Landscapes exhibition highlights the dynamism of Shanghai new photographic scene. As part of the official program of the third edition of Shanghai Photo, and while Shanghai is registering as a genuine magnet, Magda Danysz gallery wants to show the high level quality of Shanghai's photography. In this huge group show, the gallery presents the most talented photographers in China from Mo Yi to Zhang Xiao, Fu Yu, Zhang Dali, Yang Yongliang or Peikwen Cheng.

The exhibition shows how deep the landscape and its fast changes, concern artists. For over 30 years, Mo Yi has been capturing bold and disturbing images of passers-by in a urban world. Almost anecdotal at first glance, over the years, these photographs become eyes witnesses of individual mutations as well as their environment. In the same way of the work of Mo Yi, young Zhang Xiao (born in 1981) presents the Coastline series, which also highlights deep landscape transformated by the human being. Zhang Xiao especially chooses to photograph the coastline which is the best reflect of the change process of China, from mass tourism to rural areas. Here he shows this huge mass of Chinese people going to crowded resorts and then reminds us great migration movements. While keeping objective about it, he gives this subject great lightness by using acid colors, reminiscent of Massimo Vitali photographs.

In a more dreamlike and poetic spirit, Yang Yongliang or Peikwen Cheng show landscapes that seem coming straight out of a dream. Peikwen Cheng presents the Lost and Found series, produced over the past thirteen years during Burning Man festivals. He shows a desert landscape in which fantastic characters unleash their dreams and their strangest whims, from a dummy rocket to giant flowers installation. Also playing on the fine boarder between dream and reality, Yang Yongliang in the Bowl of Taipei series set his urban landscapes in traditional bowls. Yang Yongliang is now one of the most famous photographers in China. Combining stunning imagery and technical precision, he finally mixes humor and description of traditional Chinese landscapes.

Through their real or dreamed landscapes photograph, represented in the most objective or the most absurd way, these photographers represent the vibrancy of Chinese photographic scene from the 80s to nowadays. By bringing together leading artists from different generations, the Landscape group show offers an overview of landscape art in current Chinese photography.

-Gallery Magda Daysz

Image: © Zhang Xiao