Black and white Songzhuang

Author: Zhao Tielin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: Free-lance photographer and writer Zhao Tielin spent five years tracking and interviewing the artists of Songzhuang—Beijing's artist village. The hundreds of tension-filled documentary photographs he captured authentically record the seemingly absurd artistic practices and seemingly aimless living conditions of the young artists. The villagers of Songzhuang face-to-face with Zhao Tielin: frankly confess their life journeys in art, telling the struggles and heartaches, romance and melancholy behind the photos. Beyond the images, a collection of insightful critiques of Songzhuang artists from both inside and outside the circle is included. Every artist who "settles down" in Songzhuang must have the courage to jump in. Songzhuang is Songzhuang—it is far from the hustle and bustle, lacks paid "units" and "leaders," has few systems, and lacks information. The artists trade the convenience of urban civilization for what initially may be an unbearable "leisure and freedom." However, what is important is that Songzhuang has already produced a batch of artworks that blend with international cultural trends, and it may still be nurturing such works every moment. Thus, the brief distance between Songzhuang and the city is significant for all of humanity. Modern Chinese art began here, struggling to take root in ordinary life. So, can we not tolerate a degree of reckless living in their extreme and stimulating survival state, and occasionally allow them to have "peak experiences"? Otherwise, if everyone is a bit bourgeois, middle-class, and mediocre, how could art be created?