Antwerpen ist nicht nur Mekka junger Modedesigner, die sich unkonventionell Ausdruck verschaffen. Die belgische STIEGLITZ19 Galerie versammelt auch eine Fotografen Generation, die ihr tägliches Leben in ungewöhnlichen Bildern dokumentiert. In der aktuellen Ausstellung sind Arbeiten von 223 aka Lin Zhipeng zu sehen, der offen mit Nacktheit und Maskerade spielt und vor allem das Internet als tägliche Bühne nutzt.
“In China’s tradition-laden environment, it may seem as if we of the younger generation already have freedom, but it is freedom that we seek,” so Lin Zhipeng, der sich selber 'No. 223' nennet wie der Polizist in 'Chungking Express' von Regisseur Wongh Kar-wei. Gemeinsam mit Fotograf Ren Hang zählt er zu den Pionieren der zeitgenössischen Avantgarde Fotografie aus China. "‘Internet users have always had a thirst for novelty and an interest in sharing the lifestyle of young people. The photographs Iíve taken of the lives of Chinese youth are like that, mainly disseminated and shared online. The youth culture that is the subject of the photographs seems to be that of a minority, marginalised, even to the point of the bizarre, breaking away from the mainstream (often referred to as ìguai kaî online). The young people that I knew and photographed, from 2004 to today, are all growing up. Photographing youth is not just a wilful act. I would most like to continue photographing my own development, as well as the changes in feelings and experiences around me. Maybe ten or 20 years later, when Iím middle-aged, with the young people once in front of the camera also ageing, our thoughts will no longer be so wild and restless. Maybe weíll be more calm and at peace, and the subject of the photograph will probably also change along with it. When youth are young no more, the images are no longer intense."
Galerist Dries Roelens über die Arbeiten zu GoSee: "Such sense of the unconventional or even uncanny everyday life is particular to this generation or this group of generation, a kind of sense of imaginary existential beauty. They play houses in their everyday lives, building on their own a stage-like private secret and virtual vacuum with neither the bond of traditional moral standard and customs, nor high-spirited social atmosphere, in which their love, sex, sorrow and happiness are streaming unrestrained through their self-directed and self-performed play of life for self-entertainment."
Wir wollten von ihm wissen, ob er mit chinesischen Galerien zusammen arbeitet oder wie er sein Programm mit jungen chinesischen Künstlern zusammen stellt. "I have a very strong focus on China, since I travel to China three times per year, go to china already 15 years, so know all the young people from the start. 223 was the first one to start with this kind of photography, then came Ren Hang, but I also work with Luo Yang, or more established photographers like Chen Wei and Chi Peng , also Zhe Chen.There is really something happening there, they are far more cutting edge, if they make work, it is really very much to the point, they really face prison, censorship, they are very courageous and make a totally new kind of work. 223 for examples book was destroyed 2 times in China, now finally out, he is the pioneer of this kind of photography , a top talent, I always work directly since I know all personally for a very long time "