Xu Yong
China (1954)
Biennale Images Vevey
2016
Negatives
Negatives
Xu Yong presented a reproduction of the negatives of his photographs taken during the protests on Tiananmen Square in 1989. These images were censored in China. This exceptional account of this revolution required viewers’ participation, as they had to switch on the color-inverting mode on their smartphones to see an analog version of the 25-year-old images finally revealed thanks to digital technology. The Negatives series was displayed outdoors near the Hôtel-de-Ville, reminding viewers of the geographical boundaries of freedom of speech in western democracies.
