M97 Gallery

For the 2024 edition of Paris Photo, M97 is pleased to present a selection of new works by Chinese artist Cai Dongdong. Selected for the new "VOICES" sector which focuses on innovative themes in contemporary photography, curator Azu Nwagbogu has chosen Cai's work under the thematic title of "Liberated Bodies / Material Memory". The concept of “Material Memory” challenges us to reconsider the objectivity of archives—both inherited and self-created. Working with a personal archive of over 600,000 original and vintage photographs, Cai's artistic approach reveals new, subjective meanings beyond photography’s traditional role in documenting history, power structures, or serving as a tool of surveillance and propaganda. Emancipating photography from these conventional functions allows us to explore its potential as a medium of artistic inquiry, conveying emotional truths and deeper understandings.