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Photography, like many other art forms, has long been the realm of the individual artist. But with projects like the one in Guangzhou, China, it may actually help bring entire communities together.
“Guangzhou Supports You!” is a crowdsourced, grass-roots photography activity in China that asks residents to contribute to an online forum with pictures of their city. It originally started out as a movement in support of a television newscaster who lost his job for speaking his mind, but now it has grown into a massive project that allows Guangzhou residents to showcase the beauty and affection they have for their city.
The way it works is participants are able to download a graphic from the organizer’s website, then photograph themselves somewhere in the city with it — from storefronts and back alleys, to parks and factories — and later upload the picture to the website. There it is added to a collection of submissions from other users and available for everyone to see.
In all, the project is an example of how young artists and community members are able to communicate and organize on the internet. Just as important, of course, is its use of photography in allowing regular people to express a communal love for their city. “We inherit the past and usher in the future,” say the organizers. “We are in it for the love of Guangzhou, and we will keep on keepin’ on.”
To see some of the best entries in “Guangzhou Supports You!” check out a special interview with one of the project’s founders.