Reminiscing moments

Author: Li Zhensheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Lin Bai: I don’t know what kind of feelings you have when facing these works? Li Zhensheng: I think the emergence of this phenomenon is not an isolated one. It’s not just about these photographs themselves, nor just about the incident itself. I believe we should view this issue within a broader cultural context, in a larger cultural environment. We’ve all been saying that we should value culture, respect knowledge, cherish art, and this needs to start from the smallest practical steps—not just shouting slogans or giving lectures. This incident deeply upsets me. Compared to the older generation, my time in photography is still far behind; I’ve only been doing it for about 30 years. But compared to some younger people, I’ve been at it for a while longer. So, many photographers have made photography their profession, their lifelong career, and seeing this situation, it truly stings. To be honest, Lin Bai, when I was organizing these photos, when I talked about this with thousands of close friends, I couldn’t help but tear up. As the saying goes, a man doesn’t cry easily, but this incident is truly incomprehensible. Recently, when I was still in the U.S., I saw a report in an American newspaper about the National Congress of Literature and Arts in our country. General Secretary Jiang Zemin delivered an important speech at the congress, saying that we should respect knowledge, talent, the labor of artists, and the spiritual cultural products created by artists. Yet, after the congress, such a heart-wrenching incident occurred. I think this issue should be understood and discussed within the broader social context—it’s a cultural phenomenon. So, after bringing these works home, I thought it was necessary to call out to society, urging it to value culture and cherish art. I wrote an article of nearly 10,000 words overnight titled The Sorrow of Chinese Photographers, which was quickly published by some media outlets.
Lin Bai: Alright, Professor Li, our two hotlines, 65159058 and 65159059, are now open. Let’s take the first hotline call in today’s . Hello! Hello, this is the listener. (During the call: Hello, hello, who is this?) I’m Lin Bai, and Professor Li Zhensheng is sitting opposite me.
Li Zhensheng: Who are you? (The caller says: I’m Wu Huaxue.) Ah, you’re Elder Wu!
Wu Huaxue: You’re