Guangzhou Image Triennial 2025 Confronts Technological Mediation with Materialist Photography
The Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou, China, has launched the Guangzhou Image Triennial 2025, named 'Ecology of Sensitivity,' which will be on display until 5 May 2025. This marks the third iteration since its rebranding in 2017, showcasing over 50 artists across four galleries and exploring how digital existence impacts our connection to nature. The curatorial approach focuses on the physicality of images. Featured works include Amélie Labourdette's 'A Pure Spirit Grows Beneath the Bark of Stones' (2021–22) and Chen Xiaoyi's 'A Star Atlas from Hengduan's Core' (2022). Additionally, Munem Wasif's 'Seeds Shall Set Us Free' (2017–21) critiques the constraints of photography. While 11 thinkers are referenced, the exhibition overlooks the material implications of digital photography and its political dimensions.
Key facts
- Guangzhou Image Triennial 2025 runs through 5 May 2025 at Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou, China.
- The exhibition features over 50 artists and artist groups across four galleries.
- It was rebranded from the Guangzhou Photo Biennial in 2017; this is the third edition under the new name.
- The curatorial theme addresses a 'crisis of sensitivity' caused by technological mediation distancing people from nature.
- A materialist approach emphasizes the physicality of images over their representational content.
- Notable works include installations by Munem Wasif, Amélie Labourdette, Chen Xiaoyi, Sean Cham, Abraham Onoriode Oghobase, and Liu Yujia.
- The exhibition cites theorists including Felix Guattari and Bruno Latour.
- The review criticizes the omission of digital photography's material footprint and the politics of the medium.
Entities
Artists
- Amélie Labourdette
- Chen Xiaoyi
- Munem Wasif
- Sean Cham
- Abraham Onoriode Oghobase
- Liu Yujia
- Felix Guattari
- Bruno Latour
- Siobhan Angus
Institutions
- Guangdong Museum of Art
- Guangzhou Image Triennial
- Guangzhou Photo Biennial
- Project 88
- ArtReview Asia
Locations
- Guangzhou
- China
- Mumbai
- Bangladesh
- India
- Nigeria
- Bengal