Celina Schroeder’s work “THE DEAL” consists of a series of 147 portraits that have been taken during a one month stay in China. Together in a small team, Schroeder visited 4 major cities: Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and Chengdu, and experienced a celebrity like reaction, when encountering locals.
“Sometimes people would line up to get a picture with us, because in China everyone non Chinese is perceived as exotic and this diversity meets great curiosity that has to be captured to show to their family and friends. At first I was fine with that one sided exchange, but eventually I thought: “Hey, hang on, I am a photographer myself.”
This realisation marked a turning point during Schroeder’s stay and she changed her project to an interactive trade of imagery to overcome the language barriers in the first place, the Chinese culture and her found their common interest: photography, through which they were able to interact and communicate.
The series “THE DEAL” has been exhibited twice in a solo exhibition layout. Once at the art space “Attent” in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) in 2019 and the second time at the office space at Radio 4TNG in Zurich (Switzerland) in 2019.
“THE DEAL”, 2019, solo exhibition at Radio 4TNG in Zurich (Switzerland)