Photos

I am currently doing a photo-project about Shanghai's nightlife and the people operating in it. Inspired by anthropological and sociological theory on nightlife and the variety of rapid social transformations occuring in contemporary Shanghai, the basic idea is 1) that the nightlife may provide a scene, where people may play our different identities (social, gendered, sexual, occupational, etc.), which are not always possible in the daytime (perhaps especially in the still relatively restrictive Chinese society).
2) that the nightlife also constitutes an arena, where the more "traditional" realities of power and domination, poverty and social mobility are becoming very visible. An example is the glamourous bars and clubs catering to Shanghai's expats and Chinese middle- and upper-class people, which are surrounded by beggars, pushers, cigarette vendors, prostitutes, etc. A small space becomes a compressed arena for those who sell and buy, the poor and the rich, patrons and clients.
So far, I have just brought my camera to the streets of Shanghai in the nighttime, taking pictures of people and talking to them. If I get the chance, i would like to pursue the theme in a more comprehensive study at some point.

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Staff in a Shanghai bar, who were quite happy to have their pictures taken. They are all migrants from other provinces than Shanghai and work late-night shifts from 19 pm to late (6 to 8 am.) in the morning.