Triển lãm ảnh “Những gương mặt” của Réhahn
Khai mạc: 18:00, thứ sáu 09/05 thứ ba 06/05
Triển lãm: 06 – 29/05/2014
L’Espace
Tin từ L’Espace:
Mời các bạn đến với triển lãm ảnh “Những gương mặt” của Réhahn. Trong lần triển lãm đầu tiên tại L’Espace, Réhahn sẽ giới thiệu một loạt những bức chân dung thoắt vui, thoắt buồn.
Là nhiếp ảnh gia người Pháp sống tại Việt Nam từ năm 2011, Réhahn tự học chụp ảnh thông qua thực hành nhiếp ảnh trong những chuyến du lịch dày đặc của anh tại hơn 30 quốc gia trên thế giới. Trái tim của anh nhanh chóng hướng về Việt Nam và sau khoảng hơn 10 chuyến du lịch, anh đã quyết định định cư tại đây.
Chính vẻ ngây thơ của những gương mặt này đã vượt hẳn lên trên tất cả mọi biểu lộ cảm xúc, ở đó những ánh mắt lần lượt sáng bừng lên hoặc trở nên u buồn. Cái nhìn của chúng ta về những ánh mắt đó liệu có giữ được dấu ấn về con người trưởng thành của chúng ta, của cái mà chúng ta nên giữ lại, một chút tâm hồn trẻ thơ trong mỗi con người.
Vào cửa tự do.
Xem trailer để biết thêm về tác phẩm của Réhahn:
| Trung Tâm Văn hóa Pháp tại Hà Nội – L’Espace 24 Tràng Tiền, Hà Nội Điện thoại: (84-4) 39 36 21 64 [email protected] www.ifhanoi-lespace.com |
Sometimes, mediocre photography like this can simple be ignored. Mostly it can be. But this exhibition is remarkably offensive in its condescension and simple-mindedness. It is kind of like a line of Colonialist wallpaper featuring the touching and beguiling faces of the poorest, most oppressed and least able to protest that this corner of the world has to offer: old men, old women and children of ethnic MINORITIES. How remarkably unoriginal.
The photographer – white, French, male – without ever considering his own role in their oppression, simply offers us glimpses of their “we’re lucky to be alive” existence and soothes any discomfort we may find in our own looking upon them with reassured innocent eyes of the children and the toothy (or toothless) smiles of their elders. Or perhaps we are so numbed by this sort of view of the rural poor by city folk with cameras, that we dont even notice how offensive it is anymore. It truly has become wallpaper – decorative, slightly more interesting than a plain white wall, non-threatening.
I find it somewhat surprising (outrageous?) that a high-minded cultural institution like the Institut Francais would, in this century, still be peddling this view of a country they have a long and not-always-enlightened history with. This kind of image proliferation of the poor seems all too common – both in frequency and in standard – by the privileged majority of the under-privileged minority. Shame on everyone.
The viewing audience deserves better. The Institut Francais is capable of better. The photographer should know better. Next time, try making images of the children of the rich and the grandparents of the filthy rich – see how easily that goes for you…….. Bon chance.
Jamie Maxtone-Graham, when I look at your photo, I understand more your jealousy…
Still dont understand what you tried to do with this:
http://www.jamiemaxtonegraham.com/photography/60-places-to-stand/
No comment!
“The photographer – white, French, male – without considering his role in their oppression…”
In that statement, you’ve revealed yourself to be every bit as condescending and simple-minded as you presume this exhibit to be. Perhaps The Institut Francais is trying to appeal to a wider audience than the pool of miserable, politically-correct human paraquats currently residing in Hanoi.
Dear everyone,
Hanoi Grapevine would like to thank you for your contribution. However, we’d love to remind you that we wouldn’t want more offensive and harsher words to be used. Thus, we appreciate your constructive comments in a gentler manner, and please be aware that we may edit or even delete your comments if we think the attitude is inappropriate. We hope you will understand..
And while waiting for feedback from L’Espace and perhaps the photographer himself, you may want to take a look at an opinion piece by our writer KVT a while ago addressing the same issue, the comments under the post are interesting, too.
http://hanoigrapevine.com/2012/05/kvt-the-drama-and-the-portrait/
World peace wishes,
The Hanoi Grapevine team
Thank you to the two concerned folks who took some exception to my remarks about this exhibition. I always appreciate a good discussion about important issues like representation and power relations.
First, I would like to say that my objections to the images have nothing to do with the very excellent technical abilities of the photographer. He is certainly a master of his craft. Exposure, focus, framing, post-production skills – all superb.
The issue remains – and the discussion should focus on – the very plain and simple observation that the photographer is a first world visitor in a developing world venue and producing images which are nothing but supportive of a stereotype of ‘the other’; in particular ethnic minority children and senior citizens – the most powerless of the powerless. So this brings to the fore, or it should, the discussion of power relations – who has the means and the tools of representation and who is deciding the view and the voice. It is certainly not the people pictured who, for over 100 years, have received foreign visitors with their instruments of image production, their views of Asia, of the exotic, of ‘Beauty’, with their own mythologies and beliefs. These views are then transmitted for the benefit of our consumption. This view has literally remain unchanged during that time. I think, perhaps, it is high time that it did.
I will also encourage the producers of such images, whether foreign or local and especially those who may have the best of intentions with regards to their appreciation of another cultural framework, to fully bear in mind their own prejudices and preconceptions and understand their responsibilities to the issue. I write this as someone fully guilty of this point of view. I was the beneficiary of a long and meaningful discussion with a Vietnamese intellectual on this issue and it is one I wrestle with regularly as someone who makes a great deal of photography here in Vietnam.
I dont know if this is political correctness or not; cultural awareness, perhaps. It certainly requires discussion. I would be interested to hear from any Vietnamese who, having seen their culture, their people and their country photographically represented by outsiders ad nauseum, to weigh in on this issue and in particular this exhibition and the way it represents what it does. That would be more meaningful than hearing from the two other foreigners who took exception to my comments.
And regarding my own work in Japan from several years ago (to the author of the comment regarding that), I would be more than pleased to discuss that with you in a separate forum. That work and the work in this exhibition are obviously from two distinct points of departure. It does not displease me, though, that you still do not understand it. I appreciate that it continues to challenge you.
Thanks again and thanks to Hanoi Grapevine for the forum, the moderation and an excellent website. A great weekend to all.
To Jamie: Hanoi Grapevine received a feedback from an anonymous reader via email and we would like to put it here, in Vietnamese (translation follows):
Tôi đồng ý là triển lãm này không độc đáo nhưng tôi nghĩ đây không phải là một triển lãm không đáng để tổ chức vì một số lý do sau: 1/Réhahn là một trong rất ít nghệ sỹ Pháp sống và làm việc tại Việt Nam có tác phẩm về Việt Nam khơi dậy sự quan tâm thích thú của gần 100 000 fan, chủ yếu là người Việt Nam; 2/ Xét về mặt thẩm mỹ: đẹp; 3/ Kỹ thuật: tốt; 4/ Đáp ứng nhu cầu thưởng lãm của một bộ phận công chúng rất lớn.
Điều mà Jamie nói đạo đức nghề nghiệp (rồi sâu xa hơn là bản quyền) là một điều rất đáng suy ngẫm (nhưng tôi cũng biết qua trao đổi tại triển lãm với Réhahn thì thường anh dành nhiều thời gian để hàn huyên tâm sự với đối tượng được chụp ảnh và xin phép họ trước khi chụp ảnh (cái này với trẻ con rõ ràng là khó). Đa phần những người được chụp trong ảnh đã trở thành bạn của anh). Tuy nhiên, về cái sự nghèo Jamie nói thì tôi nghĩ là anh ấy hơi quy chụp: “This kind of image proliferation of the poor seems all too common – both in frequency and in standard – by the privileged majority of the under-privileged minority.” Vì theo tôi và theo ý kiến nhiều người khác là khi ngắm những bức ảnh đó, thứ đập vào mắt và đọng lại trong đầu người xem không hề có sự nghèo khó như anh Jamie nói. Không hề giống với “vở kịch” của Đặng Xuân Trường. Tôi có cả giác Jamie đánh đồng nghèo khổ với bất hạnh. Có thể họ nghèo nhưng bức ảnh không mang đến cảm giác những người già và trẻ con trong ảnh bất hạnh, ở trạng thái dễ bị tổn thương và cho người xem cảm giác thương xót, đau lòng. Nó khơi gợi một cảm giác duy mỹ, dễ chịu, trong sáng hơn rất nhiều. Hãy thử đưa những bức ảnh đó cho một người chưa từng sống ở Việt Nam, chưa từng có định kiến về đa số và thiểu số thì tôi nghĩ cảm nhận sẽ không phải là “a kind of image proliferation of the poor”.
—–
Translation:
I agree that this exhibition is not unique but it’s also not unworthy of organizing because of some following reasons: 1/Rehahn is one of the very few French artists living and working in Vietnam that have works arousing the interest of nearly 100 000 fans, mostly from the Vietnamese; 2 / From the angle of aestheticism: beautiful 3 / Techniques: good 4 / Meeting the needs of the majority of public audience.
What Jamie said about professional ethics (and then copyright) is something to ponder (but I also know from talking with Rehahn during the exhibition that he usually spent time chatting with the people he photographed and asking for their permission before taking pictures, which was obviously difficult with the kids, and the majority of these people have become his friends). However, about the poor that Jamie mentioned, I think he was too generalizing: “This kind of image proliferation of the poor seems all too common – both in frequency and in standard – by the privileged majority of the under-privileged minority.” According to my opinion and many others’, when viewing these photos, we don’t see nor feel the poverty like Jamie said, unlike in the “Drama” of Dang Xuan Truong. I feel that Jamie had equated poverty with misfortune. Maybe the people are poor but their photos do not show the unhappiness or vulnerability that can evoke compassion from viewers, but they bring a sense of esthetics, comfort, and pure refreshment. If we give the photos to someone who has never lived in Vietnam before and has never had preconception about majority and minority, I think they would not feel “a kind of image proliferation of the poor” .
Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts about this exhibition as well as towards my own comments on the work.
I would like to share this thought with you; let’s imagine for a minute that any single one of the people appearing in this exhibition could have enough excess capital to even begin to afford to buy the camera that Mr. Rehahn used to meticulously document the close relationship he forged with them through asking to make their portrait. Then let’s further fantasize that they had enough free time to take off from their village and the subsistence farming their lives are centered around and spend a long weekend – or a week or two – traveling to the city to drop in on some middle class city dwellers carrying on with their everyday activities – taking pictures of them at work at the office, making snaps of them sitting at the ca phe after lunch, or walking into their yards, apartments or homes, you know, just to take some pictures and make friends. Then – to complete the imagined scenario – our new friends will go back to their villages make some prints and have an exhibition illustrating the happiness found in the city among the bourgeoisie. That doesn’t that sound absurd, does it?
Of course it does.
This is what I’m talking about. This is what I mean about the ‘means of representation’. The middle and upper classes have the means – the wealth, the leisure time – to afford to drop in on those who have neither wealth nor leisure. This is the nature of the power relation – one has it, the other does not. It is this thing right here that needs observing. If you do not ‘see or feel the poverty’, it is because you are not paying attention. That you find comfort and refreshment as a compassionate consumer of these images of children and the elderly is further confirmation of exactly the point I am making here. This is the mindless consuming of the banality of poverty made in good faith by those who can afford to of those who can not. It is so frequent and pervasive as to become habitual. And unconsequential.
Like this collection of images.
With all due respect to the anonymous contributor I think it still doesn’t fully address the point about power dynamics and photography that I feel Jamie Maxtone-Graham was trying to make. It’s much more than chatting with subjects, asking their permission and making friends, it’s about something that all image makers should ask themselves before they even pick-up a camera – what/who do I want to photograph and why? The what/who is easy – the why is more challenging. So the question then begs to be asked – why do some photographers in the 2010s want to take pictures of vulnerable, often underrepresented people at the lower ends of the economic spectrum in this style? We have seen them all before in magazine editorials, inflight magazines, tourist brochures and on the internet so what does this new batch of similar pictures add to our human understanding of and empathy towards the subjects? Do we now have greater insight to be able to act on their behalf or with them, or are our preconceptions comfortably reinforced yet again?
When you take a picture you take something from someone so the responsibility on any image taker is immense and the possibilities to misuse that power of capture almost endless. It’s a ‘contract’ you make with the subject – you get the photo – what do they get? So within these power dynamics you often have the following: a photographer using a perhaps >$2000 camera with access to the internet, an outlet for their images, mobility, higher educational/economic status plus a preconceived idea of the images they want that may be difficult to communicate to the subject, and the subject – without this power and probably not even owning a camera themselves so they can reciprocate.
My belief is that these days photographers (and filmmakers) have to examine the power dynamics at play and their motives and reasons for making their images. Tourists snapping such subjects don’t have to go through this thought process – though now with the incredible growth of image sharing they should and more and more do – but established photographers need to – it’s part of being a known image maker. When David Bailey recently took a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II the power was actually with the subject – she could determine the place, situation and time of the photograph. But in these cases the subjects can’t so the photographer has the dominant power and they are in their subjects’ homes, in their space and on their time. The difference in my opinion between mediocre photography and great photography is in how responsibly the image maker uses that power. Technique has very little to do with it.
So in our exhibition halls and art venues do we want to see more of the banal surface of life, the cute smiles, the toothy grins, the coy faces or do we want something more that challenges us and helps us reflect on ourselves and our world?
When one of the children in these photographs grows up and is luckily enough to get a good education or becomes an image maker themselves what might they think of images of themselves like this? Will they say ‘thank you for taking my image to give insights into my world so others could understand it better’ or will they ask ‘could you have looked closer?’
I am a filmmaker and photographer living and working in Vietnam.
I won’t you won’t take offence if I say that Jamie Maxtone-Graham’s comments on this are the most interesting thing I ever read on Hanoi Grapevine — and I really don’t mean that as a slur on your usual editorial quality :-)
I would add: the point he makes is even more important for an exhibition happening at l’Espace, an institution whose mere existence bears more than a whiff of cultural neo-colonialism, and who should in consequence be extremely wary of this kind of content.
I happened to be told about the photographer just a month ago, prior to a visit to Hoi An. Hearing that he is a nice person with a love for Viet Nam, I intended to see this photos and maybe meet him. In fact I found his book in a cafe and was just as disappointed with the approach as Jamie Maxtone-Graham seem to be. It’s as though he sought out people in poor village–it’s cliched images in the mind of outsiders and people from other countries, reinforced by Hollywood films. There is a refusal to see realities beyond what fits a “love” for a country. The book was boring, uninteresting and casts a shadow over his purposes and self-professed love for Viet Nam.