Thomas Kellner curates two exhibitions for the Pingyao International Photography Festival in China
Solo and group exhibition in Pingyao
Pingyao/China. On September 19, Thomas Kellner opened the solo exhibition Kitchen Theater by Sian Bonnell and the group exhibition The Whispering Streams of Memory with seven artists from Germany, Canada, the USA and Iran at the 24th Pingyao International Photography Festival. The exhibition Kitchen Theater had already been shown at the Art Galerie in June with great success and a detailed report in Photonews. As a trained sculptor, Sian Bonnell has been working with the medium of photography for many years and creates whimsical and surreal visual worlds between performance and Dada. In the group exhibition The Whispering Streams of Memory, Kellner picks up on a zeitgeist where artists from different countries create images of great poetry with their visual means.
The German artist, composer and photographer Wolfgang in der Wiesche visits his homeland, in which he can hardly find his way around, and searches for connections between his memories and his current encounter with his former homeland. In an experimental approach, he creates images with a visual narrative. Elizabeth Siegfried from the USA uses different narrative levels to explore the family estate in Chaper-Vill, which will not be continued after four generations. Ewa Monika Zebrowski from Canada was lucky enough to meet Cy Twombly's son and visit his residence in Bessano near Rome. It is an impressive documentation of silence, dust, gray and white, which is reflected in the rooms, furniture and objects. Like Elizabeth Siegfried, Karin Apollonia Müller, also from Germany, combines different visual narrative levels to create a visual poetry about her middle name Apollonia and the namesake of the Greek mythology Apollo. Gesche Würfel searches for the vanished Wall in Berlin and photographs the city in several shots along the now mostly invisible border, weaving them into a composite in the digital laboratory. William Oldacre tells of the city and its modernity in modern, dynamically abstract images, into which one would like to happily slip away. The Iranian Morteza Majidi portrays a poet. Inspired by a poem by his brother, the Iranian Morteza Majidi portrays a poet. The individual pictures function like picture poems and form a poet as a whole. With the compilation of these photographic artists, Kellner himself forms a poetic journey through photographic storytelling in a very artistic way, mostly far removed from what we would understand as documentary.
The festival in Pingyao is the oldest and largest Chinese photography festival and is run by artistic director Zhang Guotian. The exhibitions (approx. 400 of 2000 authors with mostly approx. 20,000 pictures) attract 300,000 visitors to Pingyao from September 19 to 23.
The artistic director Zhang Guotian appointed Kellner to the jury again. Various juries will be appointed for the numerous prizes: Prizes for the best photographs, a lifetime achievement award, prizes for students, the best organizers, the best artist books and a grand prize endowed with 100,000 RMB.
Sian Bonnell received one of the two international prizes for the best work. Sian Bonnell was born in London in 1956. She studied sculpture at the Chelsea School of Art and completed her Masters in Fine Art. She later completed a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her work has been exhibited worldwide, from Europe to North and South America and Asia. She can be found in major public collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.
Pingyao, a historical gem in the Chinese province of Shanxi, offers a fascinating insight into the country's past. Founded as early as the 14th century, this ancient city has retained its original structure and charm for centuries. In 1997, it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, as it is considered one of the best-preserved Chinese old towns.
Pingyao was once the vibrant center of Chinese banking and its mighty buildings still bear witness to this glorious past. The city wall that surrounds the old town was built in the 14th century and provides an impressive defensive wall. Within the walls you will find a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, traditional houses and magnificent temples that tell of the city's rich culture and history.
A stroll through Pingyao is like a journey back in time. Visitors can marvel at the old craft workshops, relax in traditional teahouses and enjoy the local cuisine. Pingyao is not only a place of historical significance, but also a lively center that cherishes its traditions while promoting tourism.
Information about the 24th Festival in Pingyao
Sian Bonnell. Kitchen Theater
September 19-23, 2024
24th Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, Shanxi, Peoples Republic of China
Partcipating artists: Sian Bonnell
The Whispering Streams of Memory
September 19-23, 2024
24th Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, Shanxi, Peoples Republic of China
Partcipating artists: Ewa Monika Zebrowski, Elizabeth Siegfried, Wolfgang in der Wiesche, gesche Würfel, Karin Apollonia Müller, Morteza Majidi and William Oldacre.
