Crystal Memory ——April 2009 @ Image Tunnel
11th April, 2009
Alart Salon: 14:00
by LU Yuanmin
a. More than 100 selected black and white photos
b. A documentary film about LU Yuanmin, the photographer
c. Jewels design show
Independent Movie: 19:00
a. Documentaryby ZHANG Kanwen
b. With director coming face to face to discuss with the audience
25th April, 2009
Alart Salon: 14:00
Performance
by Kara, Steffie, Kevin etc
Independent Movie: 19:00
Background
A Dream of Shanghai
“I seemed to be dream-walking, and while inside my sleep, capturing images with my camera.” He is fascinated by Shanghai like a young girl lost in a grand, magical city. Guided by his intimate connection with Shanghai, he always shoots at the precise, beautiful moment.
From 1990 to 1994, LU Yuanmin discovered and paid particular attention to the scenery alongside the Suzhou Creek. It was at the time, abandoned by the rapidly developing Shanghai, hidden, neglected and beautifully frozen in time. He was surprised, shocked, and deeply fascinated, as a child dream walking, unconsciously drawn to this river of history. Both the traditional and modern contribute to themes of contrasting elements that appear harmoniously in his photos. His images of those moments, kind of trivial and a little ghostly, became permanent in black and white. Without realizing it, in those years he had become the tacit spokesperson of Suzhou Creek.
“I’m only an amateurish photographer,” he repeats, making sure it is known that he records only for interest. His subconsciously guided records, however, show what we have neglected in our fast-changing world. The history of Shanghai stays in Lu’s photos.
When I first knew Lu Yuanmin in 1993, he was not good with words, only taking photos with a Seagull Camera—even without a lens cap. It was with this China-made camera that Lu kept the precious memory of Suzhou Creek alive. His Suzhou Creek series was exhibited in Image Tunnel in 2004 and 2006.
In this year of 2008, LU Yuanmin shows his latest works. To our surprise, his work has dramatically changed with time. In these new photos, he tried mixing multiple exposures casually with other images, making the viewing experience exude a sense of confliction, and showing a Shanghai full of lusts. LU looks for his own life track in a world of mixed eras and finds a brand-new style.
We have recognized that LU Yuanmin is searching for his way inside the image world, and we’ll keep paying attention to him and his work throughout his journey.
Documentary filmby ZHANG Kanwen
The record and explanation of this era by the new-generation director
A group of well-known artists are creating works for 2008 Shanghai Biennale on the topic of “Trans Local Motion”. But it’s really a problem how to transfer the works into the city center.
The city dwellers, facing the crowded metro, destroyed lanes and disappearing memory, etc, witness the changes brought by the fast-moving people.
Rapidly-changing cities and fast-moving crowds are inspirations of the artists. However, to every ordinary people in the city, this is their life, and to make their lives better is their greatest masterpiece.
Thus speaks Image Tunnel:
You might not be able to enter the photographers’ heart
But you can still share their dreams
For we’ve experienced the same era
What did we ignore in the flow of time?
What are we searching for?
What do we really need in our lives…
Entry fee: 30RMB for each event, and 55 for both events
10% off for membership card
Address: Floor 3, Bldg. 19, No. 50 Moganshan Road, Shanghai, China
Contacts:
Websites: www.suzhoucreek.com
www.imagetunnel.com
BLOG for Independent Movies: http://imagetunnelmovie.blogbus.com/
BLOG for Alart Salon: http://alartsalon.blogbus.com/
Group on Douban: www.douban.com/group/imagetunnel
Group on QQ: 59583230
Group on MSN: imagetunnel2008@hotmail.com
Tel: 021-28130548, 021-62778270
E-mail: imagetunnel@imagetunnel.com
E-magazine:
http://yslshanghai.poco.cn/z_maker/z_maker_opus_details.htx&opus_id=120700
To Know More About Crystal Memory
2009: Looking backward and forward
1001: Crystal Memory -- A Dream of Shanghai
It all starts from the “Left Bank of the Seine of the East”, a dream of an individual
To the “New Voyage”, the dream of a young team
Image Tunnel now has a collective dream of all intellectuals that is the Renaissance of Local Culture
1001 pairs of Image Tunnel Drifting Bottle begin their journey from No. 19 cabin beside Suzhou Creek, and the crystal memory starts…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A Dream of Shanghai~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2002-2008 the Memory
2002: A dream for the Better City -- the owner of Image Tunnel, Han Quqi protected M50 area; paid more attention to Suzhou Creek, the old Shanghai and Huangpu River
2003-2004: published book; 2005: “Image Tunnel” the Art festival on the theme of “the Reminiscence of Suzhou Creek”--14 activities on the theme of “Non-material cultural heritage”; 2006: Book “It all Started from Silence”; acted before the 2010 EXPO
2007: Image Tunnel’s New Voyage; began Saturday movie discussion-- showed 25 documentary films, 15 experimental movies, 16 fictional movies and so on, 59 movies in all; invited 51 directors and studios to meet the audience
2008: Independent Movies and Alart Salon; 1001 pairs of Drifting Bottles were created
2009-2010 Drifting Bottles with Dream
Photographers, directors, collectors and artists born in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s gather at Image Tunnel, the “Smallest Cinema in Shanghai” to share their crystal memory.
The Drifting Bottles find their owners on the left bank of Suzhou Creek and the new saga starts!
Maybe, you’ll not only be a witness…
Thus speaks Image Tunnel:
The memory shinning, like pearls and shells
Suzhou Creek winding around Shanghai, like a lace
All have changed a lot
But the photographers kept dreamlike images of Shanghai
And sealed the city’s memory in crystals
Shells and crystals, they are the key to memory
Opening the Image Tunnel Drifting Bottle
We find A Dream of Shanghai…
Image Tunnel Drifting Bottles
210 The New Voyage; 77 Chinese Valentine’s Day; 19 The Flower Fairy; 9 The Perfume; 616 China’s Movie Industry; 38 The Smallest Cinema in Shanghai; 712 Perfection; 1001 Crystal Memory and Pure Dreams
No. 210: Foresight and Confidence
210 stands for 10th Feb. 2007. On that day two drifting bottles full of wishes and dreams were cast into Suzhou Creek, meaning 2-1-0, counting down for Image Tunnel’s new Journey in 2007 and the renaissance of the new local culture.
No. 19: Mystery and Miracle
19 stands for Image Tunnel, the No. 19 wooden cabin beside Suzhou Creek, whose owner protected M50 area in 2002 by a miracle, goes on recording the changes of Shanghai and runs the “smallest cinema in Shanghai” to support the young independent directors.
No. 77: The Hope
Image Tunnel Drifting Bottle becomes the carrier of love. It was on display on 7th Aug, 2008, which happened to be the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Meanwhile, some drifting bottles have found their owners and were brought to China’s Taiwan and abroad like Germany.
No. 616: Touch Dream
16th June is the anniversary of China’s movie industry. From 2005 on, Image Tunnel celebrates this day every year. On 16th June 2007, which was the 102’s anniversary, Image Tunnel organized “outdoor cinema” and lighted to candles. The flames are real, but we cannot touch it. So are dreams. But we choose to touch dream, regardless of being burn… The next year, we designed Image Tunnel Star to celebrate this anniversary.
No. 9: Romance and Legend
On Valentine’s Day 2009, came the new Image Tunnel perfume M19 and W210, which is the start of a new legend. The perfume shoulders the responsibility of promoting China’s local culture.