Winners of the Alfred Fried Photography Award 2017
Alive happily, alive strongly
Alfred Fried Photography Award 2017 – Winner Alfred Fried Photography Award Medal
Zongren Xing, China
Alive happily, alive strongly “If you decide to carry me away I will show you the bridges: And your strong foot will be my leg, and my seeing eye will be yours.” One person can see, another can walk - thus the lame and the blind start to help each other live their lives. A poem from the 18th century. Liu Hai and Li Meiwen probably won't know it because they live in 21st century China. None of them is blind. But Liu Hai has lost his arms, and Li Meiwen her legs. And they live what this forgotten poem of a German moral philosopher wants to express: “Together this couple functions in a way which none of them could have done on their own.” Love of imperfect people. They complement each other, they share, they support each other, they are the other’s hand. They are weak on their own, but together they are strong. The have conceived a child. They are a picture of peace. Zongren Xing called his series of photos ‘Alive happily, alive strongly’. He does not yet rank among the internationally renowned Chinese photographers. But only few of the nearly 4,500 contributions astonished and touched the panel of judges so much. Because they are such unpretentious pictures of an imperfect life where hope wins over desperation, and a smile over suffering. (Text by Peter-Matthias Gaede)
Photos by Zongren Xing
Alfred Fried Photography Award 2017 – Winner Alfred Fried Photography Award Medal
Zongren Xing, China
Alive happily, alive strongly “If you decide to carry me away I will show you the bridges: And your strong foot will be my leg, and my seeing eye will be yours.” One person can see, another can walk - thus the lame and the blind start to help each other live their lives. A poem from the 18th century. Liu Hai and Li Meiwen probably won't know it because they live in 21st century China. None of them is blind. But Liu Hai has lost his arms, and Li Meiwen her legs. And they live what this forgotten poem of a German moral philosopher wants to express: “Together this couple functions in a way which none of them could have done on their own.” Love of imperfect people. They complement each other, they share, they support each other, they are the other’s hand. They are weak on their own, but together they are strong. The have conceived a child. They are a picture of peace. Zongren Xing called his series of photos ‘Alive happily, alive strongly’. He does not yet rank among the internationally renowned Chinese photographers. But only few of the nearly 4,500 contributions astonished and touched the panel of judges so much. Because they are such unpretentious pictures of an imperfect life where hope wins over desperation, and a smile over suffering. (Text by Peter-Matthias Gaede)
Photos by Zongren Xing