Humanism in China
dal 17/7/2007 al 27/10/2007
Segnalato da
17/7/2007
Humanism in China
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
A photographic portrait. Based on 590 documentary photographs taken over the past five decades by some 250 Chinese photographers, the exhibition shows people in China against the background of social modernisation, and encompasses four major themes: existence, relationship, desire and time.
A photographic portrait
In 1955, the photographer Edward Steichen presented his legendary photo
exhibition »The Family of Man« at New York’s Museum of Modern Art as a
comprehensive portrait of humanity. Fifty years later, the exhibition
»Humanism in China – A photographic portrait« provides a different, much
more specific pictorial panorama: Based on 590 documentary photographs taken
over the past five decades by some 250 Chinese photographers, it shows
people in China against the background of social modernisation. Organised by
the Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, and curated by Chinese experts, the
exhibition encompasses four major themes: existence, relationship, desire
and time.
Behind the glossy exterior of the economic boom in China’s cities Chinese
photographers have been seeking to record the internal significance of
radical cultural change that in terms of its chronological density is barely
fathomable to the life of the individual. The exhibition »Humanism in China
– A photographic portrait« shows everyday life in both major cities and in
the countryside. The social upheavals of the past 50 years are documented in
pictures that neither distort nor stage events. The fact that perceptions
are not determined by a foreign, Western standpoint but rather reflect the
vantage point of photographers living in China makes this exhibition more
than a photographic show: It is a document of history
For the first time since the presentation at the Guangdong Museum of Art,
Guangzhou, in 2003, this exhibition is being held outside China. Five major
museums in Germany have cooperated in a unique manner for this realisation:
The Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt/Main, the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart,
the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen,
Munich and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
Accompanying the exhibition is a comprehensive catalogue in German, English
and Chinese. Published in the Edition Braus by Wachter Verlag, Price 35 Euro
The exhibition is also accompanied by a multi-faceted programme of films,
talks and special guided tours.
Opening july 18, 2007
Pinakothek der Moderne
Barer Strasse 40 - Munich