Sze Tsung Leong
Born 1970, Mexico City; lives in New York
Jiangsheng Cun, Shanxi Province, 2004
Chromogenic print, 40 x 48 in.
© Sze Tsung Leong, courtesy of Yossi Milo Gallery, New York

Description
Sze Tsung Leong has frequently traveled to China to visually record its sweeping program of urbanization. Unlike his views of expanding cities, this work depicts a traditional village in Shanxi Province, which is composed of old dwellings dug into the sides of hills. Despite its historical significance, the ancient architecture’s vulnerable condition is a reminder that it could easily be torn down to make way for new structures.

Community Response by Joshua Liang
“In this picture, a small countryside Chinese village is shown. The bottom of the picture shows the village clearly and crisply giving the viewer a sense that it is real and still there; however, the mist and smog in the middle and background of the photo gives that viewer a feeling that even though these traditional buildings and structures are still there, the mist makes it seem that they are slowly wearing away and fleeting, symbolizing the loss of centuries of culture.

The haziness may also be interpreted as being industrial emissions, as China is rapidly industrializing and modernizing, foreshadowing that this traditional village may someday in the near future be replaced by new, modern buildings.”