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On the occasion of “BI HU SUO: About the emerging Chinese photography” held at the CRP/Centre régional de la photographie, Director Audrey Hoareau kindly invited us to visit the exhibition where we had an engaging conversation.
Interview: Audrey Hoareau
Audrey Hoareau directs the CRP/Centre régional de la photographie based in Douchy-les-Mines (France). After thirteen years at the Musée Nicéphore Niépce, she becomes a freelance curator. She was art director of the Circulation(s) festival at Centquatre Paris for two years (2019-2020) and held the same position at Photo Basel from 2019 to 2021.
Between May 7 - August 2022, the CRP/ presents a group show of the work of four emerging Chinese photographers: Zhang Zhidong, Zheng Andong, Wang Yingying and Ye Wuji. Entitled “BI HU SUO: About the emerging Chinese photography”, this event is the result of a curatorial dialogue between Hu Ruohao, a young curator from the Canton region, and Audrey Hoareau. On that occasion, she kindly invited us to visit the exhibition where we had an engaging conversation.
How did you decide to put together this exhibition with the Chinese co-curator Hu Ruohao?
It is a real collective project, in both substance and form. It was born out of our regular exchanges. Since this exhibition deals with the emerging scene, there was a real expectation on the part of these young artists, even though some knew very well how they wanted to present their work. It was also good to be confronted with a space that is not quite traditional, which is a strong point [the CRP/ is installed in a former post office].
When we work remotely, we are concise, we know where we are going. We’re used to work like that with Hu. He even became a friend. We check in on each other regularly. When I was appointed here [Audrey was appointed director of the CRP/ in September 2021], he was very happy for me. And I instantly thought about this theme of refuge, which was the very heart of my application for this position.
It is also an aptitude of the CRP, to connect the local with the most distant. Even though certain themes seem rooted in Chinese society, these echo very much with local territorial themes of Hauts-de-France, in particular the common heritage. I find it super interesting when we set up projects that at first glance don't seem to concern us at all, eventually we always try to build bridges.
China is fascinating. I always wonder about this courage, this desire to make things happen, how do you carry on as a Chinese artist to keep wanting to talk about the world in which you live, to call into your own nation, such inquiries are in truth very complicated. Yet these artists find the strength to ask these questions.
So, we start the exhibition by facing one of Zhang Zhidong’s works, next to quite astonishing graphic design forms that appear also in the exhibition posters and labels for the artworks.
Indeed, we begin with Zhidong who started his series with hand-made objects, with very pop and flashy colours. But there are also two black and white images, including the one at the main entrance. For me, this photo really embodies what we wanted to examine, which is this notion of finding a protective space.
Zhidong’s work conveys the extent to which one has to cope with the public space in China, which can be monstrous and impersonal. This image shows how these two individuals are trying to find some privacy.
As for the graphic designer, he was inspired by tent structures to create these little drawings that we see next to the photograph. They represent four forms, one for each artist. And these forms are repeated again in the labels. The idea was to obtain an overall shape by assembling these four sketches. As if the four proposals were complementary, that they brought something in common together.
What challenges are facing Chinese artists when their artworks are evoking thorny social issues?
It's not in itself impossible to talk about social issues in China, but it's difficult. Whereas here, you feel free and that's what we liked. We wanted to offer a space for freedom of expression, by telling artists that they could show what they wanted. Still, there are three out of the four who still live in China, so we had to be careful.
This is the reason why, for instance, Ye Wuji played around with words and concealing strategies. In his images and also in the video he created, we see a lot of pixels that blur the overall representations. It’s interesting to see how he makes this self-censorship clearly visible.
What is certain is that there is no one who will come by in order to remove artworks from the walls. I believe this was the real asset of the project: the liberty of any type of exhibition setting.
Wang Yingying is one of the four artists you selected for this exhibition. Her work has been focusing on women’s inner lives and fates, which echoes with the current burgeoning of events surrounding women artists globally. What is your take on spotlighting women artists?
It is indeed a complex subject that everyone should grasp, especially when one has a position like mine. Yet, I don't think that quotas are a solution. For example, for this current show about emerging Chinese photography, I didn't necessarily want to have two women and two men. This is not at all how I work. On the other hand, this question is very significant and remains necessary.
While surveying the CRP/ collections, it jumps out at me: there are less than ten percent of women artists in the collections. Our institution is 40 years old and started its collection in the 70s and 80s, so this phenomenon is obvious. By proposing the anniversary exhibition ["40 years of photography at the CRP", between 1 September and 31 December 2022], I realize again that the photographic medium does not represent as many women artists as there should be.
It’s a question I keep having on a daily basis, even before it became trendy. But I don't count, I don't want to count. When I was artistic director of the Festival Circulation(s), there was ultimately a fairly balanced proportion, because we were dealing with emerging photographers. It’s interesting to note that women artists are quite active around this age, at least at this time in their lives. It is afterwards that the problem occurs and which raises the question of how the collections are enriched.
In my current programming, I want to pay attention to this subject. But when I say paying attention, that doesn't mean counting. In the end, the subject, the way of working, and the visual aspects are the most important things I concentrate on.
Would you like to set up another exhibition about Chinese photography in the future?
Why not? In any case, I usually follow the people I work with. In the case of these four Chinese artists, I want to keep updated with their projects, what they will become. I even hope that this exhibition could travel and be showcased elsewhere.
Besides, their works will be part of our Documentation Centre, and I recommend their works to journalists when I hear about a topic they can fit in. My goal is to offer a springboard, not merely to show their work in Douchy-les-Mines.
The CRP/ holds a large collection of photographs. What’s inside?
The collection includes more than 9,000 photographs dating from the 60s-70s until today, and it continues to grow. This panorama will be shown this Fall thanks to the 40th anniversary exhibition, which will be held at the CRP/ alongside a dozen of other venues across Hauts-de-France. We wanted to expand into a great diversity of venues to reach a wider audience: art schools, museums, thermal baths, thoroughfare, and so forth.
The CRP also has an Artothèque [art library] which offers around 500 works available for rent for individuals, corporate, and public institutions. Linked to our collection, the art library’s activity constitutes a major tool for our educational mission [https://www.crp.photo/page-artotheque/].
What’s next for the CRP/?
The show "40 years of photography at the CRP" is our biggest project at the moment. I take this 40 years event as a milestone. What are we going to become? What are we going to do? It is of course anchored to my current project, how I would like to advocate contemporary photography, support French creation, promote the creation of women artists, and investigate in the local artists residencies.
Another important interrogation is how do we solve the problem of the surface area? The rooms where our collection is preserved are now full, and we need to expand to pursue our development. So we need to think about this issue of space, which ultimately can reinvent the CRP/.
More information:
BI HU SUO: About the emerging Chinese photography
Dates: May 7 - August 2022
CRP/ Centre régional de la photographie Hauts-de-France
Place des nations, 59282 Douchy-les-Mines (France)
www.crp.photo
