'NY10048 -
The World Trade Center in the early 1990s'
Photographs by Gretchen So (Hong Kong)
Photospace Gallery, September 11th to October 6th, 2014

This September 11th, recognising the anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York, Photospace Gallery opens an exhibition of photographs of the World Trade Center taken in the early 1990s by acclaimed Hong Kong photographer Gretchen So.

As a stunning tribute to the American Dream, the World Trade Center complex in New York was a popular photography subject. And just when one would think the world has seen the Twin Towers from every possible angle, the black and white images of Gretchen So rediscover them for the viewer, yet again, as a powerful reminder of the artistic merit of these glass-and-aluminum-alloy pillars of modern times.

“It is my hope that this exhibition will guide the viewer to go past the monumental historic prominence of the buildings, and discover their remarkable impact as quiet witnesses of our daily life at the time.”

The photographs reveal the photographer’s fascination with the monolithic symbolism of the buildings. Most images feature the towers from remote locations in New Jersey, Queens and Brooklyn, and how the farther she went from them, the more ubiquitous their presence the skyline. She portrays the buildings not so much as an engineering marvel, but rather as an omnipresent witnesses of modern life in cosmopolitan New York in early 90s, when the Twin Towers were reigning as the symbol of opportunity and success. 

“Having lived in both New York and Hong Kong, I see the strong correlation between the two cities. The street rhythm of Hong Kong resembles the fast pace in New York both visually and emotionally.”

Essay by John Batten

Mark Amery's review in The Big Idea (scroll to end)

About Gretchen So

Gretchen So is an artist and arts educator based in Hong Kong. She holds an M.F.A. in Photography from Yale University, and she attended an M.A. programme in Arts Administration at Columbia University. She also has a BFA (Honours) in Photography and a BA (Distinction) in Asian Studies from the University of Manitoba, Canada.

So has received various awards for her academic studies, including the Lila Acheson Wallace Scholarship from Reader's Digest, Yale Scholarships, as well as the Lehman Fund and the Arts Administration Fund from Columbia University.

So is currently a Professor of Photography (Adjunct) at Savannah College of Art and Design, Hong Kong.

'Hay/Carder Rd, Governor's Island, NY10004, 1992' - photo: Gretchen So

'Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ 07305, 1993' - photo: Gretchen So

'Essex/Greene St, Jersey City, NJ 07302, 1992' - photo: Gretchen So

'Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 1992' - photo: Gretchen So

As an artist, So has been awarded many publication and exhibition grants by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. The photographs she took before and after the handover of Hong Kong to China were published in two volumes, Evolving Territories: Photographs of Hong Kong 1994-1997 and 1997-2000. Her work has been showcased in Asia, Europe and North America. She was also a Sovereign Asian Art Prize finalist in 2008, 2011 and 2013-2014.

For more information, please visit www.gretchenso.com