Photo Beijing 2013

DURATION: 2013-10-24 ~ 2013-12-04
OPENING: 2013-10-24

Photography is highly sociological discipline in the arts and humanities. Due to its unique technicality, it engenders documentation and expressions. Its documentation on the “truth” and “presence” of society and history, its creative and individual expression and representation as an artistic discipline contribute to its uniqueness that differentiates from other artistic disciplines. Being in situ, intervention, documentation, expression, and being an artistic vehicle its become the outstanding quality and significance of photography. In 2003, the Guangdong Museum of Art, initiated, organized and curated the large-scale photography exhibition, “Humanity in China – Documenting the Contemporary”. An exhibition that later traveled to Germany, the U.K., Franceand America. he 601 artworks in this exhibition were formally collected by the art museum that marked a significant milestone on collecting photography by a Chinese art museum. Following which, in January 2005, the Guangdong Museum of Art presented the “First Guangzhou International Photography Biennale”, curated by prominent scholars and curators, until 2009, has had three sessions thereafter. The “Guangzhou International Photography Biennale” became an international platform and barometer on the discussion topics such as, photography and the city, photography and society, photography and history, photography and the contemporary. Furthermore, on sociological and artistic issues that concerns the “viewing”, “expression”, “the internal”, “aura”, “travel” in photography. At the beginning of 2013, with the encouragement of many scholars and photographers, the art museum of the Central Academy of Fine Art began to conceive, organize and curate The First Beijing International Photography Biennale project, and have set the theme of the exhibition as “Aura and Post-Aura”, throught which to explore issues concerning the historical development and the current state of photography. Especially since the emergence of “New Photography” in 2009, young photographers and curators, as well as, issues on their international vision, humanistic concerns, domestic and international collections on photography, we have launched topical exhibitions and research with the awareness of these issues. The First Beijing International Photography Biennale consists of the following four major components and three academic forums: The Thematic Exhibition: New Photography Since 2009International Exhibition: Points on the Map – The Representation of conflict in cultural space. Nomination Exhibition: Nominations by Young CuratorsCollection Exhibition: 1. From Callahan to Jeff Koons: Jin Hongwei’s Collection 2. From “New Photography” to Rookie Award: Three Shadows’ Collection International Forum: Photography and the Art System Youth Forum: Aura and Post-Aura – Issues in New Photography Forum: Photography, Mass Media and the Era of Social Media Talk: Trio Talk Through the presentations of these components, we can already grasp the point of academic inception and position of “1st Beijing Photo Biennial”. 1st Beijing Photo Biennial, as the “thematic” component of the Photo Beijing 2013 supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Beijing Municipal Government, we have reasons to believe that the academic advancement of Chinese photography, its international impact and public efforts will gain effective improvements through this “Photo Week” and biennale! We are looking forward to it! I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the organizations and individuals who have made contributions and efforts in the making of “1st Beijing Photo Biennial”.