SHORT CUTS (Photography by Thomas Fuesser)
to be published world-‐wide in April 2013.
It will be the first book of its genre about contemporary art in China.
It will be the first volume of a diptych or a triptych to come, a photographic album revealing,behind the curtain, behind the museum and gallery’s walls, and the auction house’s hammer,the Chinese contemporary artists at work, their portrayal, details of their works and of theirateliers, how they paint etc... In carefully assembled chapters, and structurally organized editing,German photographer Thomas Fuesser has composed a symphony of China’s contemporary artscenes.
Thomas has been a resident of Shanghai for over 7 years now, but he first came into contactwith the Chinese artists back in 1993. It was the Dutch curator Hans van Dijk who arranged in1993 for a group of foreign journalists and photographers to visit the up-‐and-‐coming membersof the then fledgling art scene in Beijing and Shanghai. Reports on the visit, by New York Timesart critic Andrew Solomon and others, played a major role later in the making of stars such asFang Lijun, Wang Guangyi and Yue Minjun. And Thomas Fuesser who knew nothing of China atthat time was instantly hooked. Since then he has become a familiar figure often seen in artists'studios in Beijing and Shanghai, and the artists have grown to accept him. This specialrelationship has allowed him a unique access to the usually reclusive art community in China.
In the best tradition of the photographic genre in which a photographer observes an artist atwork, -‐ we can think of Brassai’s Picasso, Henri Cartier-‐Bresson’s Matisse, and most recentlyDavid Dawson’s Lucian Freud -‐, Thomas Fuesser, over the last twenty years has beenphotographing artists such as Ding Yi, Zhang Peili, Feng Mengbo, Wu Shanzhuan, Ai Weiwei,Zhou Tiehai, Zeng Fanzhi, etc. He had met these artists when they were still unknown and poor.Now this album “SHORT CUTS” made with pictures taken in 2010 and 2011 becomes anexceptional occasion for readers and art lovers to get an intimate look into the interior of thesanctuary of these artists, a fascinating moment to watch them at work, rest and play.
As if to illustrate the ambition of this album, the cover photograph of an arrow shot through thelens of a camera (an artwork by MadeIn Company, the art collective) could represent theattempt of photographer Thomas Fuesser to penetrate the secret of art creation, the soul ofthese creative minds, and the heart of the amazing phenomenon that is captivating the world’sattention.
Jean Loh
Independent photography curatorShanghai, China 2012
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SHORT CUTS
17 Artists in China / Vol. 01
Photography by Thomas Fuesser
Editor: Rosa Maria Falvo
Text by Jean Loh, Dr. Shen Qilan, Rosa Maria Falvo and Lorenz HelblingBook design by Lam Kar Kui and Thomas Fuesser
418 photos in 4C plus 2 cover photos (front and back)
Hardcover, 21 x 29.7 cm
528 pages, matt artpaper, 4 colour process
Skira Editore S.p.A., Milan, Italy
Rizzoli International Publications New York, USA,ISBN: 978-‐88-‐572-‐1486-‐3
Supported by
ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
Nathan Kaiser, Swiss Attorney-‐at-‐Law at EIGER Taipeh, Shanghai, Hong KongTorsten Hendricks, IFAS Integrated Fine Arts Solutions, Hong Kong
This first photographic album contains a list composed of eminent movers and shakers:
Ding Yi
Liu Wei
Zhang Enli
Cai Guo-‐Qiang
Zhang Ding
Zeng Fanzhi
Wu Shanzhuan
Inga Svala ThorsdottirZhang Peili
Sun Xun
Chris Gill
Pu Jie
Yu Hong
Feng Mengbo
Ai Weiwei
MadeIn CompanyZhou Tiehai
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CV of Thomas Fuesser (http://www.thomasfuesser.com/)
Born 1960 in Essen / Germany, lives in Shanghai / P.R. China
Studied Science on Communication and Design at University of Essen / Germany. Recipient ofthe German Prize of Communication Design 2000 for excellences in Design by Design ZentrumNRW, Essen / Germany
Exhibitions
2012-‐2013 "SHORT CUTS -‐ Artists in China" (Vol.1). Book, Film and Exhibition Project. Incooperation with ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China, Skira Editore S.p.A., Milan, Italy, RizzoliInternational Publications New York, USA, and Hellerau -‐ European Center for the Arts,Dresden, Germany and 17 Contemporary Artists in P.R. China.
2009 "Stolen treasures from modern China" ShanghART Gallery in Shanghai and Beijing, China.
2008 “Loss of the Real” Xuhui Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2007 "Borderlines" at Pingyao International Photo Festival 2007 China.
2006 "Between the Observer and the Observed" -‐ Lianzhou International Photo Festival China.
2005 "The Search of Meaning and the Pursuit of Happiness" Group Exhibitions in Hamburg,Germany and in Jerusalem, Israel.
2000-‐2004 "Please don't move" Kampnagel Hamburg, Germany, supported by ZEIT-‐CultureFoundation, the Ministry for Cultural Affairs of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,Germany, Photokina Cologne, Germany, 3rd International Arts Festival in Shanghai, China,Goethe-‐Institute Inter Nationes in Singapore.
1992 "Masters of Light -‐ Cinematographers, their actors and directors" at the Academy of ArtsBerlin, Germany commissioned by European Film Academy / Wim Wenders.
Awards
2000 "DECADES" -‐ Award for high design quality / German Prize for Communication Design, bythe Design Center Essen / NRW / Germany.
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Most recent curatorial activities of Jean Loh (http://www.beaugeste-‐gallery.com/)
2010-‐2012 “Marc Riboud The Instinctive Moment – a Retrospective” a touring exhibition inChina: Shanghai Art Museum, Beijing CAFA Art Museum, Xi’an Art Museum, Hong Kong City Hall,Macao Museum of Art, Wuhan Art Museum, Chengdu Center of Photography, Dalian ArtExhibition Hall, Xiamen Luoca Art Center, Guangdong Museum of Art (June 2012).
2011-‐2012 Lu Guang (winner of Eugene Smith Award) at Yangon Photo Festival (Myanmar),Klavdij Sluban at Lishui International Photo Festival (China), 5 Chinese photographers atBiennale di Alessandria (Italy), 4 International Photographers at Luoping Photo Festival (YunnanChina).
2011-‐2012 BEES by Zhe Chen (winner of 2011 Inge Morath Award), WINDS & CLOUDS by LiZhensheng (Olivier Rebbot Award Overseas Press Club) at Shanghai Beaugeste Photo Gallery
Short introduction of ilkka Jarvilaturi 伊卡,director of the book trailer(http://www.jarvilaturi.com)
Writer-‐Director Jarvilaturi is currently preparing his Shanghai-‐set romantic thriller “First Kiss.”His latest feature “Spy Games” (a.k.a. “History Is Made at Night”) starring Bill Pullman and IrèneJacob premiered as a Special Presentation at the Toronto Film Festival and is in worldwidedistribution with Lions Gate handling North-‐America.
ilkka’s “City Unplugged” (a.k.a. “Darkness in Tallinn”) won the Fassbinder Prize at Mannheim,Germany and a Silver Alexander in Thessaloniki, Greece. The film was distributed in more than30 countries around the world, and appeared as number two after “Silence of The Lambs” onthe London Times’ Ten Best Crime Movies list.
“Homebound”, ilkka’s debut feature, was awarded the Nordic Film Prize for Best ScandinavianFeature of The Year; the Grand prix du public at Belfort, France; and Best Feature Film at theSalzburg’s FilmSZENE. The film was featured at the Berlin and Venice Film Festivals; andscreened repeatedly at New York’s MoMA, starting with the museum’s prestigious New Films /New Directors -‐film series.
In addition to his long form work, ilkka directs commercials and other short form projects suchas the “Short Cuts” book trailer.
http://www.thomasfuesser.com/shortcuts.html
