fot. Tomek Niewiadomski
09.06. – 02.07.2006
Tomek Niewiadomski„China – The Middle Republic“ is an artistic project that combines photography exposition as well as artistic installation. The exhibition consists of fifty two pictures recording my six week journey through China at the turn of August and September 2005. Above all, I was making pictures of people in their natural environment, I strove not to interfere or arrange photographs I made. The exhibition is therefore a photo-report of a subjective nature, telling of the profound influence of the space on people and the ways they find to adapt. There are striking interconnections on the photographs between people and their environment in the mountains, towns or monasteries. While looking for places not changed by dynamic expansion of the civilazation, I show the harmony in which former cultures were functioning from ages. Contrasing all other pictures refering to traditional but constantly developing China will be the only photography forcasting new age – Shanghai.
Genesis of the project
Pictures presented during the exhibition where made within the sixth edition of J&S Group Callendar. Before, this cycle included artistic visions of Cyprus, Poland, Prague, Vienna and Switzerland, photographed by i. a. Tomek Sikora, Tomasz Tomaszewski or Feco Roupert.
2006 edition of the callendar consists of Tomek Niewiadomski photographs presenting unique land – China.
The exhibition form
Apart from photographs, the exhibition consists of artistic installation and music illustration. As the background for the pictures there was an imitation of rice fields created with natural plants. The music illustration by Adam Wardin – was composed especially for this particular exhibition. Inspired by China- it's culture, history, people... It's not only an illustration for Tomek's "China" series, it's more like a fixture to it. It's aimed to make it easier to truly "listen" to stories told by Tomek's photographs. This nearly 50 minutes long soundscape was recorded using many traditional chinese instruments including Guchin, Erhu, Guzheng, Xiao, Dizi. The tones of the ancient China are the core of the composition, while sounds of real places like Shanghai, Tibet, and the atmosphere of China's industrial empire of today are floating around it.
Platinum/palladium technique
Photographs from the cycle China were made in unique platinium/palladium technique.
The Palladium Printing Process dates back to the mid 1800's and is one of the only truly archival photographic processes. Creating a print in platinum/palladium is a very exacting and complex process of taking choices and decisions that have greate influence on final effect. Moreover than the beauty of the process and the truly archival quality what intrigues in platinum/palladium is that each print is different. Within a limited edition each image will have it's own subtleties that make it a truly unique print.
