Within a Sky Full of Earth

"My wish is to become an author of ‘images’ and to construct an image ‘museum’ archiving and presenting our history of today and yesterday."
Zeng Li

The speed of change and modernization in Mainland China over the past ten years has stunned the world. The staging of the 2008 Beijing Olympics has accelerated that momentum even more. City construction has become the order of the day, the demolition of decrepitated areas of old cities and the disappearance of the traditional urban landscape providing the most visible essence of transformation. In this context, urban development becomes the vocabulary of the architectural revolution, and photography has never been so powerful. Zeng uses photography to register the dramatic changes that have swept through historic neighborhoods in the capital’s ongoing modernization campaign.
Featuring a collection of 160 works selected from over 6,000 images taken between 1997 and 2006, the photography book provides a lasting visual record of everyday urban environments in Beijing and other cities in the throes of rapid change. The hutong dwellings, standardized apartment buildings, and bustling factories of earlier decades have given way to soaring residential towers and glittering shopping malls. The publication represents a collective memory of our time of change, and promises to become an important documentation of China’s present heritage.

About the Author
Zeng Li is one of China’s most acclaimed stage and costume designers. His collaborations with renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou in various films and theatre productions have won him world-wide recognition.

Brought to us by our dearest MCCM Creations from Hong Kong, this is Bloom's largest book! The impressive print gives us an excellent overview of the changing giant China.

A China Chronicle, by Zeng Li
MCCM Creations • ISBN 9789889926649 • 232 pages • 150 color photos • Hardcover with kraft slipcase