Fortress of Bard, everyday life and Chinese consumerism in Parr and Ribound's shots

To China of yesterday and today, its social and economic transformations and its many contradictions, is dedicated the photographic exhibition China. From Cultural Revolution to Global Superpower, curated by internationally renowned photographer Martin Parr, sponsored by Fortress of Bard and Magnum Photos Agency, and set up in the rooms of the Fortress of Bard Wine Cellars in Bard from July 5 to Nov. 17, 2024. Within the numerous panorama of photoreportages made by members of the Magnum Photos agency, Marc Riboud and Martin Parr, to whom the exhibition is dedicated, stand out. Both have traveled to China several times, focusing on the country’s social and economic transformations in the wake of major political changes there. A timeline and historical map of the two photographers’ travels are also on display within the exhibition, which features more than 70 photographs in all, providing a deeper understanding of the historical and social context within which the photographs were taken.

Marc Riboud (1923-2016) made his first trip in 1956 when China was changing face under the leadership of Mao Zedong. Riboud emphasizes how the Chinese are not intimidated by the photographic lens, and thanks to this he manages to capture an aspect of China little known in the West: that of daily life, as represented by the shot of the woman on the train bound for Canton. Martin Parr, on the other hand, bears witness to more modern China beginning with his first trip that took place in 1985. He himself states that he is deeply fascinated by"consumerism," which is why the main subjects he addresses are luxury and modernity. On display are 12 shots from his first Chinese reportage, in which Parr witnesses the life of certain economic sectors, such as the textile or jewelry industries, as well as the world of leisure, between Tai Chi exercises and lunch breaks at McDonald’s. Through his shots he also witnesses the transition from the communist economy to the new modern economic development, going so far as to say that “today’s China looks a lot like Chicago” (1997).

Fortress of Bard, everyday life and Chinese consumerism in Parr and Ribound's shots

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