Blindspot Gallery is delighted to present British artist Martin Parr's first solo exhibition in Hong Kong, “Martin Parr”, a diverse showcase of the work of Parr who is famous for his satirical and humourous social documentary on modern life. The exhibition spotlights 52 images from his recent Hong Kong project (2013) commissioned by Blindspot Gallery, alongside selections from two of his iconic past series, The Last Resort (1983 to 1985) and Luxury (1995 to present). An art book titled Hong Kong Parr will be co-published by Blindspot Gallery, riding on the opening of the artist's debut solo show in Hong Kong.

Bridging the divide between art and documentary photography, Parr's work features the recurrent subjects of consumption, leisure, food culture and national eccentricities, which take on a vibrant rendition in his Hong Kong project. From the faces of Mainland tourists in Hong Kong's shopping districts, local people in an entertainment whirlwind at the racecourse or the ballroom, to gory raw food in the wet market, Parr captures the intensity of urban life in Hong Kong as well as the social and cultural peculiarities of the city.

An iconic series on its publication in 1986, The Last Resort portrays Britain's working classes vacating at the decaying holiday resort of Brighton, a metaphor for the country's dreams and struggles in the early 1980s. Shot in various locations across the world, Luxury depicts the rich showing off their wealth in different scenarios, as an epigraph to today's culture of excess and greed.

In collaboration with the Hong Kong International Photo Festival (HKIPF), a public talk on Parr's work will be held on 7 September at Hong Kong Central Library. In the talk, Parr discusses his long career in photography and explains how both the world of photography and his practice have changed.

Martin Parr will be present at the opening reception and provide a guided tour. Media interviews are welcome and can be arranged.

Martin Parr is a pioneer of contemporary photographic culture, an avid photography book collector and the president of Magnum Photos. In addition to large-scale retrospectives of his work in the Barbican Art Gallery in London (2002), Haus de Kunst in Munich (2008) and other prestigious venues, Parr's accolades have included the Dr. Erich Salomon Award of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie (DGPh) (2006) and Photo Espania lifetime achievement prize (2008). He is the co--‐ author of three volumes of the highly influential The Photobook: A History, and he is currently working on a book about the History of Chinese Photobook to be published in spring 2015. Parr has published over 80 books of his own work and edited another 30.

Blindspot Gallery

15/F, Po Chai Industrial Building, 28
Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong
Ph. +852 2517 6238
info@blindspotgallery.com
www.blindspotgallery.com

Opening hours

Tuesday - Saturday from 10.30am to 6.30pm
Sunday and Monday by appointment only
Closed on public holidays

Related images
  1. Martin Parr Hong Kong. 2013 Pigment print 101.6 x 152.4 cm (Edition of 5) 50.8 x 76.2 cm (Edition of 10) (Image courtesy of artist Martin Parr, Blindspot Gallery and Magnum Photos)
  2. Martin Parr Hong Kong. 2013 Pigment print 152.4 x 101.6 cm (Edition of 5) 76.2 x 50.8 cm (Edition of 10) (Image courtesy of artist Martin Parr, Blindspot Gallery and Magnum Photos)
  3. Martin Parr England. New Brighton. From ‘The Last Resort’. 1983-1985 Pigment print 101.6 x 127 cm Edition of 5 C-print 50.8 x 61 cm Edition: uneditioned (Image courtesy of artist Martin Parr, Blindspot Gallery and Magnum Photos)
  4. Martin Parr England. Ascot. 2003 C-print 101.6 x 152.4 cm (Edition of 5) 50.8 x 76.2 cm (Edition of 10) (Image courtesy of artist Martin Parr, Blindspot Gallery and Magnum Photos)
  5. Martin Parr Ireland. Galway Races. 1997 C‐print 101.6 x 152.4 cm (Edition of 5) 50.8 x 76.2 cm (Edition of 25) (Image courtesy of artist Martin Parr, Blindspot Gallery and Magnum Photos)
  6. Martin Parr Hong Kong. 2013 Pigment print 101.6 x 152.4 cm (Edition of 5) 50.8 x 76.2 cm (Edition of 10) (Image courtesy of artist Martin Parr, Blindspot Gallery and Magnum Photos)