A Greek Photographers’ Week in Beijing
A multi-page account of the “2017 Greek Photographers Focusing on Bejing” (28/10 - 6/11), an initiative that invited Greek photographers Ioannis Marinoglou and George Doupas to spend a week and take pictures in the Chinese capital, was published in the city of Beijing’s special magazine - Beijing.
Beijing magazine of the Beijing This Month organisation (City of Beijing Information Office) features in its 46 /2017 issue a special multi-page tribute to the “2017 Greek Photographers Focusing on Bejing” (28/10 - 6/11), an initiative than invited Greek photographers Ioannis Marinoglou and George Doupas to spend a week and take pictures in the Chinese capital. The article features cuts from Marinoglou’s and Doupas' photographic work as well as short interviews with them from distinct spots in their photographic journey, that highlight the interaction of the artist and its object. Moreover, it is noted that the works will feature in an exhibition, to be held in both Beijing and Athen, as part of the Greece-China Year of Cultural Exchanges.
In its introductory article, the magazine notes the significance of similar photographic events, focusing on how the two artists’s photographic lense offer a fresh look at the Chinese capital, its rich cultural heritage, economic dynamism and hospitality to the benefit not only of its residents – foreigners and locals alike – but of Chinese people everywhere. In addition, the article refers to the excellent organization of the tour with daily transfers to distinct locations in the city, in order for the photographers to capture its rich architecture, cultural life, economy, gastronomy, as well as other aspects of life in the Chinese capital. While the Director of the Press and Communication Office of the Greek Embassy in Beijing, Mr Efthimios Athanasiadis, notes the originality of the event, which underlines the importance of cultural ties and exchanges in the “Silk Roads” of both the past and the present.
The week-long photographic tour for distinguished foreign photographers is an initiative dating back to 1999, in which over 100 photographers from dozens of countries have participated to date. This was the first time that an exclusive photographic tour for Greek artists was organized, and one of the rare instances in the history of the initiative which included photographers from only one country.