<
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/dec/08/megacities-in-the-world-ngv-triennial-national-gallery-of-victoria-megacity-list-2023-life-in-cities-more-than-10-million-people-photo-essay>
"At last count, our planet is home to 34 “megacities”: cities with populations
of more than 10 million. By 2035, the UN estimates there will be 48 megacities;
by 2050, it is expected that two out of every three people will live in cities
as populations grow, rural areas are absorbed by urban sprawl, and people
continue to move in search of work, education and opportunity.
Understanding what it’s like to live in these intense urban environments is the
theme of the National Gallery of Victoria’s
Megacities exhibition, an
immersive multimedia exhibition featuring about 500 images by 10 photographers
in 10 megacities.
The NGV’s senior curator of photography, Susan van Wyk, commissioned street
photographers living and working in 10 megacities around the world: Hana Gamal
in Cairo, Farhana Satu in Dhaka, Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro in Jakarta,
Saumya Khandelwal in Delhi, Gustavo Minas in São Paulo, Chen Ronghui in
Shanghai, JT White in Seoul, Yagazie Emezi in Lagos, Mikiko Hara in Tokyo and
Francisco Mata Rosas in Mexico City.
Together they have created an intimate portrait of their home cities,
documenting people living, working, moving and playing in the streets. The
images span quiet, reflective spaces and pockets of nature, as well as more
confronting images of crowds and construction on a mass scale, reflecting the
fascinating individuality of each city and all the people who live in them.
Megacities often get a bad rap – portrayed as chaotic, polluted and crowded,
where competition for resources is intense and many people struggle just to
survive: places perceived through the lens of “fear and prejudice”, as Timothy
Moore, curator of contemporary design and architecture at NGV, writes in the
Triennial catalogue.
But the Megacities exhibition offers more nuanced and individual perspectives
of life in these diverse cities. “The people making these images live in these
places. It’s not an external visitor or tourist coming in and capturing images
that are all about what makes [places] different,” says Van Wyk.
“This is a project that offers up an opportunity for people to present images
that are a reflection of the environment in which they live and work … It’s a
complex vision of the world today.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
