Taiwanese photographer Wu Chun-hua (吳俊樺)'s solo photography exhibition "10099KM France-Taïwan" will be on view at the Pavillon Davioud in Jardin du Luxembourg, France from Aug. 27 to Sep. 7, featuring 36 photographs and a 4-meter scroll photography collection to showcase the styles of Taiwan and France.
The display is part of the annual summer cultural and art exhibition "L'Été du jardin du Luxembourg" organized by the French Senate.
This exhibition was originally slated to be held in 2020, but it was postponed for a year due to the impact of the COVID-19. Wu said that he has been traveling between Taiwan and France several times per year for a decade, but he was unable to visit France for one and a half years due to the travel restrictions, which has resulted in him being apart from his French partner. This intrigued him to rethink the connotation of "distance," he then decided to reorganize and propose to modify the exhibition theme, which was approved by the French Senate.
Referring to the geographical distance between Taiwan and France (10099 kilometers), Wu uses light and composition into his work to present the notion of "nostalgia" and "homesickness," connecting scenes of cities and villages, mountains and seas, sky and earth in France and Taiwan.
The displayed photographs of landscape or architecture are combined side by side with two or three images. In an interview with Central News Agency, Wu pointed out that he did not want to emphasize the location of the photos, thus there are no labels inserted below those works to indicate where they were taken. However, viewers can get the information from the brochure.
He added that, he received feedback from visitors, many of them could not differentiate the photos of France and Taiwan. Through these photographs, the French people who have been to Taiwan recalled their days in Taiwan, while those who have not been to Taiwan became curious about the country. Wu pointed out that his photo is a medium and a clue that allows viewers to discover and search.
(Photo courtesy of Wu Chun-hua)