On The Street

||||||||||||ON.THE.STREET||| Mary Poppins Dreams /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Mary Poppins' Dreams - Umbrella Revolution - Hong Kong - 2014

 

For a week now, a whole generation, and even more, of protestants occupies the main roads of Hong Kong, fighting for the democracy they are entitled to. The remarkable movement, started by students and called Occupy Central, shows to the world an exemplary organisation, distributing food and drinks to its participants, collecting and sorting the trash to keep the streets clean, broadcasting a peaceful message without any act of violence or degradation.

The protest remained peaceful until the police started to use tear gas on the students, last Sunday. The riot forces have obviously over-reacted, awaking a great support of the public and international opinion. The Chinese National Day festivities of October 1st have been completely eclipsed by the calm reaction of the protestants and the number of people who got behind during the two days holidays.

But yesterday, groups of men, hiding their faces behind hygiene masks, have attacked the students, turning the peace to a violent altercation. The police, in that case, reacted very lately and weakly. Only a few counter-demonstrators have been arrested. If no link between these groups and Hong Kong government can be yet proved, these fights are obviously trying to make up a public unrest and insecurity with unbearable methods.

Get the latest news with the hashtags #UmbrellaRevolution and #OccupyCentral. Spread the word and show your support. The people of Hong Kong needs it !

||||||||||||ON.THE.STREET||| Operette /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Operette - Acoustic room - Paris - 2008

 

While walking along the archways of Place des Vosges (Paris, France) in summer 2008, I heard a hypnotic opera chant. Approaching the gate leading to Rue du Béarn, I discovered a man, singing with a particularly high-pitched tessitura. I shot this pic to keep a fragment of this magic moment.

But I have been even more surprised to meet this man again this winter, exactly at the same place, 5 years later ! A quick search online indicated me that this guy is actually called Jeando Cardi. For more than 15 years, Jeando travels in the streets of Paris, singing to delight the ear of the bystanders. You may also meet him under the vaults of Palais Royal. Enchanting listening !

Jeando Cardi

||||||||||||ON.THE.STREET||| Mockery /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Mockery - Economics is fun - Hong Kong - 2013

 

For the past 2 months, the West Kowloon Cultural District welcomed some strange inflated mobiles on its site, for the exhibition Mobile M+: Inflation! . Among them, a famous giant lotus blossom by Choi Jeong Hwa, and the polemical 15 meters-high "Complex Pile" by Paul McCarthy...

Beside the artworks, some concrete cubes have been displayed to remind the title of the exhibition. I shot this kid while he was posing for his mum's high-tech mobile phone. To me, he looked like making fun of the word "inflation", as if this notion was far away from his concerns. And by extension, far away from the Asian world ones ?

||||||||||||ON.THE.STREET||| Waiting Goal /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Waiting Goal - Keep still - Hong Kong - 2013

 

Shopping is one of the favorite activities of Hongkongers. The city is unsurprisingly packed with malls, that take an important place in the everyday life. Some of them even offer special equipments, such as this ice rink at Elements. That day, kids were playing a hockey match.

||||||||||||ON.THE.STREET||| Laundry Calling /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Laundry Calling - Making time pass faster - Paris - 2012

 

In Paris, more than 60% of private accommodations are studios or 2 rooms. So small that it may be difficult to fit any washing machine of the market in. As a consequence, laundromat cropped up all over the streets of the French capital. Who knows how many hours students spend every day in those soapy, strip lighted, whirring rooms ?

||||||||||||ON.THE.STREET||| Les haricots /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Les haricots - Petit écosseur du Vieux Shanghai - Shanghai - 2009

 

At the west of the Yu Garden (豫园 - Yù Yuán), inside the almost circular Renmin lu (人民路 - Rénmínlù), Shanghai still hides some old streets in the heart of the modern city. With their typical 3-floor houses, they give a good preview of how Shanghai looked a few decades ago. But those neighborhoods gradually disappear, under huge concrete screeds poured by a greedy administration. Hurry up if you want to enjoy those charming but becoming extinct spots !