3 city shows, 3 varied artists as Fotografiska welcomes spring

Fotografiska Shanghai is ushering in spring in a unique way – three concurrent exhibitions along the iconic Suzhou Creek!

SHORT & SWEET

SHORT & SWEET, the first solo exhibition in China by legendary British photographer Martin Parr, opened on Friday. Featuring nearly 400 works spanning over 50 years of Parr's career, it showcases 11 of his most significant series, offering a comprehensive retrospective of his sharp-witted, satirical, and incisive approach to documenting social realities.

"With photography, I like to create fiction out of reality. I try and do this by taking society's natural prejudice and giving this a twist."

Martin Parr

More than just a visual journey, SHORT & SWEET invites audiences to reflect on the transformations of contemporary society and the evolving symbols of culture.

The exhibition highlights three of Parr's most celebrated series, The Non-Conformists, Bad Weather and The Last Resort, marking their first in-depth presentation in Shanghai.

Among them, Bad Weather documents the British people's resilience and humor in extreme weather conditions, exploring the interaction between humans and nature with Parr's signature perspective.

The Last Resort presents exaggerated, vibrant scenes of seaside holiday resorts, revealing the chaos and absurdity of leisure culture through bold color contrasts and theatrical compositions.

Wild at Heart

Recognized as one of the leading contemporary photographers in Southeast Asia, Filipina artist Wawi Navarroza is known for her distinctive colorful bricolage and cross-cultural artistic language that explores themes of female identity, regional culture, and the essence of photography.

This exhibition showcases works from her recent series, including As Wild as We Come, Tropical Gothic, and Neo-Tropikal Tapestry, alongside fabric installations derived from her works, offering an immersive experience for audiences.

At the core of Navarroza's practice is the idea of the female creator. Through self-portraiture as an artistic medium, she challenges conventional narratives of femininity. She incorporates textiles, interior decor, and handmade craft into her photographic compositions, addressing the significance of women's work and its potent meanings.

Her work is not only a redefinition of female identity but also a bold expansion of artistic expression.

Her large-format, tableau-style compositions blend self-portraiture with rich visual symbolism, reflecting the fluidity of identity, the nature of photography, and the convergence of regional cultures.

The Unfolding Flame

Through a distinctive visual language, artist Yin Hang constructs a narrative space that oscillates between reality and illusion, exploring the themes of moral ambiguity and emotional alienation.

A rising figure in contemporary Chinese photography and visual art, Yin navigates between photography and installation, constructing highly theatrical scenes that interrogate social order, power structures, and the underlying tensions of human emotion.

Deeply influenced by cinematic language, theatrical staging, and philosophical inquiry, his works are imbued with symbolic props and an ambiguous visual atmosphere, challenging conventional social norms and traditional modes of perception.

The Unfolding Flame presents Yin's latest explorations in visual storytelling. His works establish a subtle tension between everyday life and theatricality, revealing the intersection of moral ambiguity and emotional estrangement.

In this exhibition, Yin focuses on the symbolic interplay between discipline and complicity. Photography, in his practice, serves as both a medium for constructing conflict and a means of layering sculptural and photographic elements, prompting viewers to question their own perceptions while uncovering the deeper implications of power, control, and emotional entanglement.

If you go

SHORT & SWEET

Wild at Heart

Opening hours: 10:30am-11pm, closed on Monday, March 14-July 13

The Unfolding Flame

Opening hours: 10:30am-11pm, closed on Monday, March 14-May 4

Venue: Fotografiska Shanghai

Address: 127 Guangfu Road, Jing'an District 静安区光复路127号

Admission: 120 yuan