Almine Rech Shanghai is thrilled to present ‘Sun of Sound' by acclaimed French multi-disciplinary artist, photographer and fashion designer Hedi Slimane, the fifth solo exhibition of Slimane’s work at Almine Rech since 2004 and his first exhibition in China. ‘Sun of Sound’ also marks the artist's first solo exhibition since 2014, when he presented ‘Sonic’ at the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent in Paris.
Hedi Slimane has achieved global recognition for his discovery and presentation of talented musicians and artists. Slimane has invented a new and oblique visual language to represent youth and reinvent the documentation of rock. In his work, live performance is reduced to a minimal, photographic lexicon—a ritual, black-and-white convention of signs. Still life photographs become almost liturgical—singular, silent expressions of youth. In 2011, Slimane's major museum exhibition 'California Song', centered on his ongoing ‘Californian' series (begun in 2007), was presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Through a parallel, two-month project, Slimane hung 89 billboards displaying digital advertising posters that featured his photos above several Los Angeles boulevards. His video installation 'Berlin' has been shown at KW - Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany in 2003, and at MOMA P.S.1, New York, U.S.A. in 2004. In 2007, Slimane's solo exhibition ‘Young American’ was presented at Foam Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
At the heart of 'Sun of Sound' will be ‘Sonic,' a series in which Slimane created studio portraits of musicians such as Lou Reed, Keith Richards, Brian Wilson and Amy Winehouse. The exhibition will also present works from earlier series such as 'Berlin' (2003) and 'London, Birth of a Cult’ (2005), the latter of which describes the daily life of a young, then unknown British rockstar Pete Doherty, who symbolized a new generation of London punk rock.
The exhibition will also feature an immersive sound installation, which highlights Slimane’s exploration of music.
- Karen Smith, artistic director, Shanghai Center of Photography