Artist 丨 Xue Huake

News Release 

On January 20 solstice February 17, 2012, the gallery of art of huanglong hotel in hangzhou will launch: "yi - xue huake black and white photography exhibition". The scenes of life in the old Hangzhou city and the memories of the past are gradually clear as if they had gone back to the past with the presentation of the work. Hutong, the old well side, those laughing people; Old streets, alleys, clothes to dry; Under the sun, in the rain, the hasty figure; Under the eaves, in the park, the laughter of the children playing; And those familiar river Lane grocery stores... There are more than 30 works in this exhibition. With the steps of the New Year, let's have a happy and peaceful Spring Festival together with the memories of old Hangzhou city.

Once upon a time

In the spring of the Year of the Dragon in 2012, we have exhibited a series of photos about the traditional life of Hangzhou people. I think this is a very realistic thing.

If we look at the classification of photography, this can be said to be typical documentary photography. Documentary photography is the most important category in photography. That's because it focuses on the historical pieces of our civilization. In this case, if you look at the date of my signature, it's almost all in 1994-1995. Because At that time I knew that the Hangzhou government had decided to demolish all the old houses under the Wananqiao River and The Caishqiaohe river, as well as a large number of nearby old houses. I really feel so sorry. Because it seems to me that this area is the most concentrated expression of the kind of semi-open street life that hangzhou people have lived for a long period of time. History should not be erased by a stroke.

As an individual, as a sentient photographer, I felt obliged to record a little of this era. That's why I did this photo shoot. More than ten years have passed. Looking back at these images, I feel the same as when I took them. What moves me every time is the warmth of the human world.

Chinese people often say that a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. Neighborhood, bow not to see, in the past housing conditions are not ideal, a lot of living space is common between the neighborhood. Although illicit close sex is big not now, but the state of mind of people is relatively open, the concern degree between person and person, it is today place cannot compare.

On Sunday, in the communal kitchen, ma braised crucian carp with green onion, which made all the neighbors swallow their saliva. No. 87 wanan Bridge River, the old man roadside dinner on the bowl of Shaoxing wine, enough to let people have a smell of dismount; In the middle of spring, under the Bridge river in Caicheng, under the walls of roses, the nine-year-old boy smiled more brightly than the sunshine under the blue sky, which made my heart drunk...

Finally, I just want to say that no matter how human history moves forward, warmth and harmony will always be our common aspiration.

Life Senior Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society

Photography professor, China Academy of Art

Xue Huake 2012.1

The exhibition works