Shanghai is without a doubt one of the most important cities in contemporary Chinese photography. Visitors to the former French Concession won’t want to miss the exhibition “Subtitles” by the French photographer Eric Leleu (b. 1979) at the Art Labor Gallery.
This years-long project— begun in 2008—offers viewers a selection of 20 or so photographs, which are displayed in an instructive and careful layout, taking advantage of every wall from floor to ceiling, inside and out. “Subtitles” (re)invents the story of hengfu (橫幅), the famous red Chinese banners bearing powerful messages. Armed with a 35mm Leica M6 and a large-format 4×5”, Leleu was “seduced by their form and by their violence.” His desire to understand them led Leleu to photograph them, substitute them and ultimately eclipse all original meaning.
The entrance to the exhibition is done with much pomp and circumstance: the Great Wall of China teases the viewer while adorning the following inscription: “When the storm is coming, some people build walls, others build windmills.” Beginning with one of the most famous pieces of Chinese traditional architecture is not an innocent decision. For Leleu, the Great Wall represents “Beijing and authority. This is the most subversive image in the series.” This also allows Leleu to lay the foundations of his exploration of the encounter between interpretation and manipulation.
The main room is devoted to the chronological evolution of the series. Three chapters are summarized in eight photographs each. The first chapter, “Authority,” is the preliminary phase of the project, more journalistic, darker, literally and conceptually. Shot in Shanghai and Beijing and mostly at night, the series shows the banners, “as they were seen by the Chinese.”
The second chapter, “Vox Populi”, denotes change in tone. As an attempt to distance himself from the “dark and perhaps moralizing connotations,” Leleu relies on imagination and humor. This time he creates his own banners and hangs them in either picturesque or incongruous public places. {….}
“Silent Protest” ends the series and opens up the realm of possibilities. Shot in China (Yunnan, Xinjiang) and France (Baie de Somme, Chantilly), this chapter suggests “nature does not obey human boundaries”. {….}
In sum, “Subtitles” is a deliberately satirical, overtly political and deeply poetic instance of social commentary.
Read the full article on the French version of L’Oeil.
EXHIBITION
Eric Leleu – Subtitles
Until June 29 2014
ART LABOR Gallery
#411, Bldg 4, 570 Yongjia Lu
Shanghai 200031, China
+86 21 3460 5331
www.artlaborgallery.com
