The group exhibition entitled “Small Adults” examines the scope of the term childhood at the onset of the 21st century, and its transformation into an period of premature adolescence, which cuts childhood down to a negligibly short phase that culminates in the creation of a small adult with a productive role in society.

Flanking the perception of modern childhood as a protected, bubble-like period, are trends that crack through the sealed-off world of children and expose them to the contents of the adult world at ultra-high frequencies. The communications media lay the groundwork and dispatch agents of culture that become role models for children, who naturally compare themselves with these dubious models and form their self awareness as well as their social and sexual identity accordingly.

The enlightened Western world clucks its collective tongue at the phenomenon of child exploitation for labor or prostitution purposes in Asian, African and South American countries, but the West itself provides legitimacy for the economic exploitation of children in competitive frameworks such as the entertainment, beauty and sports industries. For the sake of succeeding in these realms, children regiment their bodies and put them to use for roles once reserved for developed, mature bodies. The culture of plenty is what steeps the world of childhood in the concepts of consumption, branding and image, which are internalized and perceived by youngsters as irrefutable facts of life.

The period of childhood is often portrayed as a transitional time of innocence and lack of awareness, yet traumas originating in the childhood years can irreversibly shape the identity of adolescents and impact the rest of their entire lives. “Small Adults” presents disturbing images of contemporary childhood – awareness of developing sexuality, overt and latent violence, internal and interpersonal conflict, and digital morbidity, all of which point toward an era of small adults – children reluctantly mature before their time.

Exhibiting artists:
Reli Avrahami, Bilha Aharoni, David Amuyal, Susan Anderson, Tierney Gearon, Neta Harari, Ruud van Empel, Rakefet Viner-Omer, Michal Chelbin, Achim Lippoth, Tracey Moffatt , Gustavo Sagorsky, Asaf Silner, Jon Claytor, Gideon Rubin.

Achim Lippoth will held his solo exhibition “1954″ at the Galerie Paris-Beijing from May 20th to June 26th 2010. The vernissage will take place today starting at 17.00 and include the series “1954″, “Class of 1954″ and “Wrong Right Wrong”.

Born in Germany, Achim Lippoth is one of the most talented photographers in the Kid’s fashion industry. Building on this experience, he chooses the younger to stage in his more personal works.

In Lippoth’s photography, the children are the heroes and main protagonist of their stories, when the adults compose the background. Masterly stage-managed, his photographs explore the complex relationship between adults and children, and how – often unruly - kids respond to the adults expectations, either with resistance or obedience.
Lippoth explores all the facets of childhood, the sentiments and difficulties that the children meet through this transition age: innocence, discipline, conformity, friendship, levity, despair, awareness.

Nothing is ever left to chance in Lippoth’s photography. From his theatre and cinema background, he brings stage techniques into his images; the use of settings, period costumes and studio lightening gives them the likelihood of the past.

In 1954 series, the baby boomers will plunge back to their childhood and school playground memories.
In the stunning Wrong Right Wrong series, familial position and roles are exchanged: an irresponsible and depressive father is supported by his ten years old kid. Funny, absurd and awkward, these series disturb. Following Lippoth’s ideas, without any adult intervention, children would naturally conform themselves to the society rules.

Born in 1968 in Ilshofen, Achim Lippoth was graduated in photography at the Koln University. He starts his career as a freelance photographer and creates in 1995 the magazine “Kid’s wear”, which became a reference in kid’s fashion. He received many awards for commercials and artistic works, as the IPA-Photographer of the year in 2006 and the Gold Lion Cannes in 2007. His photographs are worldly published including in Life magazine The New York Times, Eyemazing, Vogue…