GoSee loves books: Adam Lampton 'Nothing Serious Can Happen Here - Photographs from Macau' – a reportage on the transformation of a city into the Las Vegas of the East
For over a decade (2006-19), I photographed the former Portuguese colony of Macau (now a Special Administrative Region of China) and witnessed its transformation from a small enclave into a gambling Mecca.
In the last decade, Adam Lampton has photographed the former Portuguese colony of Macau (now China), documenting its transformation from a small enclave to an international hub for gambling and leisure. In 2007, Macau surpassed Las Vegas in revenue. The city is constantly shaped by the collision of its colonial heritage, the communist capitalism experiment, and Chinese traditions, making it a place that is continually redefined through the lens of its diverse histories.
This complexity is reflected in Lampton's large-scale photographs, which oscillate between the past and present, between expression and observation. Lampton's work has been exhibited internationally and published in renowned publications such as Art in America, The Boston Globe, and Camera Austria. The title references W.H. Auden's 1938 poem "Macao," in which the city is described as "a weed from Catholic Europe," highlighting its strong contrasts and the intricate interplay of history, faith, and decadence.
Lampton, who describes his photographic style as "poetically driven realism," shared his initial impressions in an interview with Macao News: 'I think what was impressive to me initially was the pace of the change – primarily a physical change, but also a cultural and economic change. The idea of creating a Las Vegas-sized city in a matter of years as opposed to decades strikes me as something that is extremely unusual – especially in the West...... When I left in 2007, after my first year, I actually left on the day of the grand opening of the Venetian. When I returned in 2015, City of Dreams was complete as well as a large portion of the rest of the strip. When I left, it was just a field of cranes. Beyond that physical change, the number of tourists increased by 18 million visitors a year between my first and last visit. '
Adam Lampton is an internationally acclaimed photographer whose work has been featured in publications such as Art in America, The Boston Globe, and Camera Austria. As a recipient of the William J. Fulbright Scholarship for Macau and a finalist for the Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Grant, Lampton views the landscape as a space for personal, social, and historical narratives. Through his ability to uncover the multiple layers of meaning within these environments, he invites viewers to explore the deeper stories behind his images.
Adam Lampton: Nothing Serious Can Happen Here - Photographs from Macau
Hardcover, 24 x 19.6 cm, 120 pages, 72 color and B/W illustrations
Chinese, English
ISBN 978-3-96900-167-7, 2024
Artist: Adam Lampton
Text: Adam Lampton, Tim Simpson
Design: Kehrer Design (Laura Pecoroni)
CREDITS
Photographer Adam Lampton
PUBLISHER KEHRER Verlag
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