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Stranded Utopia搁浅乌托邦

This collection of works was captured by me using a mobile phone during my time living in Songzhuang. Known as the largest artist colony in China, Songzhuang boasts 220 galleries and 50 art museums that exceed 1000 square meters in size. During the peak of contemporary Chinese art, almost half of the prominent names in the art scene were associated with Songzhuang. Their rapid rise to success transformed this serendipitous village into a synonym for contemporary Chinese art and provided a certain degree of protection for its existence. Today, the population of Songzhuang consists mainly of students preparing for art exams. Advertisements for art studios, posters for art galleries, and enrollment brochures for art schools can be found everywhere, creating an illusion of an artistic utopia.

For me, going to Songzhuang was my first attempt to pursue art and also my first experience living away from home. Although art permeated every aspect of the place, it was also elusive. I often found myself grappling with contradictions and struggles. These photographs capture fragments and symbols of daily life, as well as the relationship between individuals and their environment, exploring the complex reality of Songzhuang. They reveal the tension between the reality and dreams within this artistic community and present the existence and stories of those who remain unnoticed, struggling, or have left. Through these images, viewers are prompted to contemplate the societal background and individual destinies that lie behind them.

这组作品是我生活在宋庄期间用手机拍摄的。

宋庄被称为中国最大的艺术家聚居地,拥有220个画廊和50个超过1000平方米的艺术博物馆。在中国当代艺术最火热的年代,这些炙手可热的名字中几乎有一半与宋庄有关,他们事业的迅速崛起使这个偶然选择的村庄成为中国当代艺术的代名词,并为其存在提供了一定程度的保护。今天,宋庄的人口主要由参加艺术考试的学生组成。到处都是画室的广告,艺术馆的海报,艺术学校的招生简章,构成了一个似乎是乌托邦的艺术村。

对我来说,去宋庄是我追求艺术的第一次尝试,也是我第一次离开家独自生活。虽然它处处有关于艺术,但又处处都不是艺术,我经常觉得矛盾和挣扎。这些照片通过捕捉日常生活中的片段和符号以及人与环境的关系,探索了宋庄的复杂现实,捕捉了这个艺术社区的现实和梦想之间的张力,也呈现了那些默默无闻、挣扎或离开的个体的存在和故事,引发观者对社会背景和个体命运的思考。

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