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Announcing the JUE NEXT GEN 2012
Photographers of the Year!
This year’s installment of the JUE | Music + Art festival was a smash, culminating in the March 23 festival Wrap Party and Award Ceremony for the JUE NEXT GEN photography competition, presented by ospop.
The event was hosted at Shanghai’s Central Studios, where JUE artists, musicians, and other revelers from Shanghai’s creative scene enjoyed tropical cocktails courtesy of VnC, and mouth-watering Portuguese egg tarts and sausages from Scioko. ospop. collaboration partner Tian Yuan took some time to check out the JUE NEXT GEN exhibition and to rub elbows with the 200-odd party guests.
ospop. spokesperson Tian Yuan is watching the finalists’ photos
During the party, ospop. founder Ben Walters announced the winning photographers:
ospop. founder Ben Walters is announcing the winner
Runner-up Winner: 45-year-old Huang Zhiqiang, originally from Gaoyou, Guangdong, who won RMB 3,000 for his photo “晨捕” or “Morning Catch.”
Huang Zhiqiang Morning Catch
Grand Prize Winner: 27-year-old Qingdao, Shandong native 刘晓彤, who was awarded RMB 10,000 for his captivation photo, “围城” or “City Surroundings.” Scroll down below to learn more about Liu Xiaotong and his work.
Liu Xiaotong City Surroundings
People’s Choice Winner Shen Peiyu, 23, traveled from Beijing to attend the party and accept her award for her photo “海の男” or “Sea and Man,” which received the most votes from visitors to www.juefestival.com
Shen Peiyu Sea and Man
ospop. products display
Guests at the party
The 15 finalist photos, and the top 2 winners, were selected from over 400 entries by the JUE NEXT GEN judging panel:• Liu Dan, Photographer, Sohu
• Zhang Xing, Product Manager, LOFTER
• Ben Walters, Founder, ospop.
• Rodney Evans, Director, Central Studios
• Abby Lavin, Director, JUE | Music + Art
We caught up with Grand Prize winner Liu Xiaotong to learn more about this emerging young talent:
Liu Xiaotong
1. When did you start getting interested in photography?
I was born in 1985, and started taking photos in 2009. I had a late start (laughes).
2. What sort of thing inspires you? What are some of the subjects that you frequently photograph?
At night, the city can finally catch her breath, after the mania of the day has subsided. However, even after we draw the curtain on the day, there are many aspects that have yet to be discovered. Every fragmented shadow reflected on the steel and concrete jungle of the city, every uncompromising beam of light shot into the night sky, they are my original inspiration. Their beauty is both honest and dishonest. In my opinion, photography is a path from imitation, to knowledge, to innovation. Self-understanding is very difficult to achieve; not everybody is willing to face their inner thoughts and then express them through the camera lens. When I first started out, I took photos of the light found in darkness and the warmth found in freezing cold. However, recently I have been exploring the deeper meaning and nether recesses of desperation and loneliness in my work. It has made me quite desperate as well. I have always been interested in the relationship between individuals and the city. Over the course of examining that relationship, I discovered the confusion and disorientation inherent in living in this city and the unknown nature of waiting for the future to arrive. But there always will be food to eat. I hope to move past these current darker subjects and into further exploration of the beautiful small things in life.
3. Tell us about the photograph you entered in the competition.
This photograph was taken at Lishui Qiao in Beijing. Litang Rd. is a major transportation artery into Beijing from the north, but the road itself hasn’t been able to support the traffic pressure for many years now. The wall shown in the photograph surrounds construction for a new access road, designed to relieve congestion, running parallel to Litang Rd. The construction workers were afraid that drivers wouldn’t be able to see the construction barriers at night, so they strung up a string of lights in an “M” shape to warn oncoming traffic. I thought this was really interesting – even if they hadn’t hung it in the shape of an “M” the lights still would have been there to warn drivers about the construction wall. But I had the faint impression that the construction worker who hung that string of lights in that shape had some mischievous or artistic or nice motive for doing that, and that resonated with me. At the moment when a local resident stuck his head into a gap in the barrier to take a look, I pressed the shutter.
4. What do you do now? What did you study in university?
Right now I work in IT. In university, I majored in Computer Science, Information Systems and Information Management.
5. What are your plans for the future?
At first, photography was an activity for me to de-stress. Through my work, I’ve been able to document the ups and downs and changes in my recent life. I think I’ll just keep taking photographs. Maybe one day I’ll go back to my hometown of Qingdao, find a place with a view of the ocean and open a coffee shop. I’ll hang my photographs on the walls and guests will be able to ask about the stories behind them.
Lastly, I’d like to take a moment to thank the organisers of JUE NEXT GEN for all their hard work and the judges for selecting my entry. My gratitude goes to those who strive for their ideals, for their livelihood, to those who struggle for their future, be it bright or bleak. Every drop of your sweats glistens in my eyes.
Media Inquiries: Mo Liling, Split Works: mll@spli-t.com | 021-6445-0500
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2012年“觉：新的一代”摄影比赛大奖公布！
非常感谢各位对2012年第四届《觉》音乐+艺术节的大力支持！我们在既往三年的基础上取得了更大的成功：更高效的活动组织、更丰富的节目内容，以及更多的关注与期盼，这一切都离不开你们。当然，更不要提艺术活动最大的亮点——由ospop.倾力呈献的“《觉》新的一代”摄影比赛了。
在由上海Central Studios (奂境艺术中心)协同举办的本次活动里，经过评委和线上爱好者们的严格评选，我们最终从中挑出十五幅优秀作品展映，并于2012年3月23日举办了一场盛大的颁奖派对。本场派对除了获得场地方奂境及ospop.的大力支持外，我们的酒饮赞助商VnC也十分慷慨地加盟活动，并为我们提供了诸多调配新颖、搭配丰富的鸡尾酒与美味小点。而ospop.品牌代言人，才情逼人的人气“美文青”田原的现身，更是为当日活动增添了不小的看点。
ospop. 代言人田原在看展出作品
在活动期间，ospop.品牌创始人Ben Walters为我们公布了比赛的最终结果：
ospop. 创始人Ben在宣布获胜者名单
第二名:黄志强（广东，45岁）-《晨捕》；奖金3000元人民币。
黄志强《晨捕》
Grand Prize Winner: 第一名: 刘晓彤（山东青岛，27岁）-《围城》；奖金10，000元人民币。
刘晓彤《围城》
人民选择奖：申佩玉（台湾，23岁）-《海の男》；获得由ospop.提供的产品一份。
申佩玉《海の男》
ospop. 产品现场展示区
派对上来宾相互亲切交谈
同时也非常感谢所有的参与者，希望能在明年的《觉：新的一代》继续见到你们的优秀作品！当然，作品的选拔也少不了各位评委们的认真付出，他们分别是：
• Sohu网站摄影师刘单
• LOFTER产品经理章行
• ospop. 品牌创始人Ben Walters
• Central Studios总监Rodney Evans
• JUE | Music + Art项目总监Abby Lavin
最后，让我们来和本次比赛的最终获胜者，年仅27岁的刘晓彤聊聊，一起分享关于“劳作之美”的创作心得吧。
刘晓彤
1.什么时候开始对摄影感兴趣？ 85年生人，09年开始对摄影感兴趣，起步好晚（笑）。
2.什么样的东西会给你带来灵感？你摄影通常主题会是什么？
城市在夜里放慢了呼吸，一天紧张的生活落下了帷幕，可是大幕之后，依然有很多的美好我们没有去发现，每一束散落在钢筋水泥丛林中斑驳的光影，每一束冲向天空不屈的探照灯光，都是我镜头里灵感的源泉，它们的美丽如此真实而又不真实。
我认为摄影是一个从模仿到自我认知到创新的过程，自我认知的路很苦，不是所有人都愿意面对自己真实的内心世界，并通过镜头表述出来。我本以为我的主题是黑暗中的光，冰冷中的暖。结果渐渐发现我更愿意去探寻更深层次的绝望和孤独，这让我感到很绝望。我一直在试图探索城市和人之间的互动关系，然后就发现了生活在这城市里个体内心的迷茫，归属感的迷失，以及对不可知的未来的淡淡期待。
面包总会有的。
我希望自己早日从这些个略显消沉的主题中挣扎出来，继续探寻生活中那些美好的小细节。
3.谈一下你参赛的照片？
图片拍摄地点是北京立水桥。立汤路作为进京主干道每日承受京北大半的交通压力，早已不堪重负，图片中围墙围起来的是正在修的一条缓解立汤路拥堵的辅路。工人们为了怕夜里司机朋友看不清围栏，在围栏上方架起了一串彩灯，刻意吊高做成“M”型以表警示。我觉得这点很有意思，其实不做成“M”形也一样可以起到警示的作用。但是我隐约感觉到了那位挂吊灯的城市建设者或顽皮或艺术或向往美好的用心，这让我感觉到了共鸣。在一位附近小区居民将头伸进铁皮围栏窥测的刹那，我按下了快门。
4.你现在从事的是什么相关的工作？大学里的主修专业是什么？
我现在从事的是于IT相关的工作。大学主修的专业是计算机，信息系统与信息管理。
5.你的未来打算是什么？
摄影最初是以一种为工作减压的方式进入到我的生活，我通过自己的作品，记录这些年内心的起伏和变化。我想我会一直拍下去。也许将来会回到我的家乡青岛找个面朝大海春暖花开的地方开个咖啡馆，挂满自己的作品，跟每一位对这些作品感兴趣的顾客分享图片中的那些人和事。
最后，借此机会真诚感谢本次《觉》新的一代组织者的辛勤劳动，感谢评委老师们给予我作品的肯定，感谢那些为了理想为了生存为了各种或光明或飘渺的前途而忙碌奔波的人们,你们的每一滴汗水都在闪耀着光辉。
如欲获得更多详情，欢迎联系mll@spli-t.com | 021-6445-0500
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