In exhibition mode...

If you decide not to just throw some pretty pictures on a wall, there is a lot of work behind an exhibition... I have been at it for a couple of weeks now and it's seriously picking up in this last week. After an initial large selection, we edited down to 17 images, keeping to a theme - in that case, as the title of the exhibition explains clearly "An ethereal world". We did a lay out with small prints, spreading them on a table to get a visual feel. Then we need to discuss sizes, keeping in mind the gallery space, already running editions etc. We created maquette of the gallery space with the images on the walls, to get a better feel.

Parallel to this, we are working on an exhibition catalog, with artist's statement, interesting captions, titles etc. Meanwhile I have drum scanned all the images, got myself an SSD drive to allow my computer to handle 1.5 GB files, brought them to my fine art printer. We looked at the files and started working on them. Today I will visit him to apply the final crops and resizing them for the catalog. We will also decide which paper we finally use.

In between, I have been interviewed by various magazine on this exhibition: it already did get quite a lot of press via the French May. The media release is due out next week. We will do an A0 contact sheet next week with the images and, no doubt, there will be some more retouching involved after that. Then comes the first final prints and then start of mounting and framing.

The team at PictureThis Gallery have been very efficient and productive, so the whole process has been a real pleasure. Looks good and I am indeed very excited! Official opening will be on May 18th, detail to follow!

Planning an exhibition...

My computer is fuming. It has been handling 2 GB files as I am scanning and retouching for my upcoming solo exhibition here in Hong Kong. It is supported by the French May, who joined in at the last minute following a impromptu meeting with the people at the Alliance Francaise.

The venue will be the PictureThis Gallery, on 9 Queen's road. This gallery recently exhibited Michael Yamashita's work. Here it is, up on the French May website. In due time, I will let you all know about the opening's date etc as it has changed (it will be up on PictureThis website early next month).

And for the German speakers, something else on the web that I just found that's quite interesting, talking about how Geo Magazine and I eventually came about to do that winter Kyrgyz story in Afghanistan. Article translates to  "How we came about to do "The Forgotten". There is a picture of me holding 10 Kg of opium. We were at a Afghan dealer's house up in the High Pamir. I promise, I did not consume, too terrible of a drug. There is my buddy Ted Callahan also, the anthropologist who lived up there. For those of you who did not see the 5mn trailer of the movie (using stills...) that resulted from this assignment, here it is.

I am off to Philippines for 2 days, a worldwide book project where some 100 photographers will contribute. More when I am back!