5 March - 16 March 2007

Private View: 6 March 6-8 pm
European Commission Representation in the UK, 8 Storey’s Gate, London, SW1 3AT

The series Yin & Yang was shot in Beijing early this year at 798 Space, a discarded Soviet-era industrial complex, now housing some of China’s trendiest artists.

Located in Dashanzi Art District, the heart of a growing art and culture community in Beijing, 798 Space is the biggest space that provides cultural, artistic and commercial activities in the area. It was designed in the early 1950’s by East German architects in the Bauhaus style. Since its redesign and reconstruction with contemporary aesthetics, the space combines the past, present, and future of "New China”.

The ten photographs selected for this show highlight the contrasts that attracted the artist’s eye. Yin & Yang is the Chinese phrase which describes opposites attracting and complementing each other - what the artist has found in 789 Space and wants to express in this series.
Painted slogans from the Cultural Revolution over 50 years ago are peeling off walls now displaying contemporary pictures. The mix of architectural features and materials such as glass, stone, wood, concrete and iron coexist in this unique, spacious workshop with arched roofs and tilted windows that bring the bygone era of Soviet-influenced industry kicking back to life. These contrasts reflect what China is today with its grandiose heritage and ultra-modern attitude.
In these photographs Mao’s name and slogans, modern glass stairs and old pipes lose their original meaning and become abstract images of discreet harmony.
Carola Syz Sarzi-Amade` was born in Rome, Italy and lives and works in London. Her photographs have been exhibited internationally.
The European Commission Representation in the UK is open Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm.