Erwin Olaf | Aperture Parting I. From the series, “Shanghai 2017.” 2017.
“Shanghai reminds me of a young, confident adolescence full of boundless energy, convinced of its own power, and doing whatever it takes to rea
(...) ch its potential. The growth of this Chinese province is the subject of my series ‘Shanghai 2017.’ The project is both a paean and eulogy, celebrating the ethereal, other-worldly beauty of a city enriched by the ever-increasing populous that simultaneously threatens to dismantle its past to build its future.
From a sanguine youth, I see Shanghai maturing into a morbidly obese young adult, its heart beating faster and faster in a stifling atmosphere of ruthless redevelopment. As economies inflate and consumerism expands, alienation and dislocation likewise flourish among the families forcibly relocated as the LED screens and brightly lit advertisements of the urban sprawl relentlessly encroach. However, in a culture of suppressed emotions, quiet resilience still propagates, shown by an exquisitely dressed woman who, with dignity and poise, holds a small, delicate flower in the dying light of the day. My protagonists are all caught in these silent vignettes, gracefully composed as the surrounding metropolis devours them.”
- Erwin Olaf © Erwin Olaf
