exhibition page
Saturday, 1 May 2010
SHOOTING BLIND: Portrayals from the street
Street Photography by Evangelo Costadimas
Curated by Helen Ng
Woodhouse, Basement Chungking Mansions, 36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Exhibition runs from 1 to 30 May, 2010.
Stemming from his two previous projects "Safe Distance" and "Deconsequences", Evangelo Costadimas continues to explore the spatial relationship between people in the most crowded areas of Hong Kong. Apart from his keen observation on the physical interaction between people, Evangelo also focuses towards techniques of image making in search of alternatives to the traditional approach of making street photography. Moving his camera away from his eye level down to his hip, Evangelo captures moments without looking through the viewfinder. He has to guess the aperture and shutter speed combination, the focusing distance as well as the composition in the process of making these images. This practice has led him to a further discussion about "distance"–either the subjective distance from the photographer or the objective distance from optical device, to the end subjects being photographed. The works end up in forming an ambiguous yet interesting feedback loop between subject and object.
Calling himself a "Planetary Citizen"–Evangelo Costadimas, or better known as "EC", is a Greek-Italian born and raised in Ethiopia who later became an "imported" Canadian. EC has resided, travelled or worked in more than 30 countries spanning five continents. The mostly self-taught photographer has been making images for over 20 years, and has established an art practice producing a body of work that seems to be the reportage of his own life journey. From his travel photography to the daily portraits taken in the streets of Hong Kong and other Asian cities, EC captures not mere images but poignant moments in close proximity to people's daily lives. Some of his earlier works from the series "Viae Variae" (meaning "the various ways" in Latin) will also be included in this exhibition in order to provide audiences with a more comprehensive interpretation of his photographic vision.