Seize The Moment
Seize the Moment is a black-and-white documentary photography project by Hans Xu, developed over several years across multiple countries in Europe. Between 2014 and 2019, Xu traveled to Europe seven times, exploring its cities with the dual lens of a curious outsider and a perceptive observer. Through his camera, he investigated the layers of history, humanity, and everyday life embedded within urban spaces.
The project spans cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, London, Venice, Barcelona, and Dubrovnik, focusing on the dynamic interplay between people and their environments, and between historical legacy and modern urban life. With a keen sense for light, composition, and timing, Hans Xu uses black-and-white imagery to capture fleeting moments on the street—transforming ordinary scenes into compelling visual narratives full of tension and theatricality.
Seize the Moment is more than a record of European urban landscapes; it is a meditation on human emotion, cultural continuity, and the passage of time. The project was exhibited at the Menier Gallery in London in 2018 and was published as a photobook of the same name. It has since been collected by international art institutions and received the "Phoenix Television Award for Outstanding Photobook," establishing the work as a defining example of Xu’s distinctive approach to black-and-white documentary photography.
Photographers all know that we cannot provide a mirror image of the world. The streets of Heidelberg are not always so sunny; and Antwerp has not only lazy cafes which offer afternoon tea. Facing the gorgeous light and shadow reflected by the ancient architecture, modern life and the fresh air, what kind of European continent does Xu Xuehan want to reconstruct? Through his photographs, we can not only see the unique moments in Europe at this time, but also see his efforts in selection and reconstruction: he removes the color of the world and depicts it in black and white. He named the series "Chasing the Wind and Catching the Shadow" and paid tribute to the photography master 's "decisive moment" ( the English title of the exhibition, Seize the Moment can be literally translated as "catching the decisive moment" into Chinese); more importantly, he deconstructs the relationship between human and the environment and breaks the rigid structure of inclusion or subordination. He put down the opposition between the photographer and the subject, also rejected the naturalistic border integration, paid tribute to Fleming painting school's pastoral scenery, yet also respected his own modernity experience.
Peixin Cao
Professor of Communication University of China
June 2018
To put it simply, the works of Xuehan Xu abandon many burdens of the conscious mind. Within chance encounters that have already been circumscribed, the images seek in the still frame a beauty, which concerns a place of otherness. In a foreign place, or in the cultural world of the West, Xuehan Xu is a discoverer and explorer of a foreign culture. Regarding that world which exists in reality, he waits, presses the shutter, and achieves a coordinated beauty within the framework, sharing an appreciation that quintessentially belongs to the Oriental Man. There is consciousness at work, but without consciously representing an ideology or a construct built on the representation of the artistic theory. This is a photographic sense of beauty that sheds off too much of a burden, or a photograph that resembles more closely with realism itself.
Zhongzeng Sun
Consultant of Long Chinsan Art and Culture Development Society , Taiwan Liberal Scholar
June 2018
Introduce your brand
Let's get back to Xuehan's series Seize the Monent: From Amsterdam to Dubrovnik. I have two direct feelings. First, the picture has a surprising tranquility. Europe has magnificent mountains and rich culture. The land is filled with treasures, be it for travels or for photography. In many people's lens, Europe will be dressed up colorfully. However, Xuehan has a strong control over his camera, and he has a strong mind against outward interference. The handling of the image is simple and restrained, yet full of tension. Second, interpreting his inner heart through his images, one sees that he is someone who is happy with everyday life. Being able to appreciate life in an everyday situation is actually a kind of attitude towards life. Artists must first hold an attitude towards life before they can have their own artistic pursuit. From the photographs of Xuehan, we can see that the artist has his own unique insights in understanding the relationship between life and art.
Dejian Yin
President of China Nationality Art Photograph Publishing House
June 2018
As a professional photographer and photography teacher, Xuehan Xu and his wife's work are almost all related to photography, so his photography complex and photographic mood are always inextricably linked. Whether he is standing on a three-foot teaching podium, or in project shooting, or even walking with his family on the road, he is a hard-working observer, a faithful recorder, and a thoughtful person. From Amsterdam to Dubrovnik, it sounds as if you are walking along a route and watching and thinking about it. The word "Seize the Monent" can really summarize the state of photography “on the road”. However, Xuehan Xu and his wife, who also shares the pursuit of photography, will surely understand that if they look closely and look in depth, they will watch quietly and slowly, watching people coming and going, car parking, and watching, blue sky and white clouds, red brick and blue tiles. Pressing the shutter when the feeling arises, let this moment freeze into black and white gray tone, its state as quiet as saying and doing things.
Xuan Chai
Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Photo Press
June 2018