m97 Gallery | Parallax ★★★★✩

Parallax, according to gallery director Steven Harris, is what happens when you view two objects from different vantage points, allowing for an otherwise unknown distance to be determined. This airy Moganshan space showcases at least two works each from a dozen international and local artists from different points in their careers. The effect exemplifies this concept, showing how an artist’s focus and technique can shift over time.

A gripping example of the show’s theme is Chinese photographer Chen Chunlin’s series of portraits shot in a Chengdu lane. Chen took the first 40 photos in black and white one day in 2003, then returned exactly two years later to replicate his efforts in color. The images capture a bustling lane life–tourists, tricycles overflowing with wares and bright-eyed schoolgirls. One man, an earring vendor, surfaces both times, his slumping posture and bemused facial expression unchanged.

Perhaps the most striking compilation is a trio of works from international photographer Michael Wolf. The center photograph is an expansive shot filled with Hong Kong skyscrapers, their borders melding together in a grey, geometric pattern of windows and wall. The adjacent work is a striking explosion of color, a single photograph of an unsmiling factory worker in a pink jumpsuit framed by every imaginable plastic toy. The juxtaposition offers a powerful commentary on the individuals behind discarded consumption. The third work is a study of a Hong Kong housing estate before its demolishment. Separated into nine photographs, the work explores how individuals manifest distinct identities in the same space.

Parallax’s skillfully selected works succeed in offering intriguing observations on the evolution of artists. The exhibition also presents a unique perspective on the story of rapidly changing China, told through the lens of a camera. Kellie Schmitt

Details
When: Through Friday, April 17
Where: 2/F, 97 Moganshan Lu 莫干山路97号2楼
Tel: 6266-1597