SHANGHAI
[Non-Periodical Publication]
Documentary and Contemporary Photography: Architecture, City and Territory
About this book:
Shanghai
non-periodical publication
Author: Casanova, Tiago
Date of publication: 2010
Place of publication: Barcelona
Publisher: self-published
Number of pages: 44
Size: 21x21 cm
Illustrated: Photography, Text
Number of copies: 20
Institution: -
Language: English, Portuguese
Key-Words: Photobook; non-periodical
Notes: Shanghai Series limited Edition Postcard, ivori 250 g/m paper
Book reference: A1.nPaP.1024
The Shanghai visual series of Tiago Casanova constitute a personal united vision of a certain light and architecture that inhabits this important Far East city in China. Composed by a set of very plastic and poetic images, which escape traditional perspective representation, they convey Shanghai’s architecture and meaning through the abstract light, form, ambience and imagination of Tiago’s lens. At the same time, these images cause a strange and strong impression on us, and I suspect this has to do with the tension that exists between what we see and what we can imagine in them. The result is recognising on those nonrepresentational images simultaneously known and unknown patterns and meanings. In fact, the city is framed within an abstract and poetic view, disturbing the way we normally see architecture and, in this sense, it tries to go beyond “representation”.
Pedro Leão Neto, 2010
About this archive:
The creation of Cityzines collection intends to strengthen and promote the study and dissemination of author’s editions and other publications linked to the theme of architecture, city and territory, where the image and photography are present in a significant way, with a special interest and focus on the multifaceted richness of urban, architectural and visual culture that characterizes the urban agglomerations and their experiences.
This collection started with a survey more focused on the Portuguese context, but also integrates publications from other countries with a view to internationalization of the project.
The publications that will constitute this collection of the Cityzines project will be cataloged from the following general theme:
Artistic and Documentary Photography: Architecture, City and Territory
It was decided to start this collection by topic A1 - Artistic Photography and Documentary: Architecture, City and Territory, for reasons connected with only two facts: first there is at this time, a greater number of alternative publications pertaining to this topic, according by the fact that they had already been there longer subject specific study through the work of the research line City spaces and Culture of the CCRE group.
As we will see next, we have adopted a sub-theme structure in order to organize the field of alternative publications, covering several areas and formats, as previously described in the general theme of Documentary and Artistic Photography: Architecture, City and Territory. Even though all sub-themes show differences between them, they all fit the general theme and they have in common the focus and the importance given to image/photography, as well as the innovative and/or irreverent stance.
Artistic and Documentary Photography: Architecture, City and Territory
Periodical Author’s editions and other publications (A1.PaP)
- In general terms, periodical publications that reflect and investigate, through the image and /or photography, and in a critical, exploratory and innovative way, the themes of architecture, city and territory;
- fanzines, little magazines on photography: independent non mainstream publications where photography is used as the main visual instrument to perceive, understand and analyze architecture and how people live and appropriate diverse places;
- counterculture or non-mainstream publications focused on social and documentary or contemporary photography and related issues;
Non-periodical Author’s editions and other publications (A1.nPaP)
- In general terms, periodical publications that reflect and investigate, through the image and /or photography, and in a critical, exploratory and innovative way, the themes of architecture, city and territory;
- photo-books or/and artist books specifically more related to the universe of architecture: independent non mainstream publications where photography is used as the main visual instrument to perceive, understand and analyze architecture and how people live and appropriate diverse places;
- photo-books or /and artist books more related with documentary photography.
With this collection we intend to promote awareness and reflection upon art and documentary photography in regard to its conception as a tool to question Architecture, City and Territory. This means understanding Architecture as a broad subject and practice interested in, on the one hand, the real space and its experiences, exploring new spatial forms and architectural codes and, on the other hand, in how architecture operates within larger systems: sociocultural, technical, and historical systems.
The physical collection will focus on Portuguese printed objects only and it will work as a showcase travelling across several places in Portugal and abroad. This catalogue of Author’s editions and other publications will suport its dissemination, being also an important international tool to locate relevant and independent non-mainstream publications related to Artistic Photography and Documentary: Architecture, City and Territory.