Gan Yingying and Zhou Yichen, with the project The Via Combusta, are the winners of the third edition of the Curatorial Award for Photography and Moving Image at the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival.

The Via Combusta
In Technics and Time, Bernard Stiegler offers a fresh perspective on the myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods on Mount Olympus and bestowed it to humans, granting us with the power to survive. Paradoxically, as time progressed, humans are increasingly trapped by the very "fire" of technology.
While visual space expand through technological advancement, we now reside in a society dominated by spectacle and our memories are outsourced to computers. Simultaneously, we grapple with the fear of being replaced by artificial intelligence. In this context, how should human beings redefine our existence? Is it a state of being or an ever-evolving state of becoming? This exhibition, weaves together the "fire" of technology and the “fire” of spirit, and invites us to embark on a journey into the realm where technology and human spirit intermingle.

ABOUT Gan Yingying and Zhou Yichen
Gan Yingying (b.1990) holds a Master’s degree from University for the Creative Arts, Rochester, U.K., specializing in photography. As an independent artist, she resides in Zhujiajiao, where she combines photography, installations, performance arts, and curation to explore the intricate relationship between identity, environment and power. Her creative approach involves self-exposure and confrontation with her surroundings, aiming to arouse the audience's attention, simulate discussions, and resonate on vital social issues. Gan Yingying received the 2019 Photography Expanded Mentorship Program Award by Magnum Foundation and was a finalist for the 2018 Jimei x Arles-Madame Figaro Award. She also contributed to many art residency projects including the 2022 Art Field in Fuliang, and co-founded the Zhujiajiao artist platform, "BUJISM".

Zhou Yichen (b.1986) graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York with a degree in Photography and Related Media. Currently based in Beijing, her performance-based work explores the dynamic between individual and collective memory and tries to figure out where she stands as an individual in the society. Zhou Yichen’s work has taken part in museums, galleries, and photography festivals internationally. She co-founded the non-profit art organization MiA Collective Art, wearing dual hats as a curator and artist, orchestrating exhibitions and art-related initiatives.