Norbulingka Palace, Former Residence of the Dalai Lama, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Hats of Chinese officials aboard the T-27 train, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Monks after a ceremony at the end of their spiritual retreat, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Pilgrims around the Jokhang Palace, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Karo-la Glacier, Souvenirs stall with Portraits of Mao Zedong and Lin Piao, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Gonggar Aiport, Lhasa, Xizang Tibet, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
28 x 20 in.
Ed. of 15
Ruins of an old monastery near the middle of the sacred lake Yamdrok-Tso, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
A monk near a slogan to the Glory of Mao Zedong at Drepung Monastery, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
A Buddhist pilgrim walking to Lhasa near the sky cemetery, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Tibetans sifting wheat, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Prayer flags on power lines at the sacred lake Yamdrok-Tso, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Ruins of an old monastery near the middle of the sacred lake Yamdrok-Tso, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Popular Liberation Army in front of the Potala Palace, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Buddhist Monastery of the Gelupka order, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Tibetan prayer flags on the road Kapa-Lhasa, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Monks resting in the T-27 train, 2008
Carbon Pigment Print
20 x 28 in.
Ed. of 15
Photographs from Laurent Zylberman’s series A Journey in Tibet will be on view at Sous Les Etoiles Gallery March 15, 2012 through May 31, 2012. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 15th, 6-8pm with the artist in attendance.
After the riots of March 14-16, 2008, photographer Laurent Zylberman and journalist Eric Meyer were among the first westerners authorized to enter Tibet, a forbidden region under traumatized military guard and armed to the teeth. "We had the desire to place ourselves in the interstices of the economic, social and religious Tibetan society, seize people’s eyes and their relationship with each other, and reveal a reality they cannot talk about or voluntarily express,” recalled Laurent Zylberman.
The series A Journey in Tibet is based on their 15-day mission through “The Top of the World," between Lhasa, Shigatze, Giangtze and Namso Lake. This photographic journal describes the culture’s vulnerability, allowing us to discover significant internal contradictions of China’s policy for its “autonomous territory.” Each photo solicits strange, unexpected and profound poetry. This awe-inspiring environment in extreme conditions, settled by a very sparse population, conveys a feeling of gravity and greatness.
This journey depicts the countryside, the mountain ranges, the plateau, valleys, streams, cities, markets, and people at work, in prayer or procession. The religious feeling and behavior of friars, laymen and laywomen are explored, as well as Tibet’s popular rural culture, which remains largely intact today. Here, we delve into a multitude of different Tibetan personalities: the totally integrated, the opportunists, the historic socialists (from families who supported the regime for generations), and those well cared for by a regime anxious to keep a reliable local administration. It also depicts various types of Han newcomers, job seekers, taxi drivers, hotel workers and shopkeepers.
The series A Journey in Tibet is part of the book "Tibet, The Last Scream," written by Eric Meyer, an accredited China correspondent for various francophone medias. This diary and photobook will be released in 2012 in three languages and countries (USA, France, and Spain).
