanish means to disappear, to undergo a process of decaying or finishing. At first, I thought about what could promote or accelerate the corrosion or disintegration of a body: incineration, caustic lime, acid, bacteria, worms. But the bodies, immersed in a liquid texture, do not display any traces of chemical action or deterioration of matter. Therefore, the title of the work made me think of a brand of soap powder well known in Brazil, which promises in its ads to“eliminate all stains, even the most resistant, and make your clothes whiter than the brand most people buy.” In his sense, the series may be regarded as another artistic contribution to what I call “pop lineage of domestic hygiene”, founded in 1924 by Davis with Odol, made big in 1964 with Warhol’s boxes ofBrillo, and currently trivialized with the giveaway cans of Omo designed by Romero Britto. Nonetheless, differently from Odol or Brillo, here not only we see the image of the product Vanish, which could have produced the foam we see in the pictures, but the action is in present continuous tense, vanishing, a progressive, still uncompleted action supported by a narrative sequence of images of objects in a foamy medium.

Augenblick , exhibition : Erwin Olaf at Forma in MIlan

There are few fashion photographers I like to watch, although i do accept their inevitable usage of photoshop as part of a culture and idea of photography.
Milan celebrate one of the few I like , Erwin Olaf, at Forma , until the 21st of September is possible to admire some interesting photographs. Not to miss.

Augenblick , exhibition : George Georgiou

I am also happy to introduce George Georgiou which accept to present his work "Fault Lines : Turkey/East/West  along with the work of Vanessa Winship to exhibit at the CIAC museum in Foligno as part of the program of Canti&Discanti festival . The two exhibition will be opened on Thursday the 8th of July at 9PM. Here an introduction of the project :
Turkey is a strategically important nation, poised geographically and symbolically between Europe and Asia and is seen as the country that will bridge the gap between East and West.
But Turkey itself is at a crossroads, a crossroads that will define it’s very future. British photographer George Georgiou  spent 5 years living in Turkey. Travelling across the country, Georgiou’s photographs explore and question the concept of  East/West, the meaning and consequences of modernity and the many complex and contradictory fault lines at play in contemporary Turkey.

Augenblick , exhibition : Vanessa WInship

I am happy to present Vanessa Winship exhibition "Sweet Nothing" as part of the program of Canti&Discanti world festival in Foligno . I was asked by the organization of the festival to curate photo exhibition with the topic of Turkey and therefore I was pleased that Vanessa accepted to be exhibited. The exhibition will start with an opening at the CIAC Museum in Foligno on thursday 8th of July at 9.30PM 

here some note from the series "Sweet Nothing" :

Until very recently many girls in these remote parts never stepped over the doorstep of a school playground. Attitudes about sending girls to schools is a complex mix of reasons, with traditional values being part of that compexity.

Increasingly conscious of this situation, the Turkish government and several other organisations launched a series of campaigns to get more girls into schools.Slowly the numbers of girls enrolling into the schools rose. 

I wanted to make a series of portraits these girls on the borderlands. Knowing their status I wanted to give a small space for the girls to have a small moment of importance in front of a camera. 

I decided to use this slower, formal way of making the pictures to create this space. Every frame was made at the same distance to ensure a kind of equality to each girl.I hoped symbol of the uniform, the distance in repetition, and the austerity of the landscape would represent one thing, but I also hoped more than anything, in the expressions of the girls faces, to draw attention to the idea of these young girls poised at the moment “just before”. The moment where possibility lies, a time where the presentation of self  teeters into consciousness. I asked the group of girls to come forward with their chosen friends or with their sisters. Occasionally they come forward alone. Sometimes I asked to make another frame of an individual girl. The girls were a mix of emotions about this event, this small moment of theatre in front of them. They were excited and curious all at the same time. Many things touched me during the making of these images. I was touched by the gravity in their demeanour at the moment in front of the camera, their fragility, their simplicity, their grace, their closeness to one another, but most of all I was struck by their complete lack of posturing and their complete innocence.

Augenblick , Books : New Photography From China

Interesting look into modern China by different artists. "New Photography from China" edited by Wu Hung and Christopher Philipps explore the different aspect of Photography also through interesting statements from artist such as Al Weiwel, An Hong, Bai Yilou, Cao Fei and others.
Here a note from Wu Hung
"During the past twenty-five years, Chinese artists have reinvented photography as a art form. Before 1979, and especially during the Cutural Revolution mobilized by Mao Zedong to reinvigorate Communism in China between 1966 and 1976, publications and exhibitions of photographs served strict propagandist purposes; unofficial photography remained private. The apperances of the first unofficial photo club and exhivition in Beijing in 1979 changed this situation fundamentally. Since then, many such clubs have been organized by independent curatiors and artists. In the process, contemporary Chinese artists' use of the medium has evolved from imitating Western styles to developing an original language and character."

Augenblick, Profile : Michele Cera

The controversial issue NO-Tav (a movement which oppose the construction of a new train line which will connect more rapidly Italy to France) has been faced with a good vision by italian Michele Cera. The series are photographs of composition of landscape affected by the new construction.

Augenblick , Books : Chinese Interior by Robert Van Der Hilst

Robert Van Der Hilst  will introduce his new book  Chinese Interior at the Glamour Bar in Shanghai this coming sunday 13th of June. The book is a long term project which has took him to visit many houses and places in China. Is an excellent work which is rare to find among foreigner photographer who visit or live in China.

Augenblick , Exhibition : True Fables Philipp Engelhorn

True Fables is the name of the exhibition of photos from German Photographer Philipp Engelhorn which will open today at No Borders Gallery in Hong Kong. The event is organized by the Fundraiser Show for Vision First Charity . The exhibition will display photos from different remote countries.

Augenblick , Article : Stanley Wong on CreativeTourist

Thanks to CreativeTourism.com to let me talk about Stanley Wong essay called "Unfinished Business". Is a project I saw some time ago and that I wanted to talk but the article from Kate Feld explained it more carefully.
here some note from Kate Feld:
In the late nineties, artist Stanley Wong often stayed in a hotel in Guangzhou whose rooms offered an unusual view: it was right next to a tall building that had been abandoned just weeks before completion. Whenever he stayed there, Wong would find himself staring out of the window, admiring its stark, postmodern lines and wondering what had happened. Over the next few years, as the country’s economy slowed and the frenzied property market began to collapse, Wong started to see more of these abandoned building projects in China. They became known as lan wei – decaying ends, buildings inexplicably aborted before completion, their owners overextended or mired in shady business dealings. In Hainan alone, some 16.3 million square meters of building space was left unfinished in 1998. And as the bust spread out across Asia, so did thelan wei. They seemed to say something compelling about society, so Wong began a project focused around them. He started with the building that had noticed first, photographing it and trying to uncover its full story.

Augenblick, Exhibition : Xu Peiwu in Dragons horses spirits and Gods

Beaugeste Gallery, perhaps one of the best in Shanghai Scene will introduce a new exhibition of Xu Peiwu’s photo “DRAGONS HORSES SPIRITS and GODS". Here the words of presentation from curator Jean Loh :
“Dragons, Horses, Spirits & Gods, an Alpa diary” is an original photographic essay, in which critically acclaimed urban landscape photographer Xu Peiwu, sought out the invisible and the intangible spirits that have disappeared from our naked eye, amidst the accelerated urbanization of our living environment. Baudelaire’s “Painter of Modern Life” would have agreed with this pursuit of a philosophical imagination that makes the beauty of a modern black & white landscape even more striking and meaningful. 著名城市景观摄影师许培武的“龍，馬，精， 神----阿尔帕日记”是一本超凡的攝影散文，探索今日我们生活环境加快城市化进程中，从我们的肉眼裏消失了的无形精神。 像波德萊爾的“現代生活畫家”， 許培武所追求的哲學想象力， 使一組現代化的黑白風景攝影， 顯示的更引人注目和更有意義。
Opening on the 22nd of May.

Augenblick - Profile : Simon Larbalestier

British Photographer Simon Larbalestier has produced interesting fine art work and contributed to many cover of American Alternative Rock band "The Pixies".The work is also exhibited at the Snap Gallery in London until the 29th of May.  Many interesting works from his galleries and also the Pixies Minotaur Limited Edition Box set which combine high quality photos and great design. I choose a portrait of "Spike" , the dog....

Augenblick, Exhibition : Juliana Beasley at Image Singulieres

Juliana Beasley will present her new work at Image Singulieres in Séte, France. I am a big fan of Juliana's work and I will prepare an interview with her as soon we will both have time to talk more about her work and and her life which are often linked together. The project is a result of a residency where she has produced great images which ended up in a book called "Juliana Beasley, Séte #10"
The festival will introduce also many other photographers such as Jacob Holdt, Lars Tunbjörk, Chris Anderson and some others.
Here an introduction from the project written by Christian Caujolle :
Juliana Beasley, heir to a tradition of American photography (Arbus or Goldin), is interested in life on the margins. She is currently working in the deprived neighbourhood of Rockaway in New York, documenting a small community of destitute and forgotten whites. Before that, we learned of her through her 2003 book Lap Dance, a real journey into the world of striptease. But here in Sète, Juliana trains her lens on a city and its culture. More than that, she discovers the south itself! It was a journey of adventure for her, not without its challenges, given the divide between old Europe and America today. Her residency resulted in a book, the third in an exciting collection also featuring those by Anders Petersen and Bertrand Meunier. A different kind of book, revealing a different kind of Sète, full of baroque interiors and unusual stories.
13 MAY till 09 JULY Paul-Valéry Museum «Beyond The Walls» salle Tarbouriech

Augenblick , Profile : Dubravka Vidovic at European Photography Festival

Croatian Dubravka Vidović is an artist ranging from Installation to Photography. She is currently exhibiting at the "Incanto" at the European Photography 2010 in Reggio Emilia (Italy) curated by Elio Grazioli and Gigliola Foschi, presenting her series of photos realized during a travel in India, in Rajasthan, that compose an imaginary landscape where the main element is water and coloured plastic buckets in a hostile sorroundings. She have worked on the images before taking the shots, arranging installations that transfigure the world in a poetic, playful deliberately utopian way. Landscape is not only a objective phenomenon, but a new and personal place.
"She set out the containers directly into the Rajastan landscape, she chose some places, and then arranged plastic buckets to create a figurative composition, and at the same time they become elements of her story about the water. They appear like silent colorfull points among a field surrounded by ruins; they hang like unlikely fruits from a feathery tree in the desert; they invade a half-destroyed shelter, surrounded by the Pespi logo; they take the place of the elements of an old watermill. They seem to wait the rain, or to be brought to a spring to “water”. There is a dry poetry in these pictures that are telling about the essence of life, about its fragility and its hardness. In the care for humility of the things, even the poorest as the more anonimous, Dubravka catches the birth of the shape with a steady hand, to photography and drawn it. Through the living landscapes of the boxed sea and these installations in the nature, the connection with art appears: to represent the real and its invisible relations with the perception, to identify a shape to grasp the experience of the world and its perpetual transformation."
Curator Francesca Pasini for solo show "Boxed Sea" at Gallery Artopia in MilanHere the statement presentation of the exhibition written from curator Gigliola Foschi:
"The images do not deny reality, nor do they remove the pain of it, but they are able to capture things differently in that they are sustained by the need to be fuelled by imagination, hope and engaged attention. In the works of the authors displayed at this exhibit there are no flights towards gratuitous worlds of the imagination. Reality is there, before their eyes, but it is given renewed vibrancy by the affective or imaginary dimension of their way of looking at it. Through extremely diversified visual or design strategies, with the power to effect a kind of sideways shift or displacement of what we normally see, the works become spaces of discovery and enchantment in which reality no longer appears in its “opaqueness”, but opens up to a hidden and evocative dimension instead. Some of the authors have worked on the images before taking the shots, arranging performances or installations that transfigure the world in a poetic, playful or deliberately utopian way. Others use a close up shot or a view dilated in time to transform fragments of reality (a donkey's face, a ship model in a bottle, a simple room, a landscape, an old photograph) into mysterious apparitions or presences suspended in time, stirring the viewer's imagination."

Augenblick , Magazine : Bite Magazine

Regina Anzenberger will curate and present the works of 7 different photographers at Bite Magazine . The online magazine formerly called The Blacksnapper is supported by the Dutch Doc (portal for documentary photography of the Fund for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture).
I am honored to be part of the presentation with my essay on the UK Pavilion at Expo done with my iphone (and no photoshop) . Here the Presentation written by Regina Anzenberger on the Project :
A hedgehog in the dark of the night? Photographed in the style of Fritz Lang’s films of the 30ies. Iphone and polaroid makes it possible. A courageous step in direction of finding a new picture language according to new technology and internet standards. Is this the future of photography? Well, I like it. Easy, creative and good looking. Small and pretty fine art works in pinhole optic. Ready to get printed on fine art paper and sold to collectors who like contemporary art.

Augneblick , Profile : You Li

Chinese photographer You Li has produced some good photos of landscape in China. Despite her folio has still no much of a line (no text and no direction somehow) there is a good attempt to look at his own country .

Augenblick, Exhibition : Square of Rome at Moca Shanghai

Achille Bonito Oliva together with Cecilia Casorati curated a exhibition called Squares of Rome where different italian photographer were assigned to shoot in different location of the eternal City. Good result and especially interesting to look at Gabriele Basilico or Olivero Barbero among the other here at Moca in Shanghai. Here a note from the curators:
Over the course of time the square has had various functions and signs, yet, it has always maintained as a constant its attitude of welcoming together and generating connections and correspondence of people. In Italy, the square had its beginnings at the start of the Middle Ages as the courtyard to the Cathedral or as the open space placed before the civil authorities and it thus became the barycentre of the development of the cities. It is with Michelangelo, but especially with Bernini, that the square assumes the modern characteristics as a place of relation between the urban structure and the architectural solution. The Baroque square, through the continuous exchange between external and internal, plays upon artifice: it is the stage for the representation of reality, work of art one may move through, symbol of opening towards the world. The fountains, the statues the monuments - located within the square - activate continual and suprising references to one another and they set the seal upon this new vision. Squares of Rome, by means of the placement of twenty large-format works of photographic art - that present a modern image of the most eloquent squares of Rome - and with the same number of sculptures, re-proposes the idea of the square as the space of dialogue and dynamic fulcrum of relations.

Augenblick, Magazine : Urbanautica

I always keep an eye on Urbanautica, a web zine which display interesting photography, Thanks Steve Bisson for the dedication and commitment . Here some words from him about Urbanautica:
Urbanautica is a research platform centered on photography and the human landscape. A navigation by sight, a trip around the ideas, people and what makes them part of nature and the world. Established through a website with the aim of promoting a critical reflection on “social organization, cities, territories, planet”, the site has already received significant recognition among photographers, magazines, blogs and websites from all over the world. Each month Urbanautica publishs a selection of international photographers who have developed artistic research topics and fine art works that concern landscape, urban transformations, habitat, pollution, abandoned places and our relationship with nature.

Augenblick , Profile : Peter Dixie

British Photographer Peter Dixie has explored the new "borders" of Shanghai by shooting photographs of each end of the metro stations.The project is called 上海Hinterland Since I visited Shanghai for the first time ten years ago around 11 metro lines has been completed giving a different shape of urban settlements. I want to present his work on the eve of the Shanghai Expo which will open his gate on the 1st of May.
Here the Introduction of the work by Peter Dixie :
Each metro station acts as a locus of development. Around these nodes cluster shops, restaurants and other small businesses, nearby are residential neighbourhoods. Within the city these run together forming a solid continuum. As the city expands the nodes become more distant, space opens up between them and this space is by its very nature ambiguous. Villages pre-dating the city are slowly surrounded, incorporated, cannibalised and replaced, industry sits side by side with the remnants of farmland and homes, pockets of wasteland are interspersed allowing birds and other wildlife a refuge and providing space for spontaneous and informal land use.
From each metro station occupying the terminal position on a line one can wander quickly into these areas of collision and flux. It is those landscapes that are represented here

Augenblick, Blog on photography - Books : Somewhere there's music by Larry Fink

Beautiful book on Jazz by Larry Fink, the book offers a great view of photos from different Jazz musicians , here the introduction by George Panichas:
Larry Fink secured enduring fame with the book Social Graces, which mixed images from working-class Pennsylvania with a portfolio from upper-crust Manhattan, observing manners and mores on the long, curvy couches of Studio 54 and in the chaos of Pat Sabatine’s eighth birthday party, where the screen door is always just about to slam. Fink has always been interested in what high and low culture have to say to one another, and has continued to seek the best of both behind the scenes at fashion shows in Runway and in the ring with sparring fighters in Boxing.Somewhere There’s Music collects Fink’s mostly-unpublished black-and-white jazz photographs from the 1950s to the late 1970s. In these photos Fink captures the cool heights of the Beat era, from Harlem’s famous Lennox Lounge, where the reader can almost hear John Coltrane serenading with his sax, to the Village Vanguard, where Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis made history. Other legends captured by Fink’s lens include Marion Brown, Roland Kirk, Steve Lacey, Leroy Jenkins (Revolutionary Ensemble), Archie Shepp and Lightning Hopkins, among many others. Sit back and be transported to another time with the hip cats of the jazz era in this passionate book featuring more than 80 duotone prints.

Augenblick , Exhibition : Yongkang Lu Art

I will exhibit 3 prints from my series on Chinese Cosplayer at the new renovated area of Yonkang road in a group exhibition . The opening will include three spaces in the same road
and all the exhibitions are curated by Zane Mellupe which is also presenting some artwork.
here the introduction of the exhibitions with the list of people who will present their work:

Asphalt Concrete at Yonkang Lu Openings (three galleries show in one road)
At Yongkang lu Art 83
Who pays the hidden costs of growth?
This exhibition explores in detail the pressures put on individuals, families and communities through different artistic mediums, and from local and foreign artist’s perspectives. From recent scandals to ever present problems, the artist unique approach tells us for once in a while to take a deep breath and consider where we currently stand.
The exhibition presents:
Lei Hua (CN), Sha Qin (CN) , Virginie Lerouge Knight (FR) ,Wang Lin (CN) , Daniele Mattioli (IT)
Zane Mellupe (LV) , Kaspars Podnieks (LV) , Krišs Salmanis (LV) , Rose Tang (CN)
curated by Zane Mellupe

C Individuals by Christophe Demaitre and Christin Kalweit
At Yongkang Lu Art 72 YK art space
C individuals - sea individuals - see individuals - is an exhibition of the artworks of Christophe Demaitre (Be) and Christin Kalweit (De). The exhibition reveals two different approaches of the perception of interaction between an individual and a crowd. Christophe has focused his work on portraying the crowd as a singular individual mass. The principal of his vision is to suggest that all individual elements assume equal importance. There is no central control and no autonomy within his composition. Christin’s work is highlighting the different individual emotional relationships that occur within a confluence. She draws particular attention to the unique elements of the singular individual, whether it is their emotions, mood, behavior or creations. She reveals the interaction between the singular entities in order to show the greater unity.curated by Zhu Ye and Zane Mellupe

aQuarium by Liu Dao
At Yongkang Lu Art 47

island6 shack
“Shush” she said and met herself for the 1389th time.

Augenblick, Blog on Photography , Book : Andy Warhol in China

Andy Warhol in China is a book with pictures from the visit of the American Artist in China.
A short note from Publisher:
A documentation of Andy Warhol's 1982 visit to China, this volume offers a unique glimpse of the international pop star by Christopher Makos, his personal photographer. With the advantage of hindsight, this volume becomes complexly ironic-in China in the 80s, almost no one knew who Warhol was. Just a few decades later, in 2006, Warhol's 1972 'Mao' sold for $17.4 million to a Hong Kong real estate tycoon. And Chinese artists have, for years, been incorporating Western pop iconography into their work. Photographer Christopher Makos became known in the 1970s for his candid shots of Warhol. Henry Geldzahler, the former Curator of Contemporary Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has written: 'It is a great asset in Chris Makos' photographs that they reveal new and unfamiliar faces of the legendary pop figure...' 
Photographs of Christopher Makos. Foreword by Ai Weiwei.

Augenblick , Magazine : Monu , Real Urbanism

I am not the first one who discover how Dutch are ahead in any form of visual and design art. Not only by the fact that here in Shanghai there is a big effort in promoting the design and architecture by renting the beautiful space at 800Show (Changde road ) but also the many publications and people involved . Today I will speak about Monu Magazine , real Urbanism, the magazine profiled an visual and written idea of modern urbanization creating a platform for artist, photographers , designer and architect focusing in key topics which are matter of discussion for a better idea of a city. I have looked into some names and some good photography in it . It is a Bi - Annual publication.

Augenblick, Books : Shanghai : a History in Photographs, 1842 - Today

I will attend the launch of the Book : Shanghai : a History in Photographs, 1842 - Today and the speech of Karen Smith which together with Pulitzer Winner Shing Heung Liu have worked in compiling a remarkable collection of Photographs of the Chinese Metropole. I am also proud to be part of this collection with a contribution of 2 photographs from my archive on Shanghai. Here the note from the publisher Penguin :
Shanghai is a visual history that tells the story of modern China as witnessed by this romantic city. The end of the Opium Wars in 1842 effected a dramatic transformation, turning a sleepy backwater into a bustling treaty port. Over the intervening 160 years, Shanghai has been shaped by outside forces - foreign concessions, Japanese invasions, the arrival of the Communists and the cult of Mao, they have all played their part in sculpting today's Shanghai. China's turbulent history is traced through Shanghai's evocative, beautiful, and sometimes painful images. As we reach the present day with its helter-skelter development, lavish wealth is juxtaposed against grinding poverty, and documented through the lenses of Shanghai's most important contemporary artists. Told through rare official archive photographs, images taken from private collections, new commissions, and co-author Liu Heung Shing's own work,Shanghai is the definitive history of the most beautiful of China's cities. Shanghaiwill be available in both hardcover and paperback, and will be for sale inside the Shanghai hall of the World Expo 2010

Augenblick, Books : Wien 2 by Annelies Oberdanner

A book on Vienna, city where I lived for 6 years. Always good to look at the many interpretation and views of the city. This time from the book "WIen 2" by Annelies Oberdanner.
Here the presentation of the book from the publisher:
Photographer Annelies Oberdanner’s second book of images of Vienna, this volume deepens her exploration of this magical city, delving even further into its color and atmosphere. At first glance, Oberdanner’s photos seem to be telling only part of the story, but they reveal a mystery as the viewer studies each image. Don’t expect picture-postcard scenes: she focuses on non-descript areas of town, looking behind the obvious facades at the surprising beauty of bare-branched trees mantled in snow, a potted plant abandoned on a sidewalk, high-rises sprouting from rubble. These unembellished, almost casual, scenes give a truer portrait of Vienna than any glossy guidebook.

Augenblick, Blog on Photography , Profile : Aria Hyytiainem

I really like the work of Finnish photographer Aria Hyytiainem, Check it out.

Augenblick, Blog on Photography - Profile : Hiroshi Watanabe on Suo Sarumawashi

Again I am talking of Japanese Photographer Hiroshi Watanabe, is perhaps one of my favorite . Previously i have talked about his project "Ideology in Paradise" done in North Korea and now I will post something of his project "Suo Sarumawashi" . The series of portrait of "Dancing Monkey" are stunning .
Here the statement from the artist :
Sarumawashi, literally "monkey dancing" evolved over a 1000-year history in Japan. Ancient Japanese chronicles refer to it as a form of religious ritual designed to protect the horses of warriors. It later developed into a popular form of festival entertainment, and was performed all over Japan from temples to imperial courts. Today, Sarumawashi is ranked alongside Noh and Kabuki as one of the oldest and most traditional of Japan's performing arts. It features acrobatic stunts and comedic skits performed by highly trained macaque monkeys.
Despite its current popularity, Sarumawashi almost perished in the 1970's. The increasing urbanization of Japan and the rise of the automobile on Japan's crowded city streets threatened Sarumawashi's place in Japanese culture as a popular form of street performance. In 1977 a group of individuals throughout Japan, fearing the total demise of this ancient art form, gathered to effect the revival of Sarumawashi. They founded the Suo Sarumawashi association in present day Hikari City (also known by its ancient name of Suo) in Yamaguchi Prefecture in Western Japan. After a series of setbacks, the Suo Sarumawashi Association finally succeeded in bringing Sarumawashi back to life. Today the association in partnership with the Murasaki Corporation runs two 600 Seat Sarumawashi Theaters, one based in Kumamoto Prefecture and the other in Yamanashi Prefecture near the base of Mt. Fuji. The Suo Sarumawashi performing group also tours frequently throughout Japan.
The reason for Sarumawashi's ongoing popularity lies in the charm and agility of the Japanese macaque monkey. Sarumawashi showcases the natural physical prowess of the Japanese monkey by combining acrobatic stunts with comical skits and dances. The monkey and trainer perform as one unit to create a bond between man and primate

Augenblick , Profile : Simone De Iacobis

Magic Realism, a new Skyline for Rome is the last project from photographer and Architect Simone De Iacobis. The work features on Monu Magazine it is a view into the delicate new Urbanization of Rome by the new plan which has built many satellite district around the city. The project is a series of portraits of people within their Urban contest. A different way to see Rome for those who think about the beautiful ancient and historical buildings.
Here some sentences from the statement of the project :
On the 13 February 2008, while the council of Rome approved the new master plan, a new urbanism season started for the eternal town, a season of a new deal between private and public interests. In this context, thanks to a planning instrument called “Accordo di Programma”, the real estate companies can be allowed to duplicate future building surfaces in exchange for something “useful” for the public community.
The companies are owners of strategically located land for the expansion of the city, so they often offer money to contribute to building new infrastructures such as underground lines, streets, etc… to connect these new areas with the rest of the town. In so doing, the council of Rome relinquishes this land, square meters that were supposed to be offices and services for the inhabitants of the district.
But which kind of companies are these? What are their aspirations?
Talking to TV journalist, Mr Scarpellini, who is building 1milion cubic meters in Rome, explains “this is like a game” - a game that we imagine involves a lot of work, risk and sometimes problems with legal issues – “a lot of people ask me: why are you doing this, if that makes you live as a poor man?”

Augenblick, Profile : Zane Mellupe

Latvian Photographer and Artist Zane Mellupe has produced an interesting project called Found Family. The project done in Shanghai represent some "official" photos taken to a family which she has printed by negatives she found on the street.
Here more on the work :
Found Family is a series of work, where the photos are printed from negatives that among many others have been found along the alleys of Shikumen ruins. The act of finding appears random, but randomness is what this work is partly about when talking about arranged marriage, one child policy and the pressure from society to have both fulfilled. Calling it "Found Family" is an act of enforcement where the individual appears to be helpless in front of the family, society and government.

Augenblick, Blog on Photography , Profile : Francois Coquerel

I like the portraiture series from French Photographer Francois Coquerel .

Augenblick , Publication : Zing Magazine

Zing Magazine is a free magazine to pick in Shanghai. Is a good magazine which can help perhaps some foreigner to have a better culture in Photography. Promoted by Xintiandi management (a rich area for expats and rich chinese) has always layout some interesting photographers and text which is something rare here in Shanghai. In the current edition an article on Li Wei , in the past photographers such as Alessandra Sanguinetti, Andres Gonzales and many other.

Augenblick , Exhibition : Rafal Milach - Black Sea of Concrete

Black Sea of Concrete if one of the latest project by Rafal Milach, the project which has won the Photography Book Now will be exhibited as solo Exhibition at Yours Gallery in Warsaw (Poland). I already spoke of Rafal on his "7 rooms" Russian Project when it was exhibited at the Pingyao Festival in 2009 and I will speak more later on (I am preparing an interview with Rafal) . The opening will be on the 18th of March , if you pass by dont miss it.