In collaboration with <b>SHENZHEN DAKEN ART CENTER</b>


Directed by duet of Magnum’s street photographers, the legendary Bruce Gilden and new nominee Matt Stuart, this new workshop will offer a unique and intensive photography experience for the first time in the dynamic Chinese city of Shenzhen. Launched in collaboration with the Shenzhen Daken Art Center, the workshop will be part of an annual program to be held in the city over the year.


<b>The Workshop</b>

From April 26th to 30th, Bruce Gilden and Matt Stuart will lead their groups through daily programs of shooting, reviews, group critiques, mentoring, editing sessions, providing the opportunity to learn and improve one’s photographic skills amongst peers.

Intended for photographers or photography students with a good understanding of photographic practice, candidates will spend the five days alongside their selected photographer developing visual language, photographic identity, practical, technical and conceptual skills and the expertise required to compete in a changing marketplace.
Students will have the opportunity to build a photographic story in Shenzhen or its surroundings, in some cases, relating to previous photographic works or interests.

Magnum’s photographers are used to lead students to find out by themselves how they can improve their photography and editing rather than imposing their own photographic style.
Each applicant will be able to choose the photographer they would like to work with, and all efforts will be made to accommodate their choice.

The reduced number of participants, 12 max per group, and the location of the workshop will permit to work in an intimate and inspiring atmosphere.

The workshop will end with a public projection of the participants’ works produced during the 5 days and two evening talks leaded by each Magnum mentor.


<b>The Photographers Requirements</b>

Workshop participants should be able to show a good level of photographic aptitude. Candidates will be expected to arrive comfortable with their equipment and ready to photograph. The workshop is limited to just 12 participants and photographers will be subject to online applications.

We recommend participants arrive with at least one realistic project idea they wish to develop during the workshop, and that preliminary research be conducted before the workshop begins. This should include contact liaison, access information and even early shooting – Please refer to your teacher’s specific requirements.

On the first day participants will have the opportunity to present their existing work and discuss project ideas. The workshop structure is self-directed and participants will be responsible for their own coordination and time management. Candidates are encouraged to be realistic about what is achievable in five days.

Due to the fast pace of the workshop, we highly recommends that participants produce and edit their work digitally, using their own laptops. Individuals wishing to use film may do so, but at their own cost and during the time imposed. Lab services will be recommended.


<b>Travel & Accommodation</b>

Participants are expected to make their own arrangements regarding travel and accommodation; a list of suitable accommodation options will be provided to successful candidates. International visitors can travel to Paris from most major terminals.
Please ensure you have the necessary travel documents & relevant visas in order to attend the event. Daken Art Center can provide letters of support when necessary.


<b>Applications</b>

Click Here for more informations and to apply : <a href='http://iuif.sxl.cn' target='_blank'>http://iuif.sxl.cn</a>

The first deadline for acceptance is April 20th, and qualified applicants will be selected through a combination of the merit of their work and their personal statement, and the order of their application's receipt. All applications received after April 20th will be reviewed, space permitting.

For further informations, please contact : workshop@dakenart.com


<b>The Photographers</b>

<b>Bruce Gilden</b>

"I'm known for taking pictures very close, and the older I get, the closer I get"
- Bruce Gilden

An Iconic street photographer with a unique style, Bruce Gilden was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1946. He first went to Penn State University but he found his sociology courses too boring for his temperament and he quit college. Gilden briefly toyed with the idea of being an actor but in 1967, he decided to buy a camera and to become a photographer. Although he did attend some evening classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York, Bruce Gilden is to be considered substantially a self-taught photographer.
Right from childhood, he has always been fascinated by the life on the streets and the complicated and fascinating motion it involves, and this was the spark that inspired his first long-term personal projects, photographing in Coney Island and then during the Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Over the years he has produced long and detailed photographic projects in New York, Haiti, France , Ireland, India, Russia, Japan and now in America.
Since the seventies, his work has been exhibited in museum and art galleries all over the world and is part of many collections.

The photographic style of Bruce Gilden is defined by the dynamic accent of his pictures, his special graphic qualities, and his original and direct manner of shooting the faces of passers-by with a flash. Gilden’s powerful images in black and white and now in color have brought the Magnum photographer worldwide fame.

Gilden has received many awards and grants for his work, including National Endowments for the Arts fellowships (1980, 1984 and 1992), French “Villa Medicis Hors les Murs” grant (1995), grants from the New York State Foundation for the Arts ( 1979, 1992 and 2000), a Japan Foundation Artist Fellowship (1999) and in 2013 a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship.

Bruce Gilden has published 15 monographs of his work, among them: Facing New York, 1992; Bleus, 1994; Haiti, 1996 (European Publishers Award for Photography); After The Off, 1999; Go, 2000; Coney Island, 2002; A Beautiful Catastrophe, 2004; Foreclosures, 2013; A complete Examination of Middlesex, 2014. In 2015, Gilden published Face, and Hey Mister Throw Me Some Beads! His new book Un Nouveau Regard Sur la Mobilité Urbaine featuring the commission he did for the French transporation system RATP will be released in April 2016.

Bruce Gilden joined Magnum Photos in 1998. He lives in Beacon, New York.


<b>Matt Stuart</b>

"Buy a good pair of comfortable shoes, have a camera around your neck at all times, keep your elbows in, be patient, optimistic and don’t forget to smile"
- Matt Stuart

Born in 1974, Matt Stuart was raised in the leafy suburbs of Harrow, North West London. He admits to a less than distinguished school career, but was called upon aged 11 to play a trumpet solo in front of the Queen Mother. Her Majesty’s reaction is not recorded.

A little later, in 1986, Matt discovered skateboarding after watching the film “Back to the Future”. Skating occupied his every waking moment until 1994, when he looked up from the half-pipe and noticed that girls had got a lot more interesting. He also indulged in a brief, ill-advised affair with Kung Fu.
Matt’s father, keenly aware that his son would never be the next Bruce Lee, introduced him to photography, handing over books by Robert Frank & Henri Cartier-Bresson. Ever since then, photography has been Matt’s overriding passion, although he’s still quite interested in skateboards and girls. (But thankfully not Kung Fu).