北京背景 (Bĕijīng Bèijĭng)

This group of images deals with the relationship between people and the city amidst rapid expansion and modernization, in particular in relation to scale and disjointed spaces. Leading up  to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the city experienced an incredible rate of change. Rapid growth in infrastructure and drastic changes in the city’s landscape were welcome, and the lives of millions of people probably changed for the better. However, when change happens in such a drastic way, there is a lingering sense of displacement and chaos. This is highlighted by the difference in scale between people and their environment. The size and complexity of the city makes it impossible for people to have a good grasp of it as a whole, and the experiences in this space are discrete and disjointed.

In the wake of the Olympic Games, China, and particularly Beijing, emerged with renewed confidence and continued with the rapid modernization of the city.  Buildings were demolished without compunction, and new ones soon emerged from the rubble. The landscape would become unrecognizable from one month to the next and the only constant were the construction cranes dotting the background. This project was shot in 2008-2009, and was made possible thanks to a Dartmouth College Grant.