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Politico
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Politico
How the National Portrait Gallery got tangled in MAGA politics
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER — Amy Sherald, the distinctive artist renowned for her stylized portraits of Black Americans like former first lady Michelle Obama, pulled her upcoming exhibition, 'American Sublime,' from the National Portrait Gallery last week, saying that the museum feared her painting of a trans woman posed like the Statue of Liberty could offend President Donald Trump. The museum maintains that it never suggested removing the painting, but rather that it pitched an accompanying video to 'contextualize the piece.' In any case, the show's D.C. run is over before it began. Sherald's withdrawal highlights the Trump administration's pressure campaign on the Smithsonian's various museums, following a March executive order scrutinizing 'improper ideology' in its displays and the recent ouster of the gallery's longtime director, whom Trump accused of supporting 'DEI' and attempted to fire — a decision the Smithsonian challenged, saying he lacked the authority to make it — before she announced her resignation. But it also underscores something that predates Trump, a tension at the heart of the Portrait Gallery's mission that has ensnared it in controversy since long before MAGA was a glimmer in the president's eye. On the one hand, it's an arts institution, ostensibly dedicated to freedom of expression, aesthetic innovation and elevating the country's artistic genius. On the other, it's a government organization beholden to the whims of politics, the sensibilities of elected officials and the tastes of voters, many of whom aren't exactly fans of cutting-edge art. For politicians, the provocations and ambiguities of the avant-garde can be a political liability — or a cudgel with which to batter the other side. It was 2010 when the Portrait Gallery walked face-first into one of the most notorious censorship scandals to hit the fine art world in recent American history. The brouhaha surrounded a 1980 video piece titled, A Fire in My Belly, by the late writer and artist David Wojnarowicz, a polemic and highly celebrated contemporary of East Village luminaries like Keith Haring, Nan Goldin and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Wojnarowicz died of AIDS at age 37 in 1992, but the piece appeared in a 2010 show that the Portrait Gallery called 'the first major museum exhibition to focus on sexual difference in the making of modern American portraiture,' drawing the ire of the Catholic League and House Republicans, who seized on an 11-second shot of ants crawling over a crucifix. For the conservative gay writer Andrew Sullivan, himself a Christian, there was no mistaking the work as blasphemous. 'To see a rejected Jesus left on the cross and on the ground to be covered by ants, is, in this context, clearly neither offensive nor heresy,' he wrote at the time. But to the Catholic League's Bill Donohue, it was 'hate speech,' and congressional Republicans like House Speaker John Boehner and Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor leapt at the whiff of culture war. They threatened to cut the gallery's federal funding, calling the video offensive to Christians and casting it as a misuse of taxpayer dollars — even though the gallery did not use public funds to stage the exhibition, which was privately funded. The secretary of the Smithsonian, G. Wayne Clough, unilaterally caved to the censorship demands — a decision that proved to be a lose-lose, inviting condemnation from free-speech advocates but failing to fully alleviate pressure from the right, which continued to advocate for funding cuts and the takedown of the entire exhibition. (Clough, who left the role in 2014, defended his choice to censor the show, saying it allowed the rest of the exhibit to stand.) The gallery's commissioner, James T. Bartlett, resigned in protest. And the Andy Warhol Foundation, which had backed the show with grant money, vowed to never support the gallery again — a pledge it upholds to this day. The censorship scandal followed debates from the late 1980s and early 1990s over the National Endowment for the Arts and its support of artists who explored queerness, sexuality or religious imagery. In 1989, Goldin staged a show in New York about the AIDS crisis that included in its catalogue an essay by Wojnarowicz excoriating religious and political leaders for fomenting homophobia and exacerbating the epidemic. In response, the NEA withdrew a grant it had awarded the exhibition. (That money was later partially restored, under the condition that it would not support the catalogue.) The American Family Association, a champion of the Christian right, cropped images of sex acts from Wojnarowicz's artworks into mailers that it circulated around the country with headlines like, 'Your tax dollars help pay for these 'works of art.'' Wojnarowicz won a lawsuit against the group in New York for violating his copyright and misrepresenting his work, though he was awarded only $1 in damages. The backlash to the NEA funding of Wojnarowicz's art was part of a broader uproar over the sexually explicit photography of Robert Mapplethorpe and the accusations of blasphemy levied against Andres Serrano's 'Piss Christ,' a darkly enigmatic photograph of a crucifix submerged in the artist's urine. All of which presaged the gallery's apparent skittishness over Sherald's portrait of a Black, transgender Statue of Liberty today. But the latest dustup also breaches into new censorious territory. The political arguments over artists in the past, while often explicitly homophobic, largely focused on the supposed obscenity or blasphemy of their work — nudity, sex, religious iconography. However disingenuous, these criticisms appealed to deeply held discomfort in straight society surrounding depictions of sex — and particularly gay sex — as well as Christian symbols. Opposition to Sherald's painting, however, dispenses with these critiques altogether. You'll find no genitalia or supposedly profaned crosses in the portrait. It is a decidedly G-rated image. Were it not for the hackneyed title, Trans Forming Liberty, you could easily miss the transness of its subject entirely. Frankly, it's a boring painting — obvious, even ham-fisted in its invocation of a civic image, perhaps, but nothing remotely approaching the frankness or transgression of Wojnarowicz, Mapplethorpe and Serrano. Nonetheless, the White House celebrated the cancellation, with one official telling The New York Times it was a 'principled and necessary step.' In a sense, then, Sherald gave Trump exactly what he wanted, complying with a demand before it came — just as law firms and media organizations that bent the knee to the administration have been accused of 'anticipatory compliance.' The Trump administration has been successful in erasing trans people from government websites and documents. Now, apparently, it's winning in galleries, too. Ironically, that may increase the visibility of the portrait, which most of the country would not have seen if it hadn't splashed onto their phones along with the headlines. That was certainly the case for Wojnarowicz. After the gallery pulled his video, the media attention posthumously catapulted his name beyond the niche world of fine art and back into the political mainstream. The Museum of Modern Art and the New Museum, among others, screened the censored video. And in 2018, the Whitney staged a landmark retrospective of his work called History Keeps Me Awake at Night that effectively canonized Wojnarowicz, who has surged in popularity among young queer creatives. 'The most powerful moments of the exhibition have a moral grandeur rare in contemporary art,' wrote Philip Kennicott of the retrospective in the Washington Post, 'as it becomes clear that not only was Wojnarowicz fully cognizant of the tools being used against him, he made the onslaught the subject of his work.' Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@ Or contact tonight's author at dylonjones@ or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @tdylon_jones. What'd I Miss? — Trump: Epstein 'stole' young woman from Mar-a-Lago spa: President Donald Trump said today that Jeffrey Epstein 'stole' young women from his Mar-a-Lago beach club spa decades ago. 'People were taken out of the spa, hired by him. In other words, gone,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. 'When I heard about it, I told him, I said, listen, we don't want you taking our people, whether it's spa or not spa … And he was fine. And not too long after he did it again. And I said outta here.' The anecdote comes a day after Trump said that he severed ties with the disgraced financier and child sex offender, who died in prison by suicide six years ago, after 'he stole people who worked for me.' — Trump administration moves to repeal climate 'holy grail': The Environmental Protection Agency proposed repealing the federal government's bedrock scientific declaration on the dangers of greenhouse gases — in a legally risky move by President Donald Trump's administration to undo regulations on fossil fuels. The so-called endangerment finding, which the Obama administration issued in 2009, laid out a comprehensive case for how human emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases threaten human health and welfare. Rescinding it undermines the legal basis for most EPA climate rules, including limits on power plant and vehicle emissions. The elimination of the finding is sure to draw legal challenges from blue states and environmental groups, who note that decades of scientific research backs up the conclusion that planet-warming pollution from the use of oil, natural gas and coal are altering the Earth's climate. — Trump fired court-appointed Habba replacement, records show: President Donald Trump moved to fire the career federal prosecutor New Jersey judges picked to be acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, according to court records filed today. The Department of Justice revealed Trump's decision in an email filed with a federal judge in Pennsylvania, who is preparing to weigh in on an escalating fight between the Trump administration and the federal bench in New Jersey. The filing underscores Trump's direct involvement in a bid to keep his former personal attorney, Alina Habba, as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, despite the expiration last week of her 120-day tenure as interim U.S. attorney and New Jersey judges selecting prosecutor Desiree Leigh Grace to serve in Habba's place. — Trump says 10-day deadline for Russia to broker ceasefire in Ukraine starts today: President Donald Trump said today that Russia must agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by Aug. 8 or risk sanctions, accelerating a deadline that was previously up in the air. Trump in July set a 50-day deadline for the agreement with Ukraine, threatening tariffs if a deal was not made. On Monday, during his meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he said he was shortening this deadline to '10 or 12 days.' Aboard Air Force One on today, on his way back to the United States, Trump said the clock was ticking and it was '10 days from today.' 'And then we're going to put on tariffs,' Trump added, 'and I don't know if it's going to affect Russia, because he wants to, obviously, probably keep the war going.' — Senate Banking advances first large, bipartisan housing package in a decade: The Senate Banking Committee unanimously advanced landmark housing legislation today, marking a rare area of overwhelming bipartisanship in a divided Congress. The Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act of 2025, sponsored by Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and ranking member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), includes proposals that aim to expand and preserve the housing supply, improve housing affordability and access, advance accountability and fiscal responsibility, and improve oversight and program integrity. — Democrats sue over efforts to defund Planned Parenthood: California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 22 other Democratic attorneys general and governors are suing the Trump administration over a bid to strip federal funds from Planned Parenthood clinics. 'We need to just call it what it is: punishment for Planned Parenthood's constitutionally protected advocacy for abortion,' Bonta said at a press conference Tuesday morning. Congressional Republicans have wanted to cut funding to Planned Parenthood since Trump's first term. If they're successful, about 200 of the 600 clinics the nonprofit operates around the country could close, with over half of them in California. AROUND THE WORLD U.K. TO RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN STATE — Keir Starmer has committed to recognizing a Palestinian state ahead of September's United Nations General Assembly, Downing Street announced today. The British prime minister told a special meeting of his Cabinet that 'now was the right time to move this position forward' because of the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and the diminishing prospects of a peace process. He said that the U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government takes 'substantive steps' to end the crisis in Gaza and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution. Israel swiftly dismissed the move as a 'reward for Hamas.' EU CONSIDERS PENALTIES — European Union countries are moving toward agreeing a plan to punish Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza but stopped short of triggering the penalty at a meeting in Brussels today. The European Commission has proposed partially suspending Israel's association agreement with the EU, to curtail the country's access to a key research and development program for start-ups. The plan comes in response to a Commission review that found Israel was in breach of its human-rights obligations under the terms of the deal. EU countries' ambassadors discussed the Commission's proposal at a meeting today but there was no qualified majority in favor of pressing ahead with it now, according to three diplomats speaking to POLITICO on condition of anonymity because the matter is sensitive. Nightly Number RADAR SWEEP DRESSING THE PART — If you go to a Pitbull concert these days, you'll likely find yourself in a sea of fans wearing bald caps, suits and fake goatees, mimicking the artist's signature look. Fans dressing up like musicians — parkas for Oasis, cowboy boots and hats for Beyoncé, feather boas for Harry Styles — has become a key part of the concert-going experience since the pandemic. Expense and hard to get concert tickets have turned shows into an occasion to go all out, and some artists have used fans' desire to dress like them to build community and expand their reach with fashion and brand deals. The Economist reports on this new era in concert going. Parting Image Jacqueline Munis contributed to this newsletter. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.
Boston Globe
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Amid a culture of fear, a celebrated artist's most important exhibition is pulled from Smithsonian
And it appears that Sherald's 'Trans Forming Liberty,' her 2024 portrait of a transgender woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty, rattled museum leadership in a climate of deep hostility from the administration toward transgender people. Advertisement Installation view of Amy Sherald: American Sublime (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, April 9-August 10, 2025). Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, 2018. (Tiffany Sage/ Tiffany Sage/ Sherald said the Portrait Gallery had proposed replacing the painting in D.C. with a video of viewers' reactions both to it and transgender issues more broadly. In a the museum countered, saying it wanted the video to accompany, not replace, the painting. Either way, no agreement could be struck, and Sherald withdrew. Advertisement 'The video would have opened up for debate the value of trans visibility and I was opposed to that being a part of the 'American Sublime' narrative,' Sherald told the New York Times. 'Unfortunately, we could not come to an agreement with the artist. We remain appreciative and inspired by Ms. Sherald, her artwork and commitment to portraiture,' the museum But even without 'Trans Forming Liberty,' it's a fair guess the show would have been under external pressures: Sherald's paintings are for the most part elegant, precise portraits of unnamed Black subjects painted life-sized. There are two exceptions in the exhibition. The first is her portrait of Breonna Taylor, a memorial image painted with dignified beauty of the innocent Black woman but weary grace. It was the exhibition's centerpiece, an emblem of the artist's larger project to build Black life into a canon of American art long indifferent to its inclusion. Artist Amy Sherald with her portrait of the late Breonna Taylor. Joseph Hyde/Vanity Fair Either one might easily raise the ire of the current administration. We don't have to look very long, or very far, to parse the current president's view of Obama's husband. On his Truth Social website this week, the 47th president posted a shockingly raw AI-generated video of former President Barack Obama being violently arrested in the Oval Office and dragged away in handcuffs. But there's more here than a simple obsessive animus, one president to another (though it's also clearly that). Advertisement The current administration's blunt enforcement of what it deems acceptable expression now touches virtually all aspects of American life. That includes media (as in the 60 Minutes lawsuit debacle), entertainment (the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' a known Trump tormentor), and higher education (see the administration's roughshod bullying of Harvard and Columbia over its specious claims of antisemitism). A favorite target of the Trump administration, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts by government, private business, and educational institutions, looms over Sherald's withdrawal, too. The most recent addition to the constellation of Smithsonians, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, was one of the second Trump administration's prime targets. In a March executive order titled ' (It also singled out the Smithsonian's Museum of American Art and the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum.) In May, when Advertisement Here in Massachusetts, the National Endowment for the Arts in May refused to disburse funds already promised to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art for 'Power Full Because We're Different,' Which brings us back to Sherald, ensnared by the strident decree of a cultural bureaucracy in deep regressive mode. To be clear: This was her decision. She chose not to compromise her integrity and intentions, which have been consistent and clear from the start. She had been making portraits of Black subjects for years when the invitation to paint Michelle Obama arrived. It is completely in tune with her core sensibility to capture her subjects simply, truthfully, as they are. Ruth Erickson from Cambridge with Jullian Kalim, 8, and his brother Cassidy Kalim, 3, looked at portraits of the Obamas at the MFA Boston in 2022. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff But the Obama portrait arrived in 2018 less as a painting than a heavy symbol amid a violent lurch in American life: From a two-term president who became a beacon of Black achievement to a political outsider openly hostile to the progress his predecessor seemed to embody. When the painting went on national tour in 2022, along with Kehinde Wiley's portrait of the former president, it drew crowds, including Advertisement But is pulling back, in this moment, this place, defiance or acquiescence? That's a larger question that artists, thinkers, and institutions are grappling with in every corner and context. Either way, it's an outcome enjoyed primarily by just one person, and we know who that is. Murray Whyte can be reached at
Associated Press
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery Celebrates the Joy of Humanity
BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 5 March 2025 - vivo is boldly integrating art, technology, and social responsibility to redefine mobile photography and inspire creators. As part of its commitment to user-inspired innovation, vivo invited seven visionary photographers from different backgrounds to explore love's boundless forms with the vivo V50. Their breathtaking results can be seen at the vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery at Central World Bangkok from February 27 to March 2. Inspired by the Italian word 'Ancora' — once again — the vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery invites visitors to capture their passion – take another shot, and rediscover love. vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery in Bangkok, Thailand Together with its partners VOGUE and UNESCO, vivo is sharing its love for innovation and imagery through a series of events in Thailand that invite society to experience photography's power to share love. The events include an immersive vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery, a portrait sharing session, and an initiative to empower young people through visual storytelling. 'Imaging stands at the intersection of technology and humanity,' says Duanmu Xueying from the vivo Imaging Team. 'We believe that photography is not merely a product of technology – it is a vessel for emotion.' In the hands of seven professional photographers, the newly launched vivo V50, featuring ZEISS Professional Portrait capabilities and Natural Color Calibration pushes the boundaries of artistic expression while ensuring the precise reproduction of what the human eye sees. A Stylish 'Meet Your Love' Experience with VOGUE Technology meets fashion, as vivo partners with VOGUE, one of the world's most influential fashion magazines, to create the immersive VLOVE Portrait Gallery. Here, fashion and photography enthusiasts alike can create their own stylish social media moments while experiencing profound images from seven visionary photographers from around the world who used the vivo V50 and its state-of-the-art ZEISS Professional Portrait capabilities to create works that express their vision of the theme 'Meet Your Love', immersed in a space where fashion, technology, and creativity meet. This partnership with VOGUE underscores vivo's commitment to redefining mobile imagery and its role as a pioneer in the fusion of technology and high fashion stylish aesthetic design. The VLOVE Portrait Gallery, now open, showcases captivating photographic works exploring love's multifaceted nature through visual storytelling via the vivo V50 and its ZEISS capabilities. With perspectives from ZEISS photographers like Gabriel Santos and Urasha Jakkachaphol, global artist Jimmy Marble, and emerging local talents, it's a curated exploration of human connection. Each photo captures fleeting expressions and untold stories, turning moments into visual poems. Acclaimed artist Jimmy Marble, known for his vibrant colors, irreverent aesthetics, and more, adds a personal touch, exploring self - love and identity. His vision, 'Self - expression has always been how I show myself love,' encapsulates the gallery's spirit, where each artist uniquely captures love's dimensions. Portraits of Love with the vivo V50 As part of the officially opening of the vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery, vivo hosted a special session with five of the photographers and asked them to share how they push the boundaries of imaging technology through mobile photography. They also detailed their creative process for capturing love with the ZEISS Professional Portrait capabilities of the vivo V50. 'My focus is on capturing portraits that feel authentic – images that go beyond aesthetics and reveal the soul of the subject,' explained Urasha Jakkachaphol, who is from Thailand. 'Whether it's the intensity in someone's gaze, the vulnerability in their posture, or the power of body language, my goal is to create images that make people feel something real.' The technical precision of the vivo V50 let Urasha use light, depth of field, and perspective to create her portraits expressing 'The Presence of Love'. 'Through intimate portraiture, this series captures the subtle beauty of connection: the tenderness of a couple's gaze, the peace of self-reflection, and the warmth of vulnerability,' she says. 'I'm passionate about natural light photography, so I need a camera that doesn't compromise on image quality under any lighting conditions. The collaboration between vivo V50 and ZEISS allowed me to shoot spontaneously, intuitively, and authentically. Whether it's the soft morning light or intense midday sun, it captures it all perfectly. Urasha's favorite feature is the ZEISS Multi-Focus Portrait mode. 'It creates depth and separation, with the subject sharp and the background smoothly fading out, making portraits more intimate,' she says. 'Coupled with its rapid autofocus, I never miss those fleeting, vivid expressions. William Seng used the vivo V50 to capture loving moments he observed in Malaysia's urban cityscape. 'I wanted to capture selfless love, a love that asks for nothing in return, and a love for one's passion,' he says. He noted that convenience is one of the advantages of mobile photography. 'The V50 is always in my pocket and delivers amazing quality,' he says. 'For me, the 50mm portrait lens on the V50 is the most powerful. Capturing instant portraits on the street is quite challenging. With the 50mm, I don't have to get too close to the subject to capture a portrait, which is helpful. The sharpness of the portraits is impressive, and the details captured by the V50 amazed me.' Capturing the connection between the subjects in a portrait is paramount for Gabriel Santos of Spain. 'If you can make that connection not only visually stunning but also authentic, then you have created a mesmerizing portrait,' he says. 'vivo and ZEISS have done an outstanding job with this phone. Even in low light, it produces excellent portraits. You can slightly underexpose to create more contrast and capture more intimate moments or overexpose in darkness to reduce contrast. The phone is equipped with three primary portrait lenses: 24mm, 35mm, and 50 mm, each suitable for different shooting scenarios.' 'Mobile photography is more flexible and spontaneous compared to traditional cameras,' says Aung Kyaw Tun. 'It allows me to capture natural moments without making my subjects feel self-conscious.' 'A portrait becomes captivating when it tells a story and evokes emotions,' he says. 'When viewers can feel the subject's emotions and relate to their story, it leaves a lasting impression.' For the VLOVE exhibition, Aung focused on capturing the unique connection between twins – a bond he says surpasses physical, emotional, and mental barriers. And he was especially impressed with the V50's Aura Light's ability to help render natural skin tones, especially the brown skin tones common in Myanmar, where he lives in Yangon. 'I particularly love the sharpness, texture, and natural feel of the ZEISS lenses, which enable me to achieve more layered visual effects with the phone,' says Tienjen Huang of Taiwan. 'During the shoot, I paid special attention to how the light and composition tell the story.' 'For me, photography is not only a technique, but also a way of perceiving the world. It allows me to connect with the subject and record those fleeting real emotions through images,' Huang added. vivo and UNESCO 'Capture the Future' Besides empowering professional photographers, vivo also supports developing young people to explore the world through mobile imagery. Through its partnership with UNESCO and the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation (BCAF) it has established the 'Asian Youth Film Fund' which is supporting the 'Capture the Future' initiative in Thailand. Middle school and university students will be given access to advanced mobile imaging equipment to produce short films that explore how science and technology shape society, and their visions for the future. A panel of professional judges will select the winners, and the top entries will have the opportunity to be screened at prominent Asian film festivals. The students will also have further opportunities for in-depth exchanges with expert filmmakers and photographers to explore topics related to filmmaking, photography, and videography. Encouraging a New Generation to Push the Boundaries of Artistic Expression The 'Capture the Future' initiative is part of vivo's efforts to create opportunities for nurturing a new generation of creators with a strong sense of humanistic values and storytelling ability. These efforts align with vivo's philosophy of 'Beyond What You See, Unveil What the World could Be'. 'This is a big step forward in vivo's mission to support young creators and give them a platform to showcase their talents and tell stories that truly matter,' said vivo spokesperson Pattara The program is designed to inspire creativity through imaging technology and encourage young people to engage with pressing societal issues and drive positive change through the power of visual storytelling. As an innovation leader, vivo has a vision to empower every individual with the tools and technologies to create and express themselves. And vivo has made significant strides in advancing smartphone photography, both through continuous innovation and corporate social responsibility initiatives centered around photography or videography. These efforts have created opportunities for the exchange of visual cultures and the nurturing of a new generation of creators with a strong sense of humanistic values and storytelling ability. Hashtag: #vivo #smartphone #technology #ZEISS #mobileimaging #vivoV50 #VlovePortraitGallery The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About vivo vivo is a technology company that creates great products based on a design-driven value, with smart devices and intelligent services as its core. The company aims to build a bridge between humans and the digital world. Through unique creativity, vivo provides users with an increasingly convenient mobile and digital life. Following the company's core values, which include Benfen*, user-orientation, design-driven value, continuous learning, and team spirit, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy with the vision of developing into a healthier, more sustainable world-class corporation. While bringing together and developing the best local talents to deliver excellence, vivo is supported by a network of R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Xi'an and more cities, focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, imaging system and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set up an intelligent manufacturing network (including those authorized by vivo), with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 60 countries and regions and is loved by more than 500 million users worldwide. *"Benfen' is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right – which is the ideal description of vivo's mission to create value for society.
Zawya
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Zawya
vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery Celebrates the Joy of Humanity
BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 5 March 2025 - vivo is boldly integrating art, technology, and social responsibility to redefine mobile photography and inspire creators. As part of its commitment to user-inspired innovation, vivo invited seven visionary photographers from different backgrounds to explore love's boundless forms with the vivo V50. Their breathtaking results can be seen at the vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery at Central World Bangkok from February 27 to March 2. Inspired by the Italian word "Ancora" — once again — the vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery invites visitors to capture their passion – take another shot, and rediscover love. Video link Together with its partners VOGUE and UNESCO, vivo is sharing its love for innovation and imagery through a series of events in Thailand that invite society to experience photography's power to share love. The events include an immersive vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery, a portrait sharing session, and an initiative to empower young people through visual storytelling. "Imaging stands at the intersection of technology and humanity," says Duanmu Xueying from the vivo Imaging Team. "We believe that photography is not merely a product of technology – it is a vessel for emotion." In the hands of seven professional photographers, the newly launched vivo V50, featuring ZEISS Professional Portrait capabilities and Natural Color Calibration pushes the boundaries of artistic expression while ensuring the precise reproduction of what the human eye sees. A Stylish "Meet Your Love" Experience with VOGUE Technology meets fashion, as vivo partners with VOGUE, one of the world's most influential fashion magazines, to create the immersive VLOVE Portrait Gallery. Here, fashion and photography enthusiasts alike can create their own stylish social media moments while experiencing profound images from seven visionary photographers from around the world who used the vivo V50 and its state-of-the-art ZEISS Professional Portrait capabilities to create works that express their vision of the theme "Meet Your Love", immersed in a space where fashion, technology, and creativity meet. This partnership with VOGUE underscores vivo's commitment to redefining mobile imagery and its role as a pioneer in the fusion of technology and high fashion stylish aesthetic design. The VLOVE Portrait Gallery, now open, showcases captivating photographic works exploring love's multifaceted nature through visual storytelling via the vivo V50 and its ZEISS capabilities. With perspectives from ZEISS photographers like Gabriel Santos and Urasha Jakkachaphol, global artist Jimmy Marble, and emerging local talents, it's a curated exploration of human connection. Each photo captures fleeting expressions and untold stories, turning moments into visual poems. Acclaimed artist Jimmy Marble, known for his vibrant colors, irreverent aesthetics, and more, adds a personal touch, exploring self - love and identity. His vision, "Self - expression has always been how I show myself love," encapsulates the gallery's spirit, where each artist uniquely captures love's dimensions. Portraits of Love with the vivo V50 As part of the officially opening of the vivo VLOVE Portrait Gallery, vivo hosted a special session with five of the photographers and asked them to share how they push the boundaries of imaging technology through mobile photography. They also detailed their creative process for capturing love with the ZEISS Professional Portrait capabilities of the vivo V50. "My focus is on capturing portraits that feel authentic – images that go beyond aesthetics and reveal the soul of the subject," explained Urasha Jakkachaphol, who is from Thailand. "Whether it's the intensity in someone's gaze, the vulnerability in their posture, or the power of body language, my goal is to create images that make people feel something real." The technical precision of the vivo V50 let Urasha use light, depth of field, and perspective to create her portraits expressing "The Presence of Love". "Through intimate portraiture, this series captures the subtle beauty of connection: the tenderness of a couple's gaze, the peace of self-reflection, and the warmth of vulnerability," she says. "I'm passionate about natural light photography, so I need a camera that doesn't compromise on image quality under any lighting conditions. The collaboration between vivo V50 and ZEISS allowed me to shoot spontaneously, intuitively, and authentically. Whether it's the soft morning light or intense midday sun, it captures it all perfectly. Urasha's favorite feature is the ZEISS Multi-Focus Portrait mode. "It creates depth and separation, with the subject sharp and the background smoothly fading out, making portraits more intimate," she says. "Coupled with its rapid autofocus, I never miss those fleeting, vivid expressions. William Seng used the vivo V50 to capture loving moments he observed in Malaysia's urban cityscape. "I wanted to capture selfless love, a love that asks for nothing in return, and a love for one's passion," he says. He noted that convenience is one of the advantages of mobile photography. "The V50 is always in my pocket and delivers amazing quality," he says. "For me, the 50mm portrait lens on the V50 is the most powerful. Capturing instant portraits on the street is quite challenging. With the 50mm, I don't have to get too close to the subject to capture a portrait, which is helpful. The sharpness of the portraits is impressive, and the details captured by the V50 amazed me." Capturing the connection between the subjects in a portrait is paramount for Gabriel Santos of Spain. "If you can make that connection not only visually stunning but also authentic, then you have created a mesmerizing portrait," he says. "vivo and ZEISS have done an outstanding job with this phone. Even in low light, it produces excellent portraits. You can slightly underexpose to create more contrast and capture more intimate moments or overexpose in darkness to reduce contrast. The phone is equipped with three primary portrait lenses: 24mm, 35mm, and 50 mm, each suitable for different shooting scenarios." "Mobile photography is more flexible and spontaneous compared to traditional cameras," says Aung Kyaw Tun. "It allows me to capture natural moments without making my subjects feel self-conscious." "A portrait becomes captivating when it tells a story and evokes emotions," he says. "When viewers can feel the subject's emotions and relate to their story, it leaves a lasting impression." For the VLOVE exhibition, Aung focused on capturing the unique connection between twins – a bond he says surpasses physical, emotional, and mental barriers. And he was especially impressed with the V50's Aura Light's ability to help render natural skin tones, especially the brown skin tones common in Myanmar, where he lives in Yangon. "I particularly love the sharpness, texture, and natural feel of the ZEISS lenses, which enable me to achieve more layered visual effects with the phone," says Tienjen Huang of Taiwan. "During the shoot, I paid special attention to how the light and composition tell the story." "For me, photography is not only a technique, but also a way of perceiving the world. It allows me to connect with the subject and record those fleeting real emotions through images," Huang added. vivo and UNESCO "Capture the Future" Besides empowering professional photographers, vivo also supports developing young people to explore the world through mobile imagery. Through its partnership with UNESCO and the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation (BCAF) it has established the "Asian Youth Film Fund" which is supporting the "Capture the Future" initiative in Thailand. Middle school and university students will be given access to advanced mobile imaging equipment to produce short films that explore how science and technology shape society, and their visions for the future. A panel of professional judges will select the winners, and the top entries will have the opportunity to be screened at prominent Asian film festivals. The students will also have further opportunities for in-depth exchanges with expert filmmakers and photographers to explore topics related to filmmaking, photography, and videography. Encouraging a New Generation to Push the Boundaries of Artistic Expression The "Capture the Future" initiative is part of vivo's efforts to create opportunities for nurturing a new generation of creators with a strong sense of humanistic values and storytelling ability. These efforts align with vivo's philosophy of "Beyond What You See, Unveil What the World could Be". "This is a big step forward in vivo's mission to support young creators and give them a platform to showcase their talents and tell stories that truly matter," said vivo spokesperson Pattara The program is designed to inspire creativity through imaging technology and encourage young people to engage with pressing societal issues and drive positive change through the power of visual storytelling. As an innovation leader, vivo has a vision to empower every individual with the tools and technologies to create and express themselves. And vivo has made significant strides in advancing smartphone photography, both through continuous innovation and corporate social responsibility initiatives centered around photography or videography. These efforts have created opportunities for the exchange of visual cultures and the nurturing of a new generation of creators with a strong sense of humanistic values and storytelling ability. Hashtag: #vivo #smartphone #technology #ZEISS #mobileimaging #vivoV50 #VlovePortraitGallery The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About vivo vivo is a technology company that creates great products based on a design-driven value, with smart devices and intelligent services as its core. The company aims to build a bridge between humans and the digital world. Through unique creativity, vivo provides users with an increasingly convenient mobile and digital life. Following the company's core values, which include Benfen*, user-orientation, design-driven value, continuous learning, and team spirit, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy with the vision of developing into a healthier, more sustainable world-class corporation. While bringing together and developing the best local talents to deliver excellence, vivo is supported by a network of R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Xi'an and more cities, focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, imaging system and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set up an intelligent manufacturing network (including those authorized by vivo), with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 60 countries and regions and is loved by more than 500 million users worldwide. *"Benfen" is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right – which is the ideal description of vivo's mission to create value for society. Stay informed of latest vivo news at vivo
