Separated from the West by thousands of miles and seemingly insurmountable cultural barriers, China has long been an unfamiliar, romanticized land—until recently.

In the new exhibition Documenting China: Contemporary Photography
and Social Change, SITES partners with Bates College Museum of Art in Lewiston, Maine, to explore the modern essence of the most populous nation on earth. Through the dramatic works of seven Chinese photographers, we see the country from an insider’s point of view. With raw black-and-white and color images, photographers Liu Xiaodi, Jiang Jian, Zhang Xinmin, Luo Yongjin, Zhou Hai, Lu Yuanmin, and Zhou Min unveil the truth about China’s internal struggle—a battle between modern industrialism and the traditional, agrarian past that has sustained the country for thousands of years.

. . . the single most significant event in the contemporary transformation of Chinese society [is the] peasants’ departure from their land and their integration into city life.

So says exhibition curator Gu Zheng, of Fudan University in Shanghai, about the deluge of more than 90 million rural workers into urban centers. Migrant workers face crowded conditions, inadequate food and shelter, and serious mistreatment at the hands of more established urbanites. Yet, in some cases, these rural laborers have managed not just to survive in their new environments, but to thrive.

With 57 compelling images, contemporary Chinese photographers tell the gritty, sometimes proud stories of those still struggling to blend into the urban landscape without losing sight of their old ways, and each photographer has a unique way of telling this story. While some images are quick snapshots of urban and rural life, others are methodically and artistically composed.

From black-and-white pictures of stark, institutional housing to bold color shots of girls in scarlet pants, Documenting China is a delight to the eye and the mind. At the heart of this exhibition is the awkward, often jarring transition between the familiarity of the past and the demands of the future. Documenting China offers an uncluttered window into the lives of people learning to cope with social, political, and economic change. Hailed by the New York Times as “profound” and “heroic,” the exhibition is a must for anyone interested in understanding contemporary Asian society.

This exhibition has been made possible through the generous support of Crystal Cruises.

57 framed b/w and color photographs, labels, and 9 text panels

Contact scheduling department for reduced fee update

Ed Liskey to schedule, 202.633.3142
Marquette Folley for content, 202.633.3111