Supported by an exhibition at Les Rencontres d'Arles in 2024, to be followed by an international tour, this is the first retrospective of one of China's most important photographic artists.

Mo Yi is a photographic artist with a career spanning nearly forty years from the 1980s to today. Published to accompany a major exhibition at Les Rencontres d’Arles, this retrospective contextualizes his work within the evolution of contemporary art following reform and opening in China in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution.

Organized into five chronological chapters that mark the milestones of Mo Yi’s journey as an artist, each introduced by Holly Roussell, the book presents the key projects and series, created through an era of great change and upheaval in China. A restless innovator of photographic practice and form, Mo Yi has combined documentary photography of daily life in Beijing with the exploratory and performative aspects for which his work has become renowned, shifting from the dynamic black and white images of his earlier practice to the vivid red that becomes a recurring motif in his later colour work.

Showcasing more than 150 original photographs, and with text contributions from Christoph Wiesner, Director of Les Rencontres d’Arles, and Philip Tinari, Director of UCCA, this book will introduce one of China’s most important, yet virtually unknown artists to international audiences for the first time.

'an excellent presentation of Mo Yi’s projects, an intelligent retrospective of the work of a noted street photographer who deserves further recognition' - PhotoBook Journal

Holly Roussell is a curator and art historian specializing in photography and contemporary art from Asia. Currently a curator at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, her previous books include Civilization: The Way We Live Now, co-authored with William A. Ewing and published by Thames & Hudson. Philip Tinari is Director and CEO of the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. Christoph Wiesner is Director of Les Rencontres d'Arles.