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From November 2022, the photographs of Davide Monteleone’s project “Sinomocene” will be on display at the Foundation venue in Lugano.

“Sinomocene” is a project that takes its cue from the documentation of the Chinese initiative known as “Belt and Road” or “New Silk Road” to investigate more widely on issues of new forms of colonialism, globalisation, and the relation between Powers and individuals.
The work focuses on the social and environmental impact of large capital movements linked to geopolitical strategies at a global and local level. Like many other powers in history, as soon as China amassed enough economic wealth at home, it began projecting its influence overseas.
The Chinese government began encouraging Chinese companies to export equipment and workers to new markets since the 1990s. In 2013 President Xi has unveiled the Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure plan to enhance its trade routes with distant markets further and have “all roads literally leading to Beijing.” Centered around these construction projects, China has exported everything from Chinese money, materials, and workers, to tourists, technology, and culture. From grand roadways across central Asia to energy systems in Pakistan, Chinese infrastructure is now visible globally, including Antarctica. Sometimes China will build for free, but often, a Chinese financial firm will front the money, and a separate Chinese construction firm will do the work. We are talking of an investment of 1 trillion dollars aiming to connect 65% of the world population. In other words, China is everywhere, and its presence is diverse and multifarious.