Existence is Meaning: Photographer Zhao Xiaomeng Documents the Vanishing Chinese Bicycle Culture
Zhao Xiaomeng is a photographer based in Beijing and Toronto. He has a unique perspective on the rapid social changes taking place in China and has incorporated these observations and reflections into several fascinating photographic works. One of his representative works is the “Bicycles in Beijing, Now” series, which is a series of photographs consisting of a large number of images.
China was once known as the “Kingdom of the Bicycle”, and the bicycle was one of the most common modes of transport used by Chinese people in the 20th century. However, with the rapid development of Chinese society, this traditional way of traveling has experienced a dramatic decline.
Zhao Xiaomeng noticed an interesting phenomenon, which is that the image of traveling by bicycle seems to have disappeared from people’s daily lives. Bicycles are gradually being replaced by car culture, the symbols of travel that were once deeply imprinted in the memories of generations are also fading.
In cities like Beijing, the bicycle has evolved into a relic of a bygone era and a symbol of social marginalisation. We can see the great changes in modern China’s economy through the fate of the bicycle. Artist Zhao Xiaomeng used interesting typological photography to record the various faces of the bicycle, which in this way demonstrates the basic lifestyle and economic foundation of Beijing residents.
After participating in the 2nd week of “A Typology of Signs”, I have a deeper understanding of this work. By combining typology and semiotics, it seems that social change can be presented more clearly. As a result, I began to think about how to incorporate this approach into my own creations.
*Reference：
https://www.lensculture.com/articles/xiaomeng-zhao-beijing-bicycles
