Having lived in Shanghai for ten years, I have always been fascinated by its overwhelming density and the powerful urban energy the city radiates at any hour. Yet, it is in the early morning, when the streets completely empty out, that its true essence reveals itself. On the very last day of 2023, I headed to the Bund at dawn with a clear intent: to capture an iconic image that symbolized the paradox of this megalopolis—immense, yet profoundly lonely.
In that rare, suspended silence, the frame met a man flying a kite, a morning ritual deeply rooted in Chinese culture. By visually reducing the world’s largest city to a single silhouette, the photograph transforms a monumental landscape into an intimate portrait of individuality. It serves as a visual reminder of a universal human truth: even when immersed in the noise of millions, ultimately, we must always rely on ourselves.
Pietro ANSALDI. 2023. Last Dawn. Shanghai Series.
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