The Unconscious Eyes

XIAOHONGSHU INSPIRING PHOTOGRAPHY EXHBITION: The Unconscious Eyes

A whale sculpture on the beach, tulips emerging from an airplane porthole, floating jellyfish, a dark red sky at dusk, giant sparrows flying past the window, and pine trees like flames along the road. Through the lens of the artists, reality has been refracted into a strange land, with each work serving as a window into an infinitely expansive world of wonder.

100 years ago, Andre Breton declared in the Surrealist Manifesto that besides the real world, there is a more authentic "unconscious" or "subconscious" world, and to a large extent, artistic creation is not driven by rationality, but the natural flow of the subconscious, through releasing the subconscious, revealing the emotions and truths that are ignored or suppressed in daily logic. And as a medium for capturing reality in an instant, photography also becomes an ideal tool for exploring the subconscious in this process, overlapping reality and imagination in the lens to create a visual experience full of mystery and enchantment. In this way, photography is not just a representation of the world, but a direct presentation of the subconscious, providing a perspective for exploring the inner world beyond the conventional reality.

This exhibition is centered around the theme of "Surreal Imagery" and consists of two light and dark spaces. It takes visitors from a dazed and absent-minded state under the scorching sun to a dreamlike state at night. Six artists either capture fleeting moments of everyday life while strolling through the streets, or use digital technology or collage to create surreal scenes, guiding viewers through the everyday reality and into an inner world beyond reason, filled with hidden emotions and truths. Their works provide viewers with a bizarre and disorienting visual experience, enabling them to perceive the hidden emotions and truths at the subconscious level, and experience the transformation from reality to dreamland.
Artist: Da Mu

Da Mu, currently engaged in photography, Da Mu earned a Master’s degree in Classical Painting Arts from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara in 2020. During his studies, he developed a passion for photography, which led to the exploration of the project The Representation of the Relationship Between Humans and the Environment in Photography and Painting. This project began as his graduation thesis and continues to evolve. His photographic works have been featured in the Carrara City Open Day exhibition. In 2019, his Big World, Small Stories series from the Humans and Environment project was selected for the Pingyao International Photography Festival. In 2021, another series, K27/28, 95H Korea, won a Silver Award at the IPA International Photography Awards and was part of a traveling exhibition.
Artist: Ron

Born in Yueyang, Hunan, in 1998, Ron is an independent photographer currently living and working in Shanghai. Deeply influenced by her hometown and upbringing, she seeks to capture tranquil, pure, and surreal images, documenting her rapidly disappearing hometown landscapes through a unique lens. Her personal project Silence and Light builds a vast and quiet world by perceiving subtle details in daily life.
Artist: Xu Yu

Xuyu (Qin Dongyi), an avid photographer and documentarian of Shanghai’s streets during his leisure time, graduated from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and currently lives and works in Shanghai. He uses 135-format film cameras for his creations, often focusing on themes related to everyday life and natural scenes. Through the medium of photography, he employs a clean and serene visual language to find emotional resonance in quiet moments, exploring relationships between people, time, and nature. His works have been exhibited at PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai 2024, Chengdu Contemporary Image Museum, and Xi’an Tamart Community.
Artist: Zhao Mengjia

Zhao Mengjia, born in 2000 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Zhao Mengjia graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Photography from the China Academy of Art in 2022 and was recommended for direct admission to its Master's program in Photography and Image Art. Her works span photography, experimental video, and installation art, often blurring the boundaries between photography and painting. Exploring themes such as reality versus surreality, the flow and permanence of time, and the fragility and resilience of life, she uses dreamlike imagery as a visual metaphor. Her works have been exhibited at major institutions and festivals, including Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival (Xiamen), PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai, Lishui Photography Festival (Lishui), Beijing International Photography Week (Beijing), Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (Xiamen), and Zhejiang Art Museum (Hangzhou).
Artist: Xiao Tianyi

Xiao Tianyi earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in photography from the School of Design at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Her work Domestication Syndrome is part of the academy's permanent collection, while her photo series Habitat was included in Global Youth Image Art 100. During her exploration of visual media, she developed a practice focused on creating art within the framework of human and nature themes. Her ongoing work aims to deepen her research into contemporary image philosophy while expanding her creative methods and enhancing the visual language of her photography.
Artist: Wang Yuxi

Born in 1999, Wang Yuxi holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Freie Universität Berlin. Her work draws on minute, everyday subjects, juxtaposing natural and artificial landscapes. She is currently exploring visual presentation methods and 3D modeling. Wang has been nominated for the 2024 C/O Berlin Talent Award in the artist category, and her works have been featured in photography publications such as Der Greif, NOICE Magazine, and Broad Magazine. Her exhibitions include displays at B-Part Gallery (Berlin), Arbre Art Center, One Space, and Three Shadows Photography Art Centre.
Curator: Teng Qingyun

Teng Qingyun holds a Master’s degree from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and is currently the Executive Director of Three Shadows Photography Art Centre in Xiamen, as well as the Executive Director of the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival and Artistic Director of Three Shadows Unbounded program.

Her practice encompasses exhibition curation, production, and research. Teng is an active exhibition producer and curator in the field of visual arts. She previously served as Exhibition Coordinator for the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival (2021–2022) and Exhibition Producer for the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival (2017–2020). She was Assistant Curator for Ten Directions: Three Shadows Photography Award 10th Anniversary Special Exhibition (2018, Beijing) and 40 Years of Chinese Contemporary Photography (1976–2017) (2017, Beijing). In 2018, she participated in exhibition preparations for the Rencontres d’Arles Photography Festival in France.
Curator: Li Zijian

Li Zijian obtained a master's degree in Global Media and Communications from the University of Melbourne. He currently serves as the curator and library director at the Three Shadows Xiamen Photography Art Centre, where he is engaged in photography theory research and curatorial work. He has initiated and curated the "Space on Paper - Jimei x Arles Photobook Exhibition" and has curated exhibitions such as "The Island, Lowercased: Time-Space Beyond the Map - Jimei x Arles 2023," "Dear Old Days - Ryoji Akiyama Solo Exhibition," "Three Shadows Unbounded Group Exhibition," as well as dozens of solo exhibitions for the Three Shadows Unbounded project.
Damu, A Beached Whale, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Damu, Living in Groups, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Yuxi Wang, selected from Lasting Longer Than an Instant series, 2022-2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Yuxi Wang, selected from Lasting Longer Than an Instant series, 2022-2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Xuyu, selected from My World Is Shrouded In A Giant Privacy Screen series, 2020-2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Xuyu, selected from My World Is Shrouded In A Giant Privacy Screen series, 2020-2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Zhao Mengjia, Selected from Stay on Earth and Pray series, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Zhao Mengjia, Selected from Sleep at the Junction of Day and Night series, 2023-2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Xiao Tianyi, Dark Extinction – Sparrows, 2021-2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Xiao Tianyi, Oceanarium, 2023. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Ron, Untitled, 2022. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Ron, Selected from Endless Homeland series, 2022. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.