北京背景 (Beijing Beijing)

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北京背景 (Bĕijīng Bèijĭng) series is an exploration of the complexity and fragmentation of the city space and its relation with its inhabitants. These photographs were taken in 2008-2009 in the wake of The Beijing Olympic Games. Although Beijing had been experiencing a long process of renewal, this process quickly accelerated as The Games drew closer. The gained momentum continued after The Olympic Games were over, and Beijing remains in flux. Buildings and shops come and go without much ado, and even though this renewal is oftentimes welcome, it also leads to confusion and disorientation. As the city expands, both outward and upward, the cityscape becomes more saturated and difficult to make sense of. The architectural landscape is very eclectic, drawing from sources old and new, domestic and foreign. Juxtapositions of seemingly incongruous elements are commonplace, and yet within this hectic growth and confusion the city remains rigorously structured and relatively easy to navigate. The tension between the unbridled renovation and the strict regulation of the city structure from above echoes the paths of other challenges China faces in realms as varied as culture, the economy and ethnic relations. This arch of destruction and renewal is also not something new to Beijing or China. There are longstanding historical precedents of new dynastic governments establishing their rule through these processes of appropriation and reconstruction. Whether this growth will continue or not remains to be seen, however Beijing will probably remain a city that captivates its inhabitants with sometimes jarring and other times subtle contradictions. This series is a continuation of my engagement with the mediation between people and the space they inhabit, which I have explored in previous series. This project was possible thanks to the generosity of the Office of the Dean of Faculty at Dartmouth for awarding me with a Dartmouth General Grant.

北京背景 (Bĕijīng Bèijĭng) series is an exploration of the complexity and fragmentation of the city space and its relation with its inhabitants. These photographs were taken in 2008-2009 in the wake of The Beijing Olympic Games. Although Beijing had been experiencing a long process of renewal, this process quickly accelerated as The Games drew closer. The gained momentum continued after The Olympic Games were over, and Beijing remains in flux. Buildings and shops come and go without much ado, and even though this renewal is oftentimes welcome, it also leads to confusion and disorientation.

As the city expands, both outward and upward, the cityscape becomes more saturated and difficult to make sense of. The architectural landscape is very eclectic, drawing from sources old and new, domestic and foreign. Juxtapositions of seemingly incongruous elements are commonplace, and yet within this hectic growth and confusion the city remains rigorously structured and relatively easy to navigate. The tension between the unbridled renovation and the strict regulation of the city structure from above echoes the paths of other challenges China faces in realms as varied as culture, the economy and ethnic relations. This arch of destruction and renewal is also not something new to Beijing or China. There are longstanding historical precedents of new dynastic governments establishing their rule through these processes of appropriation and reconstruction. Whether this growth will continue or not remains to be seen, however Beijing will probably remain a city that captivates its inhabitants with sometimes jarring and other times subtle contradictions.

This series is a continuation of my engagement with the mediation between people and the space they inhabit, which I have explored in previous series.

This project was possible thanks to the generosity of the Office of the Dean of Faculty at Dartmouth for awarding me with a Dartmouth General Grant.

Alejandro Martínez

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