Rong Rong
Chinese photographer Rong Rong first gained acclaim in the 1990s for his depictions of everyday life in Beijing’s East Village, a gritty neighborhood home to many struggling artists, musicians, and writers. Documenting the aggressive, challenging performances of artists such as Zhang Huan and Ma Liuming, Rong Rong created iconic documents of the city’s burgeoning avant-garde performance scene, which played a pivotal role in establishing the East Village artists’ international reputations.
Following his “East Village” photographs, Rong Rong created his “Ruin Pictures,” made between 1996 and 1998, shifting his emphasis towards the built environment of Beijing, which was in the process of being dramatically transformed as large-scale modernization projects threatened the city’s traditional structures. Ranging from panoramic views of the under-construction skyline to close-ups of the barely-recognizable interiors of demolished homes, the series emphasizes the human dimension of the city and the disruptive effects of dramatic urban change.
Since the early 2000s, Rong Rong has primarily worked collaboratively with his wife, Japanese photographer inri, often creating photographic works in which they document themselves alone in empty landscapes, dwarfed by their surroundings. In 2007, the duo founded Three Shadows Photography Art Center in Beijing, the first Chinese contemporary art space dedicated to …
Chinese photographer Rong Rong first gained acclaim in the 1990s for his depictions of everyday life in Beijing’s East Village, a gritty neighborhood home to many struggling artists, musicians, and writers. Documenting the aggressive, challenging performances of artists such as Zhang Huan and Ma Liuming, Rong Rong created iconic documents of the city’s burgeoning avant-garde performance scene, which played a pivotal role in establishing the East Village artists’ international reputations.
Following his “East Village” photographs, Rong Rong created his “Ruin Pictures,” made between 1996 and 1998, shifting his emphasis towards the built environment of Beijing, which was in the process of being dramatically transformed as large-scale modernization projects threatened the city’s traditional structures. Ranging from panoramic views of the under-construction skyline to close-ups of the barely-recognizable interiors of demolished homes, the series emphasizes the human dimension of the city and the disruptive effects of dramatic urban change.
Since the early 2000s, Rong Rong has primarily worked collaboratively with his wife, Japanese photographer inri, often creating photographic works in which they document themselves alone in empty landscapes, dwarfed by their surroundings. In 2007, the duo founded Three Shadows Photography Art Center in Beijing, the first Chinese contemporary art space dedicated to photography and video art.