December 17, 2007
Exhibit offers rarely seen glimpse into China’s
past and future
jeanette.colby@rochester.edu
Images of remote regions in China taken by a group of Medical Center researchers are on view through December at the Miner Library. Among those on display are the photos of two young children (left) and of a nun in traditional robes (right) taken by fourth-year medical student Ravi DeSilva during his summer 2006 travels to the Rima Village, which overlooks the Tibetan Plateau.
Three members of a Medical Center research team became
witnesses to the evolution of a “new” frontier as expansion
steams ahead in the remote civilizations of Tibet and Qinghai Province in
China.
Into the ‘New West’: Photographs from
Beijing to the Tibetan Plateau, now on view at
the Edward G. Miner Library, was organized by Ravi DeSilva, a fourth year
student at the School of Medicine and Dentistry. The 2006 summer trip was
part of the research initiative called Project Drolma, which was lead by
Nancy Chin, assistant professor of community and preventive medicine, and
Rebekah Loy, research assistant professor of neurogeriatrics.
While globalization and expansion is the core theme of
the exhibit, DeSilva says it’s easy to draw a parallel between U.S.
westward expansion of the 19th century with the recent opening of
China’s first transcontinental railway. He also notes how expansion
in a country like China can affect the entire world.
“Globalization and international expansion
affect each of us in a myriad of ways,” he writes in introduction to
the exhibition. “Whether it is buying produce grown in South America,
traveling to visit relatives in Poland or Pakistan, or keeping up with
political changes in East Africa, the realities of an ever more
interconnected planet cannot and should not be overlooked. This exhibit is
a reflection on aspects of that increasing connection demonstrated in
China.”
The display of more than 20 images, which are
physically “connected” by traditional prayer flags hanging
overhead, include photographs by Lauren Ullman, a third year medical
student, and Chin-To Fong, associate professor of pediatrics. Taken in both
China’s urban settings and the rural villages that border or lie
within the Tibet Autonomous Region, the images reveal the progression from
a traditional way of life to one increasingly affected by western
influences.
“I’m most proud of the picture of the
children dressed in bright orange ‘tunics’, waving to the
camera after performing a dance,” says Ullman. She explains that the
colors help “to emphasize the richness and vibrancy of the culture.
They reflect the deeply held traditions of a people who have clashed
with the Communist government for decades. They have maintained their
cultural traditions in the face of adversity,” she adds.
The Qinghai-Tibet railway, which reaches into
previously secluded areas, is recognized by many as an opportunity for
regional economic development. However, the railway also has been the
source of political and cultural debate.
Fong says an image he took of two children offers a
glimpse into a unique way of life. He wonders how long it will stay that
way.
“It’s a timeless place, (a) man and nature
kind of thing. . . . The innocence of these children shows life filled with
possibility, regardless of which side you fall on the issue of
development.”
The photographs in the Miner Library exhibit also
are included in the book Tibet: The
Eastern Plateau that features the work of
various Project Drolma team members who traveled from Rochester to Rima
Village, in the eastern Tibetan Plateau, during a span of three years.
Project Drolma is a community development effort to address health,
education, and economics issues, and to improve maternal and child health
outcomes in that region.
For gallery hours and more details on the exhibit,
which continues through December 31, visit www.urmc.rochester.edu/hslt/miner.
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