High-altitude lights: a forty-year love letter on film

High-altitude lights is a photographic exhibition dedicated to the dialogue between human beings and landscape, time and memory, light and matter.

For more than forty years, Zhang Chaoyin has conducted a systematic exploration of the Himalayan region, shaping a visual and cultural atlas of what is often referred to as the planet’s “Third Pole.” As Li Shuanke, Director of Chinese National Geography, observes, his work represents “a profound dialogue that traverses the dimensions of time and space,” transforming the image into a tool of knowledge.
The exhibition primarily focuses on the work of Zhang Chaoyin, presenting 60 photographs taken on film over four decades of exploration. In dialogue with this research, several works by Zhang Yuxiao introduce a complementary generational perspective, expanding the dialogue between experience and contemporaneity. The exhibition alternates between glacial landscapes, geological formations, and human presences, inviting reflection on deep time and the fragility of ecosystems.
The exhibition, realized with the support of Manifattura Tabacchi and in collaboration with Aria Art Gallery — which supported its production and curatorial coordination — promotes a cultural dialogue between Europe and Asia and a vision of photography as a language capable of crossing geographies, traditions, and contemporary sensibilities. It is coordinated by Massimo Listri and curated by Guoyin Jiang, and presents an itinerary in which the works intertwine documentation, artistic research, and poetic vision.

The photographs have been printed using the historic platinum-palladium process, patented in England in 1873 by William Willis. Considered one of the most refined printing processes in the history of photography, it is distinguished by its exceptional tonal richness and extraordinary stability over time. The image is not deposited on the surface of the paper, but embedded within its fibers through particles of noble metal, ensuring potentially centuries-long durability. The matte, reflection-free surface, combined with the depth of black tones and the delicacy of the gradations, gives the works a material and contemplative quality that requires time and attention from the viewer. Each print, made entirely by hand, carries the trace of gesture and process, transforming the photograph into a unique and unrepeatable object. Alongside the traditional prints on paper, Zhang Chaoyin also presents works printed on Chinese silk using the same platinum-palladium process: a rare and technically complex technique that combines the nobility of metal with the lightness and transparency of fabric, further expanding the dialogue between light, matter, and tradition.

At the core of this research stands the monumental volume Himalaya, published by Chinese National Geography: a collectible editorial work that brings together 3,500 images and approximately 3,000 pages of in-depth research. The book takes the form of a geo-humanistic encyclopedia dedicated to the Himalayan region. The original edition is presented as an integral part of the exhibition.

Hosted in Building B12 of Manifattura Tabacchi, the exhibition establishes an ideal cultural axis between the Alps and the Himalayas, between Europe and Asia, offering an experience that brings together documentation, artistic research, and poetic vision.

The realization of the exhibition was made possible thanks to the contribution of partners and collaborators who supported the project from an organizational, technical, and promotional perspective. Special thanks are extended to Li Xuehai, Aria Art Gallery and Chunmeng Yang, responsible for artistic direction, Diego Goti – D.N.G. Project S.r.l., Architect Giovanni Bolignano, Michelangelo Giombini – Head of Product Development & Co-CEO Manifattura Placemakers, Roberta Pasinetti – Head of Project & Construction Management & Co-CEO Manifattura Placemakers, and the team of MIM – Made in Manifattura. Special thanks are also extended to Targetti Sankey S.r.l. for the technical sponsorship of the lighting system.