GENOVA.- VisionQuesT 4rosso is presenting for the first time in Italy the solo exhibition by Laurence Chellali.

The year is 2119. Climate change has taken full effect.

The tipping point had been reached 100 years earlier, but no one had really believed it, despite the desperate warnings of scientists, and especially not the heads of governments who had eyes and hearts only for the sacrosanct market economy. Humanity therefore continued to act as if it had several planets at its disposal to satisfy its consumer urges, telling itself that ….so far, so good.

But no... Droughts began to rage in certain parts of the world, while elsewhere the oceans invaded the land. Under the impact of pollution, overexploitation and global warming, the land began to become less and less fertile, turning into desert. All biodiversity collapsed, leading to unprecedented famines, and 3/4 of humanity perished.

Condemned to see their world disappear under the dust, humanity now wanders alone in a barren world of sand, rock, ice and, occasionally, plants that have miraculously survived. Once a great industrial civilization, now all that remains of our old world is concrete.

Of course, what Laurence Chellali says here is fiction, but not too much...... if, due to the climate emergency we face, we believe the theorists of global collapse who are gaining an increasingly significant following.

Laurence Chellali, a French artist who has been living in China for several years, saw what these scholars are predicting when she crossed the Chinese part of the Gobi desert (a word which in the Mongol language means "place without water"), a barren, desolate and arid landscape that continues to advance. The Chinese call it the Yellow Dragon and perhaps against it only intelligence can compete.

Chellali didn't have to try to imagine what the world could be like in the future following the devastating effects of climate change. She did not rely on digital renderings, somewhere between science fiction and harsh reality or created imaginary frames and dystopian scenarios, which could come from the latest science fiction film or from the visionary paintings of Roland Cat. The scenarios of her images, which are also the result her technical mastery and a wise use of natural light, portray the world as it already is: a world that is undoubtedly and visually fascinating, but which turns out to be extreme, dark and disturbing as in the not too distant future towards which it is projected

Laurence Chellali was born in Lyon, France. She lives and works between China, Italy and France. With a background in journalism and web design, she is what one might call a hybrid photographer, mixing artistic practices with documentary photography. She likes to connect, to break down boundaries, to explore new terrain, to be surprised by those she meets – and, sometimes, by herself.

At the heart of this protean work, through the stories she discover or those that are more intimate to her, she wishes to understand, to witness, and even more, to share the narratives and experiences that unite the human community.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, notably at the Nanjing Fine Arts Museum and at festivals in China, France and Italy. Represented by the OFOTO Art Gallery in Shanghai, she is also a member of DALAM IMAGES collective and STUDIO HANS LUCAS (mainly documentary photography) and a contributor for ARCANGEL IMAGES agency (artistic illustration photography).

After living in Italy for 10 years, she is now based in Nanjing, China since 2015. She teaches photography courses and workshops for adults. She also continue to run a photo blog where she can talk about creative photography.

Solo and/or complete series exhibitions

2023 – La recette du bonheur – Nomad No Mad Studio – Shanghai – China 2023 – Collapsed – Festival Barrobjectif – France 2019 – “Collapsed” and “The ingenue and the vegetable” – Studio Hans Lucas projection during Visa pour l’Image – Perpignan – France 2018 – Parallaxes – In the Art Harvest Festival – Jiulong – Fujian Province – China 2018 – Ensemble – Salon de la photographie de Strasbourg – Strasbourg – France 2017 – Poursuit of happiness – Solo exhibition – Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts – Nanjing – China 2017 – Ensemble – Solo exhibition – Ofoto gallery – Shanghai – China 2016 – Ensemble – Photography Biennale of Tianshui – China 2015 – VIXI – Lishui international photography festival – China 2015 – L’idéaliste contrarié – CONFINI – travelling exhibition in art galeries : Venice, Florence, Cosenza, Trieste, Genova, Milan – Italy 2014 – VIXI – Solo Exhibition – Alliance française Galliera de Gênes – Italy 2014 – L’idéaliste contrarié – CONFINI – Rome – Italy 2013 – VIXI – Rencontres photographiques du Genevois – Saint Julien en Genevois (Geneva) – France 2012 – Entre ciel et terre – Pechakucha night – Genova – Italy 2011 – TOP ! – Solo exhibition – Sciorba – Genova – Italy 2010 – Âme vagabonde – Solo Exhibition – Alliance française Galliera de Gênes – Italy

Collectives and/or juried exhibitions

2023 – Songshan project – Limiangou Art Tribe – Curator Luo Yonjin – China 2023 – A palm print – Ofoto Gallery – Shanghai – China 2020 – Path to an enchanting seclusion – Shanghai Xinqiao art museum – Curator Jin Yangping – China 2020 – Soul Reset – Ofoto Gallery – Shanghaï – China 2019 – Projection for Hans Lucas during the festival Visa pour l’Image – France 2019 – Songshan Project – Curator Alain Jullien – Henan – China 2018 – Light – A Smith Gallery – USA – Juror’s honorable mention – Juror : Geoffrey Koslov 2018 – Fictional narrative – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Online exhibition. Juror : Emma Powell. 2017 – Trieste photo days – Urban photo awards – 1st place for “Urban Art” – Italy – Juror : Maurizio Galimberti 2017 – Composed – Photoplace gallery and Texas Photographic Society – USA – Juror : Sam Abell 2016 – Trees – A Smith Gallery – USA – Juror : Mickael Kenna 2016 – Photofairs Shanghai with OFOTO gallery – China 2016 – Animalia – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : Traer Scott 2016 – Red – A smith Gallery – USA – Juror : Aline Smithson 2016 – Gathering – A smith Gallery – Director’s Award – USA – Juror : Jennifer Shaw 2015 – URBAN 2015 – doArt – Nicosia – Cyprus 2015 – URBAN 2015 – doArt – Koper – Slovenia 2015 – Artist book « Lost Love » – Galerie Fontaine obscure – Aix en Provence – France 2015 – Urban Landscape – 1650 Gallery – Los Angeles – USA 2014 – In praise of trees – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : Kirsten Hoving 2013 -At the edge of the night – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : Sean Kernan 2013 – Open water – The Kiernan Gallery (On line exhibition) – USA – Juror : Jennifer Schwartz 2013 – Mysterious visions – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : Emma Powell 2013 – Inconscio femminile – Feltrinelli Genova – Italy 2013 – Birds, real or imagined – Photoplace Gallery – USA – Juror : S. Gayle Stevens 2013 – Color Story – Darkroom Gallery – USA – Juror : Seth Resnick 2012 – Flower Power – 1650 Gallery – USA 2012 – Noi & Busalla – Comune di Busalla – Italy 2012 – Regards sur la France – Alliance française Galliera de Gênes – Italy 2012 – Pane olio 2012 – Sestri Levante – Italy 2012 – Perché Genova ? – Feltrinelli Genova – Italy 2011 – Pane ed olio in frantoio – Sestri Levante – Italy 2011 – Una donna, una ftografia, un libro – Feltrinelli – Italy 2010 – Pane ed olio in frantoio – Sestri Levante – Italy 2010 – Gesti di donna – Feltrinelli – Genova – Italy