I See China, Do You?

Tucked away behind a thick green hedge, down a narrow street in Caochangdi, I face a room so densely packed with photography that taking a step back means almost bumping up against the nearest free-standing wall of China-centric imagery.

This is the scene at "I See China," a group exhibit mounted at Pekin Fine Arts as part of Caochangdi PhotoSpring. It encompasses a broad span of subjects, styles and artists both foreign and local. Cut-out pictures of Beijing folk photographed amid New York City scenes hang opposite a larger-than-life, glinting sheet of ‘Made in China” stickers.

Taking up one entire wall is an image of an enormous pig, divided into strips of print that hang from ceiling to floor (see photo, top). At the back of the densely-packed space, lonely yet privileged Chinese kids sit in their rooms and stare morosely into space. The opposite wall is hung with copies of old photographs silver-printed onto sheepskins.

"I See China" is a bit like taking the subway: Close quarters and a bit of sensory overload, with so many different styles and dimensions at work. But it's also a good reminder of the diverse attitudes artists (and all of us) can have towards this country.

I See China
Until Jul 3. Colin Chinnery, Zhao Liang, Wang Chuan and others chime in for Caochangdi PhotoSpring. Free. Pekin
Fine Arts (5127 3220)

For more pictures check out the gallery.

Photos: Julia Hartmann