Press Release
6th October, 2011 – (London) – Following the initiatives of working with local creative talent, Swire Hotels House Collection: The Opposite House, Beijing and The Upper House Hong Kong have collaborated with Leica camera, commissioning four local photographers, two from each of the respective cities to photograph the properties with the themes of Beijing opposites and Hong Kong views from the top, using a Leica camera of their choice.
The result is a diverse and eclectic mix of new perspectives on the Houses, seen through the lenses of different Leica cameras (film and digital) and the four young photographers who are children of the 80s.
A Leica House photography contest themed Beijing Opposites and Hong Kong Views From The Top will run from October 1- 30, 2011. Entries from all over the world are accepted as long as they fit into the theme shot in the respective cities. Prizes include a Grand Prize LEICA X1, First Prize for Hong Kong LEICA D-LUX 5 and First Prize for Beijing LEICA D-LUX 5. The runner up prize for Hong Kong is a one night stay in a suite at The Upper House, and the runner up prize for Beijing is a one night stay in a suite at The Opposite House. For full details of the contest, please visit our Facebook fanpages and weibo.
Beijing-based Madi Ju, an established independent photographer who has showcased in International photography festivals around the world from New York, London to Tokyo based her narrative on memories; a juxtaposition of past and present captured in time. The second photographer Hanchao shot his subject dealing with the dilemma of inner/outer conflict of self in relation to his surroundings. Hanchao’s works have been featured widely in Chinese and international magazines and exhibited across Asia. He works over a range of projects from fashion stories to photojournalism.
Hong Kong-based photographers Mandy Yeung and Xue Tan created their photo stories with an ethereal take on the space. Yeung is a self taught photographer who began capturing the world around him in 2008. Yeungs photo story captured the surreal energy and aura of a person. The balloons represent the inner self and energy that we are and seldom notice, except in times of introspection. Photographer and videographer Xue Tan is deeply interested in digital arts and the finer details in her surroundings. She put together a photo story building a connection between the human body and the architectural space of The Upper House.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Leica and these edgy young photographers in Greater China, providing some new and fresh perspective of our Houses,“says Brian Williams, Managing Director of Swire Hotels.
“This project, focusing on emerging talents in photography, further solidifies The Opposite House and The Upper House as the favourite hotels of the international art world in China. Like the ‘Short Stays’ film project before it, it turns the Houses into sites for the creation of new work,” says Philip Tinari, editorial director of the Beijing-based bilingual art magazine LEAP, which is the official media partner for the project.
