APCOM

A virtual city, made of many fragments from different cities. This is the objective of the German photographer Peter Bialobrzeski, who is currently focusing on the new Asian metropolis. The photographic trip which became a book, "Neon Tigers" - "Tigri di Luce" in the Italian version published by Contrasto - is now an exposition which is showing on the roads of Cinisello Balsamo near Milano, from May 18th to the 13th of July.

Bialobrzeski, who intervened at the International centre of Forma Photography of Milano, explained his way of intending urban photography. "A city" he said "can be photographed in different ways, according to one's intentions. The essence is to capture the sense of the places, not only the specific city, but instead the idea of the city. My dream" added the photographer "was to find a quality that united all the cities, a virtual city made of different fragments from different cities." Looking at the images of "Neon Tigers" one can say that the experiment was successful. In fact not only is there a common link between Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok and Singapore, but also in the almost dreamy dimension, which the long exposition and the use of a big format camera give to Bialobrezeski's pictures.

Asia, with its frenetic growth of the new metropolises, offered to the photographer the material needed for his research, which the artist also sees from a social point of view. "It's mostly an Asian phenomenon, because in Asia there has been a big growth in the middle class which did not exist before. And the development of the cities reflects the economic situation of these nations". A dynamism which manifests itself also in the light which shines in urban agglomerates: "The energy of a city" Bialobrzeski explained "is reflected in light emission. I wanted to find and transform the energy of these cities in photography". It is the control of light itself, which allows the German photographer to make the shooting of pictures seem simple. This is one of the reasons why he works with the great format, which allows him through poses of four to eight minutes, "to gather all the details of light".

The technical component is one of the elements which characterize the works of every photographer. But for Bialobrzeski there's more. "One has to know the technical possibilities, but one also has to be able to bend the technique for what you want. It is necessary to know before hand what one wants to obtain from photography. The way I work is that of anticipating the possibilities."

When one thinks of urban images in Italy, Gabriele Basilico is the first that comes to mind. "With Basilico" Bialobrzeski admitted "I share a strong project view. He is very interested in the structure of the city, a pure structure where people never appear. Instead I work in order to give the idea of a livable city, I use the coincidences tied to life in the city. I have also worked as a photojournalist" the artist added "and I'm still in search of the unexpected. When I find something to shoot, I wait for the possibilities the situation offers me."

Moreover in Bialobrzeski's photos, the buildings and urban fabric are central and even where present, the human figure is not of foremost importance. "I think of people," he explained, "as inhabitants, not individuals. But also as subjects who live their lives inside the advanced architectural structures which I photograph". However when we ask him if his cities are 'non places', the answer is clear. "No, they are only a different type of place, they are 'very much places'."