Contents 01 Shi Guorui - Light Frequencies: Camera Obscura Images of Hong Kong by Katie de Tilly 07 Interview with Shi Guorui 19 Light Frequencies: Camera Obscura Images of Hong Kong 57 Biography
Shi Guorui Light Frequencies: Camera Obscura Images of Hong Kong by Katie de Tilly Artist Shi Guorui carries his tent and 50-meter long roll of photographic paper to the 52nd floor of the Deutsche Bank offices of Hong Kong’s tallest building, The International Commerce Centre (ICC). The most spectacular views of Hong Kong Island can be seen from the colossal spire towering over West Kowloon. Shi Guorui, a small man in his early fifties with scruffy hair and a bohemian look, eyes the view from each room on offer and takes note of the room numbers for future reference. He has an inquisitive gaze of childlike innocence and curiosity that leads him through the rooms voicing his awe with each new panorama of Hong Kong that he views in the 360° offices. His expert eye knows immediately which view will work and which will not. The day is sunny but there is a layer of smog that clouds the definition of the buildings and he opts to photograph the view on the other side facing the container ports of Kwai Chung. The Hong Kong Project, Light Frequencies: Camera Obscura Images of Hong Kong started in 2014, yet it took many years of discussion and planning to create a full new series of panoramas of Hong Kong that would define, in this moment of time, this majestic metropolis. Shi Guorui has been working on camera obscura panoramas for nearly 20 years. His large murals have taken him to all parts of the world and he has captured the cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Las Vegas, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and now Hong Kong. It was after seeing his work for the first time, his massive photograph of Shanghai, that I began my search for the artist. I was so taken by the arresting Shanghai image showing the city in such grandeur and elegance. It captured both the old and the new of that rapidly changing skyline in a new and fresh way. It took three days to embed the image of this long-exposure photograph. Only static objects are captured, leaving the harbor empty of moving vessels and the streets barren of cars. At the time, in 2005, he had already set up a large studio in the 798 Art District in Beijing and was enjoying a successful career exhibiting in galleries and museum exhibitions.
The making of The Hong Kong Project in Shi Guorui’s Catskill’s Studio, New York, 2016
darkened. The pinhole image is the natural optical phenomenon that occurs when an image of a scene at the other side of a screen or a wall is projected through a small
Camera obscura is derived from the Latin “camera”: chamber, and “obscura”:
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hole. The image appears reversed and inverted on the opposite surface. Shi Guorui
takes this wonder of nature, light and optics to extremes by capturing panoramic
he wanted. He then rolled up the undeveloped roll of silver gelatin photo paper and
images of cities, mountains and other defining scenes of our time. What is seen
packed it up to bring back to his lab to process in Beijing. The paper was at risk of being
by the eye to be light becomes dark and all the dark becomes light. The paper
ruined by even the tiniest bit of light exposure before it was developed. Images of up
becomes the negative as the image slowly burns itself onto the photographic paper.
to 4 meters in length were made in the confines of a 3-meter tent; a marvel of technical prowess attained by way of curving the paper. During this three-year stint, he moved to
Shi Guorui takes his time when creating his imagery. Time is a great luxury in a rushed
the United States. This added another obstacle to the project, requiring a longer journey
modern society yet this method of photography, more popular in the 19th century than
time to complete the series. Yet with diligence and patience, he saw the project through.
now, is a dying art because it does take so much time to create as well as technical expertise to master. The Hong Kong Project took more than three years to complete
The works of Shi Guorui are mesmerizing. They capture the essence and energy of Hong
due to rain, smog and fog that obscured the views. Shi was kept on standby in Beijing
Kong within a still silence. Devoid of all human presence, the architecture stands out,
or New York, where he now lives, during the tempestuous summer months that offer
bearing witness to the soul of the city’s magical features. Its skyline sits upon an empty
the best views on the clear days between rains. Once a clearing was seen, the scramble
and calm harbour in a paradox between presence and absence. He speaks often of
began in order to find one of his chosen locations at the ICC or from various hotel
reflecting on the Daoist ideas put forward by Laozi who asserts, “Become totally empty.
rooms. The rush to set things up was often fruitless in the end as the weather was not
Quiet the restlessness of the mind. Only then will you witness everything unfolding from
always on his side. Yet, Shi continued his process until he managed to catch the images
emptiness.” It is through the emptiness that Shi allows us to see Hong Kong. In the work, Island Eastern Corridor Link Hong Kong 15-16 Aug 2015 (pages 31-32) the massive construction site of the Central to North Point underpass is hushed by the long exposure that obliterates the Gloucester Road thoroughfare. The cars disappear as moving objects become erased, creating a ghostlike atmosphere of one of the world’s most bustling metropoles. There is no digital manipulation, only a faithful portrait of pure light and time. The early modernist photographer Man Ray, upon discovering a technique of putting objects onto photographic paper that he termed a rayograph wrote, “I finally freed myself from the sticky medium of paint, and I am working with light itself.” Just as Man Ray found his path through this discovery of light on paper, so too did Shi Guorui. After a devastating car accident in 1998 where he lost one friend and another was severely injured, Shi Guorui’s survival forced him to reflect on his life and journey forward. This is when camera obscura opened a pathway that would mark his future forever. He says, “I began
The making of The Shanghai Series, 798 Studio, Beijing, 2004
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Himalayas, Mount Everest 8844.43m, 28 Nov 2005, Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print, 129 x 685 cm
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to reflect on my past, especially the experiences hidden deep in my memory. I spent a lot
colonial past with its future dreams. Shi caught the image on two different days. The
of time observing nature, her many beings, the sun, the moon and the constellations. I
one image is clear and the other, taken during the rain, is a softened dreamlike image.
came to the conclusion that life is a matter of happenstances, waiting to unfold. It is light’s
Together side-by-side they create a narrative uniting the past and the future in the
reincarnation. Life comes from light and just like light, it seeks to illuminate all shadows.”
present. In this moment of transition, it is not entirely clear what the future may bring.
What interests Shi in taking his images is the present moment. He captures Hong Kong
Shanshui hua (山水画) refers to a style of Chinese painting that involves the painting
in its flux. Between yesterday and tomorrow is today. When the image is burned on
of scenery or natural landscapes with brush and ink. The name literally translates to
the paper, there is no turning back. The image of West Kowloon’s construction site
“mountain-water-picture.” Shi Guorui, whether intentional or not, exudes some of the
is a sharp mosaic drawn out in black and white contrast as the skyline of Hong Kong
traditions of shanshui hua into his contemporary photographic landscapes. Shanshui
Island looms in the backdrop. When the site is completed, the erected buildings will
hua painters do not try to present an image of what they have seen in nature, but
create a permanent view that will replace the passing view of the construction site; Shi
what they have thought about nature. It is not important whether the scene looks
has captured the moment of continuous change. There is an otherworldly sense to the
exactly like the real object rather the intent is to capture, on paper, an awareness
familiar landscape of Hong Kong. The high contrast monochrome is a blue print of
of inner reality and wholeness, as though the painting flows directly from the artist’s
what will be. The views of the Central Police Station construction site (Tai Kwun Project
mind, through the brush, onto the paper. Shi Guorui speaks about capturing the inner
5-6 July 2015, pages 51-52) again isolate a moment in time that joins Hong Kong’s
reality of cities by observing their social and economic changes and how it relates to
the architectural development. Each city is a unique and living being reflected in the
him, an adventurer with a mission that is constantly evolving. He researches his sites
mirror of Shi Guorui’s lense. In his choice of scenery he taps into the city as a whole that
and plans how to set them up with great efficiency, however many obstacles he faces.
has been pieced together by the many events of history, booms of development, and
He once spent three months driving around China to capture the Three Gorges Dam
natural forces. Mountains and water are especially significant in his Hong Kong series.
in a truck that he had specially converted to become a camera obsura box, yet the timing was never right. The result was just one photo taken of McDonalds entitled,
Shi Guorui was born in 1964 just prior to the turbulence of China’s Cultural Revolution.
Guilin (page 5). The golden arches topped with a traditional tiled Chinese rooftop set
His father was a senior military officer during the early days of the revolution and later
against the rounded mountain of the Guilin region; a modernized shanshui hua inspired
became a factory manager in Shanxi where Shi Guorui was born. His father suffered
photograph. In Himalayas, Mount Everest 8844.43cm, he suffered the extreme winter
denouncements due to his position as a factory manager but was later honored as a
cold of February in Tibet and severe altitude sickness in order to catch Mount Everest
great proletarian. Those were difficult times for everyone in China but those born into it
covered in snow. The work is one of seven of his in the Hong Kong M+ Sigg Collection.
witnessed the huge transitions from Mao’s China to that of rapid economic development.
The Hong Kong project is the most in-depth series of works of any one city that
There lies a generational shift of those who lived through the Cultural Revolution and
Shi Guorui has ever done. The 22 works include sprawling views of Hong Kong
those who did not. Shi Guorui is a man of humility and understanding. He expects little
Island, Kowloon, Causeway Bay and other well-chosen sites. Shi Guorui would
from the outside world and is deeply reflective in his life and his work. Shi has an innate
like the audience to peer into the image, causing an inevitable pause as the viewer
curiosity and errant drive. He pushes himself to travel and observe everything around
deciphers the visual play of the reversed image, and pieces together the many facets
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of Hong Kong by reflecting on what makes this present moment forever significant and unique to this city. For as the American photographer Ansel Adams once said, “There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.�
Guilin 5-8 December 2011, Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print, 210 x 138.7 cm
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Shanghai 8 September 2008, Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print, 219.5 x 426cm (Triptych)
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Interview with Shi Guorui You are China’s most recognized Camera Obscura artist and I would also say one of
began to learn the various genres of photography. At that time, the most influential
the world’s most recognized as well. How did you come to this craft, what made
people on photography in China were the French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson
you change from normal photography to camera obscura?
and American photographer Ansel Adams. Everyone was inspired to try out various advanced photographic devices, and I was no exception. After graduating, I made a
It’s all about a book, a story and an action.
pinhole camera by myself in my spare time to do some photography experiments. On a technical level, these experiments practically overturned all my previous technical
A book: In the late 1970s, China reformed and opened its doors to the outside world. In
concepts. This style of photography broke away from the feeling of precision and the
1984, I was working at a state-owned factory in Shanxi and I was responsible for foreign
sharpness of image that modern photography achieves. It really produces an unusual
affairs. This gave me the opportunity to meet foreign specialists from Germany and
and extraordinary image.
Japan and I often accompanied them on their visits to famous places throughout China, and that’s when my interest in photography began. The first camera I used was a Konica
A story: It wasn’t until a life-altering event occurred that I really began to focus entirely
35mm film camera made in Japan, which was rarely seen in China back then.
on pinhole photography. On the night of December 12, 1998, my two good friends and I were driving on a highway at high speed. We crashed into a lorry and caused a
In the 1980s, information of any sort was still relatively difficult to get hold of in China. I still
severe traffic accident. Within a few seconds, the roof of the car was cut away and one
remember the day in 1984 that I rode my bicycle to a foreign bookstore at a street corner
of my friends was killed and the other was severely injured. I was the only unscathed
of downtown Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province, and used half my annual salary to buy the
survivor. At that moment I felt an instant quietude. Life is not repeatable. I will never
original version of the American lifestyle series of books, Life Library of Photography
forget the scene of chaos on that clear cold night. It was the first time that I felt how
published by Time-Life Books. In one of the volumes, The Art of Photography, there
fragile, vulnerable and impermanent life is.
was a chapter called Challenging the Traditions, in which I read that Eric Renner, an American researcher on pinhole photography, used a homemade pinhole camera to
Martin Heidegger said that you would only understand the meaning of life when you
shoot a photograph. This left a great impression on me. I remembered experimenting
are really close to death. My brain became totally blank after this accident. I realized
with pinhole photography in my high school physics class; the sudden appearance of
that being alive or having the ability to be alive is so important. After the accident, I
the image was beyond what I could have imagined! I did not expect that this experience
spent 8 months on a remote Daoist mountain in my hometown serving as a volunteer
would plant the seed that would eventually become the DNA of my artistic production
and confronted questions such as “how do I let go?”, “how should I experience what
and that I would pursue it so avidly from then on.
it is like to be alive”, and “what is the value of existence and how should I present my future existence?”.
In 1990, I was admitted to major in Photography at the Fine Arts Department of Nanjing Normal University and through the systematic study of the history of photography, I
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I began to reflect on my past, especially the experiences hidden deep in my memory.
I spent a lot of time observing nature, her many beings, the sun the moon and the
it is not visible in the resulting photograph.”
constellations. I came to the conclusion that life is a matter of happenstances, waiting to unfold. It is light’s reincarnation. Life comes from light and just like light, it seeks to
Some of your works such as The Great Wall and Tiananmen tell the stories of the
illuminate all shadows.
past, yet the way you capture modern landscapes are in great contrast and rather seem to look to the future. Does your inspiration come from looking towards the
From then on, my perspective and understanding changed fundamentally. I let go
future or the past?
of everything, went back to my origins and focused on one thing. Frankly, pinhole photography encapsulated how I felt at the time. It rescued me from my blank state
To answer the question, “What does it mean for one to exist,” Heidegger’s existentialist
of mind, because pinhole photography gives significance to time, and it gives me the
response is simply the word “Anwesenheit,” which means “presence.” The word does
room to express myself and brings me peace of mind. In the following years, I gave up
not encourage any form of obsession on the past, but encourages a continual presence
all of my advanced photographic equipment and even quit my well-paid job. I devoted
in life, a life of perseverance and survival. In this sense, I do not feel like The Great Wall
myself to making camera obscuras and studying this medium everyday. It was during
or Tiananmen look towards the future or the past.
this period I made Yungang Grottoes and Ping Yao. My work has always been about observing social and economic changes and their An action: On 28 April, 2002, with the help of my best friends Chen Guangjun and
influences on objects and scenery. In the span of history, from the very beginning until
his wife and a number of my friends, I converted a beacon tower on the Jinshanling
now, human’s ideological greed and ambition has never evolved or changed. Camera
Great Wall in Chengde, Hebei, China into a 5 meter long, and almost 3 meter wide and
obscura, as an antiquated photographic technique, acts like a mirror reflecting reality,
3 meter high camera obscura. This time, I put myself into the completely pitch-black
reflecting not only history and society, but also the people and objects in it.
space. I witnessed the whole process of creating the image and it took over 5 hours to complete the work The Great Wall (page 9). From then on, the process of immersing
In 1998, you had a life changing experience that led you to become a camera
myself into the camera obscura became the cornerstone of my artistic career.
obscura photographer, how has this process evolved over the nearly 20 years you have been doing it and are you still searching?
In an article in the New York Times on October 22, 2006, Standing in the Dark, Catching the Light, written about my California Project in Los Angeles, the reporter quoted the
In Chapter 19 of Laozi’s Daodejing (“Jian Su Bao Pu” 见素抱朴), he put forward the
founder of the FOR-SITE Foundation in San Francisco Cheryl Haines’s description
concept to “observe your own simplicity”. I hope to foster a relentless spirit and energy
“His work is really about place, about man’s interventions in the landscape. But I also
in my work, divesting myself of worldly encumbrances. My methodological change that
think there’s an element of performance in the way he puts this recording device in the
began from The Great Wall, from pinhole camera to camera obscura, was a reversal
landscape and places himself inside it. His body becomes part of the work, even though
from outside to inside. I followed these changes in my core values and by synchronizing
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The Great Wall 28 April 2002, Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print, 129 x 365cm
my body and mind, continued to adhere to and persist with this new path.
USA: Hollywood Sign, Donner Pass, Times Square, Ground Zero, NYC; and I have just finished a new series, The Hong Kong Project.
How has the China you were born in and the China of today come together in your work? How are the struggles and challenges of the past and the present an
The photographs you take are exposed directly onto photographic paper and your
influence on you?
works can be as large as 8 meters. There are great difficulties in handling such delicate and light sensitive paper in the total blackness of your tent. Any little nick
Our generation has lived through the Cultural Revolution, Mao’s rule, seizures of political
on the paper will show up yet you seem to do it effortlessly. How do you handle
power and rapid economic development; struggling through an era of excessive
the great amount of difficulties in your process?
consumption, the homogenization and expansion of cities and the deterioration of the
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ecological environment. In particular, issues such as foreign cultures cannibalizing the
Each of my photographs is difficult to complete for two reasons. The first is that I need
local economy, the unlimited plundering of our capital and the power play over our
to build the camera obscura, which is a very complicated process. I used to have an
limited resources have given rise to many universally meaningful issues. As an artist who
assistant to help me, but I have been doing it almost all by myself in recent years. It
is quite sensitive to these phenomena, this era has granted me a lot of rich material to
requires a lot of experience to set-up, to make correct judgments and have control, as
work from. In recent years, in light of these issues and social conflicts, I have created
well as enormous patience and a serious attitude. Any mistake can be destructive. The
many artworks including: Himalayas Mount Everest 8844.43cm, Shanghai, New Beijing,
second difficulty is the process of developing the photographs in the dark room, which
New CCTV, Bird’s Nest Stadium, Guilin, Yangtze River; and worked on projects in the
requires strict environmental conditions. All my developing devices are specialized. To
ensure the perfection of every work, I have to complete 5-6 processes in continuation,
to be a good weather and arranged for a local guy to meet at an appointed time. As
without stopping. Any flaw, even a tiny scratch, would force me to give up the entire
we drove to the site the skies opened and it started to rain. The view from the site
work. I have no choice.
was completely covered in fog! I did not give up and set off to another location along the Yangtze River; near the relics of Qu Yuan’s residence (a Chinese poet and minister
When I was making Himalayas, Mount Everest 8844.43cm, I will never forget setting-up
who lived during the Warring States period of ancient China) in his hometown in Zigui
an 8-meter-long piece of photo paper on my own in the camera obscura at an altitude
County, Hubei Province. To get as close as I could to the subject, I took the risk of driving
of 5200 meters. In the quiet darkness, I felt like an underground miner as I was dangling
to the edge of a narrow mountain road, barely wide enough for two cars. I could see
the safety light from my mouth and breathing from an oxygen tank. I moved the photo
the rapid and bottomless Yangtze River running at the foot of the mountain. It was the
paper really slowly. Once I didn’t clip it tight enough and it fell off the frame and made
harvest season for oranges, and trucks full of oranges roared past us on the rugged
a kink in the photo paper! All my effort was in vain and I had to do it all again with
road, making my car shake continuously. At the same time, I was fixing the photo paper
another roll of photo paper. This kind of situation has happened to me a lot. When I
in the sealed space of my car to prepare for the shoot. I was so stressed my clothes were
was producing Bird’s Nest Stadium, I had had it exposed for nearly a whole day but
soaked with sweat. I took off my shoes and rolled up my pants so that I could still rescue
one side of the photo paper rolled up for no reason. Both the photo paper and the
myself if the car fell into the river. Every minute felt like eternity.
good weather were wasted. When I was making The Hong Kong Project, it was always in Hong Kong’s hot and humid summer. The air-conditioning in the rooms generated a
After that adventure I continued to the south of China and reached Guilin, Guangxi. An
lot of moisture, which had an effect on the photosensitive paper by bending it out of
old saying goes that “the scenery of Guilin is the best in the world”, but what I could see
shape. As I become more experienced, I am more and more careful about controlling
along the road were countless natural features destroyed by humans. The mountains
the subtle variations that arise in each new environment.
were cut for quarrying. Some mountains were totally cut open or exposed or gone with only the soil remaining. It was very sad to see.
How do you view a landscape and decide what to photograph? You told me the story of how a few years ago you rented a truck that you adapted to be a large
What made it look more absurd was when I unexpectedly found a McDonald’s in the
camera obscura and you drove for three months around China and you only took
town nearby. The vivid neon “M” sign stood out in front of the mountains. On one
one photograph in three months of searching.
side was a deteriorating landscape, and on the other was grafted a landmark of foreign culture. It was such a peculiar scene to see in such a remote inland area, and an idea for
That was a complicated experience. I spent 3 months inspecting the site and taking
a new work was born.
photographs of the Yangtze River from downstream all the way upstream. I rented a van and adapted it to be a camera obscura and planned to photograph the Three Gorges
You still use traditional Silver Gelatin Print photo paper and traditional black and
Dam. I had viewed the location months in advance, chose a day that was supposed
white developing processes. Have you tried newer technologies and can you tell us
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Documentation of Shi Guorui’s first large scale camera obscura project The Great Wall 25-28 April 2002
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why you continue to use traditional process photography? Since the completion of my Great Wall project in 2002 I have used the most traditional monochromic fiber-based photo paper. I think I have to use traditional materials and techniques in my work. By hand-developing the photographs, it brings humanity and warmth to the work, like they are breathing, living. Your work can take more than a week to set up before you start to take the photo. You have told me about the several trips to Tibet in order to take the photo of Mount Everest during the freezing winter. You put yourself in quite extreme conditions choosing to stay inside the photo tent during the whole exposure time. What are the challenges and rewards you find in this process? To take the photograph of Mount Everest I visited the site 4 times in 3 years. It involved Shi Guorui in the Himalayas during the making of Himalayas, Mount Everest 8844.43m, 28 Nov 2005
a lot of preparation and I finished the photograph in October 2005. The biggest challenge I encountered in the whole process was that human beings are so helpless and insignificant in the face of nature. The limit of my body and my willpower were significantly challenged. It is still a challenging task for humans in this environment even nowadays. Nature in turn gifted me an extraordinary feeling. In the extremely oxygendeficient space, the ray of sharp light entering the camera obscura filled me with a kind of deep energy. As each second, each hour, each moment of time passed by, I kept my eyes on the photo paper located at the interface of darkness and light and watched as the image quietly emerged from the void! I would rather phrase it as the image of light itself: the image of light was superimposed again and again infinitely, all day and all night.
The making of Himalayas, Mount Everest 8844.43m, 28 Nov 2005
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How did you decide on the sites to shoot in Hong Kong and what inspires you
Spencer. They have authored many specialist books, and in 1984 founded the Pinhole
about this city? Are there political, economic or social issues involved in this new
Resource organization and Pinhole Journal magazine. In later years I invited them to
series of works and how do you portray that? What was unique to the Hong Kong
China twice and paid several visits to their studio in New Mexico, USA. In 2014, the
series?
couple donated the pinhole photography artworks they collected from around the world, 60 pinhole cameras and a lot of books and magazines to the New Mexico History
The Hong Kong Project has taken the longest time to complete of all my projects. I
Museum. To show my great respect for them, I also supported the museum by donating
started viewing and choosing locations and to make plans for the project in September
one of my camera obscura works of San Francisco. On 27 April 2014, the museum
2013. I started photographing in January 2014 and visited Hong Kong several times over
successfully opened an exhibition Poetics of Light: Pinhole Photography for which they
3 years before I finished it. I have paid close attention to the Four Asian Tigers and how
selected 225 pinhole photography artworks and 40 diverse pinhole cameras.
the events of the last century have shaped them, for example Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 and experienced the turmoil of the Asian Financial Crisis. When I
You now live in the Catskill Mountains in New York State. Can you tell us how your life
choose locations I always choose those with history and a notable current social reality. I
has changed in America and the Tabaco factory studio you have now bought there?
tried to use the artistic language of the camera obscura to encapsulate and extract the peculiarities of Hong Kong’s cityscape, whilst also capturing and revealing the political,
For an artist, it is a new experience as well as a challenge to leave the culture they are
economic and social changes hidden within the view. I chose to photograph Happy
accustomed to, and to contemplate the future of their art from a different point of view,
Valley, the Avenue of Stars, the transformation of Victoria Prison and the construction
from another perspective.
of the West Kowloon Cultural District. More interestingly, one of the key views I chose was from one of the conference rooms in Deutsche Bank in the International Commerce
The Catskill Mountains are in the state of New York and are rich in culture and natural
Centre (ICC), the tallest building in Hong Kong, which I adapted to become a huge
resources. In recent years artists from all over have been attracted to the area to work
camera obscura. According to historical records, this building was built on reclaimed
and live. I am fortunate to be a part of it and I am hoping to further improve my life,
land constructed in the 1990s. It is my belief that in today’s world where global natural
widen my horizons and have more fun with life. I frequently visit the art museums near
resources are being depleted, the game between man and nature is non-stop and it is
my studio, for example, Dia:Beacon and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary
a subject that we cannot avoid talking and thinking about.
Art (MASS MoCa). They are my favorite museums and I always have a good time when I go there.
Can you tell me more about your friendship with famed American pinhole
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photographers Eric Renner and Nancy Spencer?
How would you like to be remembered?
I have huge respect for the predecessors in my field, Eric Renner and his wife Nancy
An artist should give back to society with his art. I would like to be remembered by my art.
A View of San Francisco from Alcatraz Island 20 October 2006, The California Project, Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print, 142 x 368 cm
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与史国瑞对话 您是中国乃至世界最知名的针孔摄影家。当初是什么吸引您做这样的技术
尾一辆重型大货车，造成一起重大的交通事故。事故前后发生在几秒钟，车厢被削去顶
呢？是什么令您从普通的摄影转成针孔摄影，又转到“暗箱摄影”的呢？
部；两个朋友一死一重伤，唯独我幸运毫发无损，茫然间世界又霎间归复了平静。生命 无以复加，清冷之夜中的混乱场景，永远也忘不掉！我第一次感到了人的脆弱、不堪、
概括的讲，一本书,一个故事和一场行为。
无常。
一本书：中国七十年代末改革开放，对外打开国门，1984年我在中国山西一家国营企业
马丁·海德格尔讲过“当你无限接近于死亡的时候，你才能体会生的意义。” 这件事情
从事外事工作，有机会接触到来自德国和日本來华工作的外國专家，经常陪同他们游历
之后我的大脑曾一度陷入一片空白期，这一段到重新思考让我认识到活着是多么重要，
一些国内著名景点，于是开始对摄影发生了兴趣，我使用的第一台照相机是日本生产的
期间有8个月我到家乡的一处偏僻的道教山里志愿服务，那就是如何去“放下”？体验
柯尼卡35mm相机，在当时的中国是稀缺物。
什么是活着？什么是存在的价值？我以什么样的方式体现存在？
八十年代的中国信息还是相对闭塞的。我的家乡在中国北方的一个省会城市山西太原，
当我开始触及那些隐匿在深处的已被消耗掉的时日，经过长时间的专注与聆听，自然与
记得84年的某一天，我骑上自行车，来到位于闹市区拐角处的唯一一家外文书店，用半
万物，日月与星辰，我认定生命是一场等待的机缘：它由光化身而来，势必要努力将暗
年多的工资购买了一套原版美国时代与生活出版社的《摄影百科全书》，其中一册《艺
淡了的一切重新照亮。
术摄影》，某一篇“挑战传统”(Challenging the Traditions) 中我发现了美国针孔摄 影研究学者艾瑞克·雷纳(Eric Renner)使用自制针孔相机拍摄的一幅摄影作品，在我脑
从此我的观念和认识都发生了根本的转变，于是我放下了一切，让我回到初始状态，专
海里留下了非常深刻的印象。记忆中的中学时代，老师教我们在物理课上做过的小孔成
注于做一件事。客观的讲，针孔摄影 (Pinhole Photography) 很吻合我当时的心境，让
像光学实验，竟然能够形成如此不可思议的影像……没想到这粒种子，后来成就我一以
我空白的大脑得到救赎，它让时间沉淀下来，让时间延长，从而让我心灵有了寄托和抒
贯之的艺术创作基因。
发。在放弃已经拥有的先进照相器材，甚至辞掉了待遇不错的工作之后的几年里，我每 天沉迷于制作各种黑匣子研究和探索中，期间创作了《云岗石窟》、《平遥》等作品。
1990年我进入南京师范大学摄影系，在系统研读摄影史的过程中接触到了各类摄影流 派，当时在中国摄影界影响最大的是法国摄影家享利·卡迪亚-布列松（Henri Cartier-
一场行为：2002年4月28日，在中国河北承德的金山岭长城，在挚友陈光俊夫妇及众多
Bresson）和美国摄影家安塞尔·亚当斯 (Ansel Adams)，大家都热情尝试使用各种先
朋友的帮助下，前后数日动用了几十人，我用长城的烽火台改装成一个5米长、近3米
进相机设备拍摄的创作方式，此时的我也不例外，但毕业后闲暇时也在自制针孔匣子做
宽、3米多高的暗箱。这次我人完全进入在密不透光的暗箱之中，我亲眼看着影像随着
影像实践了。这种实验从技术层面上讲，几乎颠覆了我之前所有的技术概念，完全打破
时间显现的过程，5个多小时完成了《长城》的创作。 从此，“暗箱摄影”（Camera
了现代相机带给的那种精确、锐利的影像感受，它确实产生了不同于以往的非标准影
Obscura）让我更彻底地以置身暗箱其中的创作方式，实现了我艺术生涯的质的转化。
像，是非主流的，视觉上很个人化，非常的吸引我。 正如《纽约时报》记者在2006年10月22日对我在美国加州洛杉矶实施《California 一个故事：1998年12月12日夜间，我和朋友共3人驾车飞速行驶在高速公路上，不幸追
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Project》时现场所做的报道《Standing in the Dark, Catching the Light 》中 ，引用
美国旧金山 FOR-SITE 基金会的发起人雪瑞·海纳丝女士 (Cheryl Haines) 的描述“他的
您在您的作品里是如何把您出生那个时代的中国和当今的中国融汇在一起的呢？新旧中
工作是关于空间的，来表达人对景观的参与； 但是还有一个更重要是，他把自己也当作
国的各种挣扎与挑战是如何影响您的呢？
一个元素也放在了记录影像的装置中，虽然最终的作品没有出现他的身影，但是他本身 就是作品的一部分。”
我们这一代人在成长过程中，经历了中国的文革、毛时代，政权争斗、经济迅猛发展 时期；挣扎在疯狂的消费时代，同质化膨胀的都市，日渐恶化的生态环境。注意到外
您的一些作品，比如《长城》和《天安门》，是在讲述过去的故事，而您捕捉其中的现
来文化蚕食本土经济，资本的无限掠夺和有限资源的强权，引发出许多全球性的共同
代化景观则与“过去”形成鲜明对比，也有着展望未来的意味。您的灵感是来源于“回
话题。作为一个艺术家敏感于这些异变，时代造就给我们丰富的素材，近些年，围绕
首过去”还是“展望未来”呢？
这些现象和社会矛盾，我陆续创作了《珠峰》(Himalayas, Mount Everest 8844.43m) 、《上海》(Shanghai)、《新北京》 (New Beijing)、 《New CCTV》、 《鸟巢》
“存在者存在着，是怎样一回事情？”，海德格尔的存在主义给出的答案是“在场”
(Bird’ s Nest Stadium)、《桂林》（Guilin）、《长江》(Yangtze River) 以及在美国的
（Anwesenheit）或者说“显现”，“出现”。这种“在场”不是僵死的固持，而是持
项目《Hollywood Sign》、《Donner Pass》、《Times Square》，《Ground Zero,
续地逗留于此，是流动中的持存。所以，《长城》和《天安门》没有所谓“回首过去”
NYC》到最近刚刚完成的《Hong Kong Project》等等。
和“展望未来”之意。 您通过直接把影像曝光到相纸上来进行摄影创作，而您的作品可以达到8米之长。在全 我的多年艺术创作一直在围绕历史社会、经济政治的发展层面上观察事物（或景观）
黑的帐篷里处理如此脆弱、对光极度敏感的相纸必定是很艰难的过程，而相纸上哪怕有
带来的改变和影响。拿过去和现在的情景比照来看，放在历史长河的时间概念中，人
一道细小的划痕都会令创作功亏一篑。您是怎么处理这些难题的呢？
类在意识形态上的贪欲和野心从未改变和进步，它们是如此接近和相似。暗箱摄影 （Camera Obscura）就像一面倒映的镜子对存在的现实给予关照和审视，以此映照
我的每件作品的完成难度在两方面：
着历史、映照着社会，同样也映照着处于存在现场中匆匆的过客与物。 一是搭建暗箱，这其实是一个不小的工程，早年还有助手协助完成，近些年以来几乎全 1998年的时候您的一个改变您一生的经历使您走上了针孔摄影师之路。这近二十年来针
程由我一个人完成。这是一个对现场要有足够的经验判断和把控，还需要极大的耐心和
孔摄影的创作过程是否有更新换代呢？您是否还在搜寻更新的方法呢？
认真的态度，任何纰漏都将全军覆没。
《老子·十九章 》有“见素抱朴”的观点，抱朴守一，即在对待艺术方面，我希望能本
二是拍摄之后在工作室暗房的后期冲洗制作。它对操作环境的硬件条件要求很严格，我
着追求本真，怀抱朴素的理性态度。如果说更新换代，是从2002年拍摄《长城》起，我
的冲洗设备都是特制的。这是细活儿，为了追求每一件作品的完美效果，我必须亲自动
从“针孔摄影”（Pinhole Camera）转到“暗箱摄影”（Camera Obscura）是由外
手完成5-6道工序的连续操作，要知道任何一点闪失，甚至一道细小的划痕，我只有选择
到内的转变，是追随我内心的核心价值观的转变：身心合一，并且围绕这条路继续坚持
去放弃毁掉它，这是没有办法的事。
和探索。
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在拍摄《珠峰》时，在海拔5200多米的高原气候的挑战下，我印象很深的是在暗箱中独
历险之后的我继续南下，到达了广西桂林，自古“桂林山水甲天下”，但我却在沿途目
自一人设置8米长的相纸的时候，漆黑的四周很静謐，我感觉自己如同一名早期井下的
睹到许多人为的对自然地貌的严重破坏——开山炸石、发展经济，有些山峰已被开膛破
矿工，嘴里叼着安全灯，鼻子吸着现场制氧机产生出来的氧气，缓慢挪动着相纸，由于
肚，或被裸露在外，或只剩山峰表皮，真是令人痛心！
没有夹稳，相纸一倾歪，整张相紙瞬间从固定架上掉下，心中一惊：糟糕，相纸折了！ 功夫白瞎，只能再更换一卷，重头再来。这样类似的情形在长期的拍摄过程中时有发
荒诞的是，就在不远的小镇街上，我意外发现了“麦当劳”，鲜艳的大“M”霓虹灯在
生，拍摄《鸟巢》时也遇到过，在曝光时间己达到一半的时候，几乎一白天了，糟糕的
群山俊峰背景下显得格外醒目。一方面是日渐恶化的生态环境，一面是外来文化的强势
是相纸一边莫名其妙地卷起，无疑这张相纸就报废了，还搭上了宝贵的好天气。
嫁接，在这个内陆偏远地区，催生了一道异样的景观，也诞生和引发了我关于一件作品 的思考。
在拍摄《香港》过程中，夏天气候炎热潮湿，由于用于拍摄的房间空调强劲，造成湿气 对感光材料纸基相纸容易变形，在已有的经验中及时控制这些细微变化的发生，更加谨
您仍使用传统的明胶卤化银相纸和传统的黑白冲洗处理。您有尝试过一些更新的技术
慎小心。
吗？仍沿用传统的方式处理照片的原因是什么呢？
您是如何考察景观然后决定摄影内容的呢？您提过几年前曾租用一辆箱式货车并改装成
从2002年长城项目完成至今，我一直在使用最传统的感光材料黑白纸基相纸来进行创
一个大型针孔暗箱。您驾驶它在中国大地上跑了三个月作考察，最终只创作了一幅摄影
作。我认为我的作品必须要用传统的材料和工艺，完全采用手工来处理照片，它更人
作品。
性、有温度，是会呼吸、有生命的感觉。
那次是一次心情复杂的经历。我从长江下游到上游花费时间长达三个月拍摄和考察，当
您会用长达一周的时间作布置与准备工作，然后再开始做摄影创作。您也曾多次在非常
时租用了一辆箱式货车并改装成一个针孔暗箱（Camera Obscura）为完成计划中的
寒冷的冬季前往西藏拍摄珠穆朗玛峰。在这样的极限条件下，您选择全程留在由自然保
对三峡大坝的拍摄。在几个月前我已经考察好了这个拍摄点，出发前了解了天气情况良
护站空间改造成的临时暗箱中等待曝光完成。在这个创作过程中您遇到的挑战和享受到
好，并与当地老乡约好到达的时间。当我们开车即将行至目的地时，天空下起了小雨，
的回报分别是什么呢？
从山上拍摄点望去，一片雾蒙蒙，什么也看不见！我不甘心没有结果，继续开车沿着长 江，前往下一个地点行驶，位于湖北的屈原故里秭归遗址，这次为了更接近被摄物，我
为了拍摄珠峰，我在三年期间去了四次。期间也做了大量的准备工作，在2005
冒险把车停在仅够两辆车通过的山路边，下边是水流湍急、深不见底的长江。正值橙子
年10月份完成创作这件作品。在这个创作过程中遇到的最大的挑战是人在面对大
丰收季节，满载橙子的货车一辆接一辆从崎岖山路呼啸而过时，震得我的车子直摇晃，
自然时是那样的无助和渺小，当然也挑战身体的极限和意志力。现在来看，也是
此时的我正在密闭的车厢内固定相纸，准备拍摄，紧张中汗水已湿透了衣服，我把鞋
不容易实现的。当然，大自然也馈赠给我不一样的感受：在极度缺氧的封闭空间
脱掉，挽起裤腿，防备万一车落入江中还能自救，此刻，一分钟都感到从未有过的漫
里呼吸，光很犀利的一束，补充给我那种深潜的能量。时间在一秒一分一小时过
长……
去，当我再把目光投向黑暗接壤处的相纸，它们正从虚空中悄然显现，愈见真实！ 不如说那些干脆就是光的自身影像：时间把光的影像无限次地叠加，整日整夜。
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您是如何对在香港的摄影进行选址的呢？这座城市带给您什么样的灵感呢？与
您现在居住在纽约的卡茨基尔山。居住在美国并在那边购买了旧
此相关的最新的系列作品有没有包含政治、经济、社会因素呢？如有，您是
烟 草 厂 改 造 的 工 作 室 以 后 您 的 生 活 发 生 了 什 么 样 子 的 变 化 呢 ？
通过什么来描绘这些因素的呢？香港影像的系列作品的独特之处是什么呢？ 史：作为一名艺术创作者，在特定情况下，远离他自身的习以为常的文化体系，从另一 《香港》项目是目前为止我做的时间跨度最长的项目，从2013年9月开始考察、选址，
视角度有距离的去思考和关照未来的艺术创作，重新出发，不失为一种新的体验和挑
做实施计划，2014年1月开始有选择性的拍摄，到完成后期制作前后历时三年多，往返
战。
数次。基于我对上世纪亚洲四小龙 (Four Asian Tigers) 这样一个历史背景的关注，1997 年香港回归中国，经历了亚洲金融风暴。在选址方面我选择既有过去的历史，又有当
Catskill小镇地处纽约上州,丰富的人文和自然资源，近年来吸引了来自各地的艺术家们
下的社会现实。我试图用暗箱摄影的这种特殊的艺术语言来概括、抽离出异样化的香
工作和生活。我有幸参于其中，一定会进一步完善自己的人生，扩宽视野并从中得到更
港都市景观，从另一方面呈现和揭示出它在政治、经济和社会等方面的变化以及背后
大的乐趣。
潜藏的含义。例如：《Happy Valley》（“马照跑，舞照跳”），星光大道，改造中 的域多利监狱（“活化”工程）及正在建设中的西九龙文化区等等。更有趣的是，我选
距离工作室不是太远的一些美术馆是我常常光顾的地方，例如：Dia:Beacon 与 MASS
择的一个重要的拍摄点是利用在香港最高的建筑物ICC大楼上Deutsche Bank的会议
MoCa每一次都渡过美好的时光，我喜欢它们胜于其它。
室改搭建成的巨大暗箱。据史料记载，此建筑物下的土地是在上世纪九十年代围海造 田（reclamation area）的产物。在我的认知中，在当今全球化自然资源枯竭的状态
您希望通过什么样的方式被记住呢？
下，人和自然的博弈从未停止过，这是我们当下不得不面对和思考的话题。 史：作为一个艺术家回报给社会的只有通过他的艺术。 您能讲述一下您和美国知名针孔摄影师艾瑞克·雷纳和南希·斯班瑟之间的友谊吗？ 艾瑞克·雷纳（Eric Renner）及他的夫人南希·斯班瑟（Nancy Spencer）是我非常 敬重的前辈和学者，著有很多专业书籍，在1984创办Pinhole Resource 机构和Pinhole Journal杂志。多年之后我曾邀请他们夫妇两次来访中国，也曾数次拜访了他们位于美 国新墨西哥州的工作室。2014年，艾瑞克与南茜夫婦将多年的收集整理——来自世界各 地的针孔摄影作品，包括60架针孔相机和大量的书籍杂志，全部捐赠给了美国新墨西哥 州历史博物館。为表示对他们的崇高敬意，我也支持和捐赠了我一幅关于美国旧金山的 暗箱摄影作品。在2014年4月27日，该馆从中选取225幅针孔摄影作品和四十余台形态 各异的针孔相机，成功举办了「光之诗：针孔摄影展」。
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To see Hong Kong Island from Kowloon 19-20 July 2016 2016 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 244 x 226 cm (Diptych)
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Left: Avenue of Stars Hong Kong 2-3 July 2016 2016 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 183 x 248.4 cm (Diptych)
Right: Avenue of Stars Hong Kong 4-5 July 2016 2016 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 180 x 191.6 cm (Diptych)
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Avenue of Stars Hong Kong 6-7 July 2016 2016 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 147 x 242 cm (Diptych)
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To See Hong Kong Island from Kowloon 18-21 July 2015 2015 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 279 x 249 cm (Diptych)
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Page: 29-30 To See Hong Kong Island from Kowloon 12-13 July 2015 2015 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 137.5 x 385 cm Page: 31-32 Island Eastern Corridor Link Hong Kong 15-16 Aug 2015 2015 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 139 x 365 cm Page: 33-34 Convention & Exhibition Centre Hong Kong 25-27 Aug 2015 2015 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 121 x 348 cm
To See Hong Kong Island from Kowloon 9-10 July 2015 2015 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 135.5 x 294 cm
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To See Hong Kong Island from Kowloon 15-17 July 2015 2015 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 138 x 278 cm
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Hong Kong 18 May 2014 2014 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 133 x 219.5 cm
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To see Hong Kong Island from Kowloon 15-16 July 2016 2016 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 121 x 231 cm
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Happy Valley Hong Kong 21-22 Aug 2015 2015 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 99 x 197.5 cm
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To see Hong Kong Island from Kowloon 19-20 July 2016 2016 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 115.7 x 153 cm
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Hong Kong 9-10 July 2016 2016 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 50 x 300 cm
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Hong Kong 12-13 July 2016 2016 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 50 x 252.2 cm
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Tai Kwun Project 5-6 July 2015 2015 Unique Camera Obscura,Silver Gelatin Print 111 x 111 cm
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Tai Kwun Project 5-6 July 2015 2015 Unique Camera Obscura,Silver Gelatin Print 111 x 111 cm
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Legislative Council Complex Hong Kong 8 May 2014 2014 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 90 x 80 cm
Central Hong Kong 18 July 2007 2007 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 75 x 140 cm
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Left: Queensway Hong Kong 6 May 2014 2014 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 139 x 51 cm
Right: Government House Hong Kong 1 July 2007 2007 Unique Camera Obscura, Silver Gelatin Print 80 x 80 cm
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Shi Guorui Biography Born in 1964, Shanxi, China. Lives and works in New York. Education 1992
Graduated from Nanjing Normal University
Solo Exhibitions 2011
Rebirth, L&M Arts, Los Angeles, California, USA
2010
The Same is Not the Same: Shi Guorui & Andrea Good, Offene Kirche
2008
New Works by Shi Guorui, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong
2007
Reproduction and Refashioning, The de Young Museum, San Francisco, USA
2005
Shanghai, Shi Guorui’s Camera Obscura Exhibition, Chinese Contemporary
Elisabethen, Basel, Switzerland
Gallery, London, UK 2002 2001
The Great Wall, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China Yungang Grottoes, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
Group Exhibitions 2016
Chinese Whispers Recent Art from The Sigg & M+ Sigg Collections, Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland
2015
Dislocation: Urban Experience in Contemporary East Asian Photography, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA
2014
Myth/History, Yuz Collection of Contemporary Art, Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China
2013
Poetics of Light, The New Mexico History Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
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2011
Rewriting the Landscape: China and India, National Museum of Modern and
Transformations, New Chinese Photography, The Franmentle Art Centre,
Contemporary Art, South Korea
Australia
“Shanshui”- Poetry without Sound? Landscape in Chinese Contemporary
2005
Beyond Delirious, Ella Fontanals Cisneros Collection Miami, USA
Art, Museum of Art Lucerne, Switzerland
Past and Future Contemporary Art Exhibition, Krings-Ernst gallery, Koln,
2010
Chinese Windows 2010: Big Draft – Shanghai - Chinese Contemporary Art
Germany
from the Sigg Collection, Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland
“HJONG”---Chinesische Gegenwartskunst aus der Sammlung Sigg”, The
“The State of Things” The Exchanging of Contemporary Art Between China
Museum of Fine Arts, Berne, Switzerland
and Belgium, Centre for Fine Arts, Beijing, China
Chinese Contemporary Photography, The Trastevere Museum of Rome,
“The State of Things” The Exchanging of Contemporary Art Between China
Rome, Italy
and Belgium, BOZAR, Belgium
Re-viewing the City, Guangzhou Photo Biennial, The FineArts, Museum of
2009
Reversed Images: Representations of Shanghai and Its Contemporary Material Culture, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago,
Guangdong, Guangzhou, China 2004
Illinois, USA
2008
China
An Autobiography of the San Francisco Bay Area, SF Camerawork, San
2003
Francisco, USA
2002
China Gold Exhibit, Museum Maillol, Paris, France
Public Space and Urban Environment, The 1st Architectural Biennial, Beijing, Promenade e’difiante et Curieuse au Pavillon des Images, Paris, France The 2nd International Art Biennial of Buenos Aires, National Museum of Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
“Shanghai Kaleidoscope Exhibition”, The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto,
2007
2006
Canada
Public Collections
GO CHINA --- New World Order Present-day Installation Art and
Funds National d’art Contemporary, Paris, France
Photography, Groninger Museum, The Netherlands
The Sigg Collection, Switzerland
“Red Hot”Asian art today from the Chaney Family collection, The Museum
Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Miami, Florida, USA
of Fine Arts, Houston, USA
De Young Museum San Francisco, California, USA
ZHUYI! CHINA. Contemporary Photography from China, The ARTIUM
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California, USA
Museum of Contemporary Art, Victoria, Spain
The Speyer Family Collection, New York, New York, USA
Mahjong - Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection, The
East/West Bank, Los Angeles, California, USA
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany
FOR-SITE Foundation, San Francisco, California, USA
Entry Gate: Chinese Aesthetics of Heterogeneity, Shanghai MoCA Biennial,
The Chaney Family Collection, Houston, Texas, USA
Shanghai China
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG, Switzerland The New Mexico History Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Guangdong Fine Art Museum, Guangzhou, China Zhengzhou Museum, Zhengzhou, China Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA The Palm Springs Art Museum, California, USA YUZ Foundation, Shanghai, China Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada, USA Eric & Yijing Li Collection, China
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史国瑞简历 1964年生于中国山西
2007 “红潮”今日亚洲艺术 来自Chaney家族收藏, 休斯顿博物馆,美国 注意！— 来自中国的当代摄影, ARTIUM当代艺术美术馆, 西班牙
1992年毕业于南京师范大学美术系摄影专业, 目前生活工作在纽约
2006 “麻将”--- 乌利.希客收藏中国当代艺术展, 汉堡Kunsthalle美术馆, 德国 个展
“入境：中国无章美学”, 上海当代艺术馆, 上海
2011 “重生”洛杉矶L&M 画廊, 美国
“转变” 中国当代摄影展, 珀斯 弗瑞曼特艺术中心, 澳大利亚
2010 “似与不似” 史国瑞和安德瑞•古德, 伊丽沙伯教堂, 巴塞尔, 瑞士
2005 “Beyond Delirious” Ella Fontanals Cisnerosg收藏当代摄影展,迈阿密, 美国
2008 “史国瑞新作品”, 香港赞善里10 画廊, 香港
“过去与未来” 当代艺术展 科恩 Krings-Ernst画廊, 德国
2007 “复现与重塑”, 迪扬美术馆, 旧金山, 美国
“麻将”--- 乌利.希客收藏中国当代艺术展, 伯尔尼美术馆, 瑞士
2005 “上海”中国当代画廊, 伦敦, 英国
“中国当代摄影展”罗马特拉斯特艾博物馆, 意大利 “重视---城市”广州国际摄影双年展, 广东美术馆, 广州
2002 “长城”平遥国际摄影节, 中国 2001 “云岗石窟”平遥国际摄影节, 中国
2004 “公共空间与环境” 北京首届建筑双年展, 北京 2003 “有意与奇异的慢步” 法国文化部收藏中国当代艺术展, 巴黎, 法国 2002
群展
第二届布宜诺斯艾利斯国际艺术双年展, 阿根廷国家美术馆, 阿根廷
2016 “中国私语”来自乌利.希客和香港M+ Sigg的新近艺术收藏，伯尔尼美术馆， 瑞士
作品收藏
2015 “错位：当代东亚摄影中的城市体验”, 史密斯学院美术馆, 美国
巴黎国家当代艺术基金
瑞士乌利.希客收藏
2014 “天人之际---余德耀藏当代艺术“ 上海余德耀美术馆, 中国
美国旧金山迪扬美术馆
美国纽约斯皮耶家族收藏
美国洛杉矶当代艺术美术馆
美国休斯顿切尼家族收藏
水墨：当代中国的过去即现在, 纽约大都会博物馆, 美国
美国迈阿密 Cisneros Fontanals 基金会
美国新墨西哥州历史博物馆
重现风景: 来自印度和中国的当代艺术, 首尔现当代艺术美术馆, 韩国
“光之诗“ 新墨西哥州历史博物馆, 美国 2013
美国旧金山 FOR-SITE 基金会
美国棕榈泉美术馆
2011 “山水---寂静之诗”希克收藏中国当代艺术展, 卢塞恩美术馆, 瑞士
美国洛杉矶 East/West 银行
中国广东美术馆
2010 “事物状态”中国-比利时当代艺术交流展, 中国美术馆, 北京
美国芝加哥当代摄影美术馆
中国郑州博物馆
2009 “事物状态”中国-比利时当代艺术交流展, 比利时皇家美术宫
瑞士赫尔佐格&德梅隆建筑事务所
中国上海余德耀基金会
美国斯坦福大学
美国内华达艺术博物馆
“倒转的影像”当代摄影美术馆, 芝加哥, 美国 “旧金山湾区自传” SF Camerawork, 旧金山, 美国
中国 Eric & Yijing Li 收藏
2008 “中国金”, 巴黎马约尔博物馆, 法国 “上海万花筒” 多伦多皇家昂塔罗奥博物馆, 加拿大 “去中国-新秩序”来自中国的当代装置和摄影, 格瑞宁格美术馆,荷兰
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ALL WORKS OF ART COPYRIGHT © SHI GUORUI PHOTO CREDIT BY SHI GUORUI, 10 CHANCERY LANE GALLERY A VIBRANT LIFE PUBLICATION / 10 Chancery Lane Gallery Designed by Frankie Leong This catalogue is published on the occasion of Light Frequencies: Camera Obscura Images of Hong Kong by Shi Guorui exhibition Light Frequencies: Camera Obscura Images of Hong Kong by Shi Guorui at 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong from 23 February, 2017 - 27 April, 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN 978-988-16893-8-2 Printed in Hong Kong, 2017 10 Chancery Lane Gallery G/F 10 Chancery Lane, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2810 0065 E-mail: info@10chancerylanegallery.com www.10chancerylanegallery.com
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