F-Stop - Ringmessehaus – Peter Bialobrzeski

The Ringmessehaus in Leipzig contains the work of German born photographer Peter Bialobrzeski. The exhibition brings together two series of works ‘Neon Tigers’ and ‘Paradise Now’ which both document the Asian ‘Megacities’. Shot with an analogue camera Bialobrezeski seeks to explore the notion of fiction and sci-fi that are inherent to these cities. This is achieved through the use of long exposure and the juxtaposition of the built up metropolises and the natural world that surrounds them. His interest in fiction and sci-fi, portrays these cities not just as they are but as they could be and illustrates the modern utopia/dystopia imagined in both Huxley’s ‘A Brave New World’ and Orwell’s ‘1984’.

‘Neon Tigers’ consists of a mixture of close up shots of housing blocks, which through exposures ranging from 4-8 minutes result in an emptiness in which people become a blur or disappear altogether. One is left with the built up city, which up close appears chaotic, yet when viewed from afar displays a resounding order and geometrical clarity. When viewing the photos one is struck by the abstract nature of the city as a whole, but on closer inspection one is reminded that in these tower blocks, the individual units represent an individual private space within the whole.

‘Paradise Now’ explores a very different phenomenon to ‘Neon Tigers’. The close proximity of the natural wilderness to these built up manmade spaces is an unusual circumstance and heightens the fictional quality to Bialobrzeski’s work. Although shot with an analogue camera, the pictures look as if they have been artificially manipulated by a computer. Rather than juxtaposition, the natural world and the neon lights of the buildings within the city behind are homogenous. Despite its artificial appearance, Neon is a natural gas and cannot be manufactured artificially by man. This subtlety expresses Bialobrezeski’s constant search to explore the limits between fact and fiction which are so central to his works and his understanding of photography as a medium. Bialobrzeski’s unprecedented vision of these mega metropolises shows a level of thought that not only results in astounding visual impact but also encourages one to reassess one's own perception of the city.