On June 26th, the "Dazu in the World" International Resident Cultural Exchange Project - "'Mustard Mountain' China Dazu Rock Carvings Culture International Exchange Photography Art Exhibition" held a press conference, which was also the first time that Fabián Lebenglik and Cecilia Ivanchevich, core members of the Argentine curatorial team, visited Chongqing, and truly felt the charm of Dazu rock carvings.
Some of the works on display
It is understood that the photography art exhibition is supported by Chongqing Huayan Cultural and Educational Foundation and Chongqing International Cultural Exchange Center, and many social organizations in Chongqing such as Shifang Art Center, Qianyuji Bookstore, and Myoko Space, and jointly organized by the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, Ricardo Rojas Cultural Center, and the Confucius Institute at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and will open on November 13, 2024 at the Ricardo Roxas Cultural Center in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, mainly exhibiting photographer Dai Xiaobing's "Mustard Seed Mountain" More than 30 photographs in the series, and the rest of the works will be displayed on a rolling basis in the exhibition hall.
Some of the works on display
"At first, I was invited to photograph the Dazu Rock Carvings, but when I actually approached it, I was moved by the faith and tenacity of the cave guardians." Dai Xiaobing said that from frequent travel to "stationing" Dazu, he went to the same grotto many times to shoot, and in the communication with the guardians, there was a new harvest every time. He introduced that more than 100 cave guardians have been filmed, most of them are local villagers, many of them eat and live in the grotto, and they are accompanied by stone carvings all year round, and most of them think that they are very satisfied to be able to protect stone carvings, and with this "satisfaction", they have persisted for ten or twenty years, and even passed on this perseverance from generation to generation. "That's why I named the series 'Mustard Mountain.'" Dai Xiaobing said, "Everyone is a tiny 'mustard seed' carved from the guardian stone, but what they do is great and tenacious, and I hope to pass on their positive spirit to more people through my works." ”
Dai Xiaobing's photographic notes
Curator Fabián Lebenglik had never heard of Dazu Rock Carvings before, but through Dai Xiaobing's photographs, he was moved by the visual impact of the images and was moved by the stories of the guardians, he commented, "Dai Xiaobing's works have a storytelling and cinematic sense, which can show the guardian spirit of the characters and reflect their tenacity." ”
It is reported that as an international exchange platform, the project takes China's excellent traditional culture as the foundation, Chinese civil society as the interactive field, and people's life and history and culture as the main content to establish an effective two-way road for international mutual learning. The exhibition focuses on the artistic creations of Dazu, a resident of domestic and foreign artists, infecting international friends with the vividness of art, and showing the Chinese people, Chinese life, Chinese values and Chinese stories.
Fabián Lebenglik said that the exhibition is just the beginning, and he hopes to take this opportunity to build a platform for continuous exchanges between the two countries, so that more Chinese culture can be promoted in Argentina.