‘Long Time, No See’: A Dialogue With China By Zack Vitiello
- Words
- Brit Seaton
On his bi-annual manufacturing trips to Shenzhen, Guangzhou and the surrounding areas, Zack Vitiello builds on his photo series ‘Long time, no see’, documenting everyday experiences in the Chinese cities.
‘Long time, no see’ is a collection of photographs shot on 35mm film, which have developed into an ongoing project over his last five trips to China. Despite the frequent visits, Vitiello comments that China remains in his mind as a vast and unknowable country, an experience he aims to capture through the depiction of empty restaurants, deserted streets and stark buildings with dark windows. By curating this view of isolated but incredibly dense spaces, loud with saturated colour and the warmth of film grain, Vitiello shares his interactions with the cities from an outsider’s perspective. The assembly of images in diptych format and intriguing perspectives of mundane sights presents ‘Long time, no see’ as a visual diary and personal dialogue with the cities, and an insight into Vitiello’s journey to familiarity with China.
All images © Zack Vitiello