Beijing Walks of Life

In 2010 I started the project “Beijing Walks of Life” in which citizens of Beijing are portrayed with photos and interviews. The result is a document on the individual lives of people in a city that has undergone nothing less than a metamorphosis in the past decades. The speed of the urban and economic development of China is well known. But how did individual Chinese develop themselves? The portraits present Chinese with similarities and, especially, with differences in identity and in their outlook on life. The past, present and future come together or are still on the move in perception, expectations and recollection; not only the present, also the past is subject to change. Each portrait consists of a 360° panoramic photo, portraits in black and white and an interview. All photos have been made in a personal environment, either at home or at work. The panoramic photos, when on exhibition, are three meters wide. They show many details from the lives of the portrayed “Beijingers”. It’s as if the main characters are embraced by their personal living space. The interviews are presented without comments. Implicitly or explicitly they represent opinions, expectations and desires; sometimes politically correct, sometimes very open-hearted and outspoken. "Beijing Walks of Life" aims to present a cross section of the lives, views and beliefs of citizens in a city that is in a continuous process of change. It's the sum of each individual's choices and beliefs that will shape the city's future.