Jiang Zhi’s Things Would Turn Simpler Once They Happened is currently exhibited in a group show at m97 gallery.
© Jiang Zhi
© Jiang Zhi
Jiang’s series of large-scale photographs entitled “Things Would Turn Simpler Once They Happened” speak of the individual’s hopes that something unexpected and beyond their control would come and bring change to their otherwise ordinary life.
“In this age of changes, people expect something to happen to them,” says artist Jiang Zhi, “something that throws light on them like a spotlight. Everything then will become simpler, more beautiful and endurable. They are waiting for their lives to be changed by this ‘something’ permanently. Religion, love, wealth, opportunity, whatever should fall upon us is welcomed, as long as it can rescue us from the ordinary repetition of daily life.”
I do often wish of that special moment in my life when I become enlightened (pardon the pun), when everything actually makes some sense and things fall into place. But I do not really envision it as being anything like a scene from an alien abduction movie. I imagine it being slightly less dramatic..perhaps people moving in slow motion and lots of textures/sounds flooding my head. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that the images were not post-processed to achieve the effects. A team of 10, cranes and wires were used to set up the shot.
Shanghaiist has a write-up on the series as well as on m97. Having a gallery dedicated solely to photography is definitely a sign of things: the impact and rise of photography as an art form in China.
See more of his works here.
“DOCUMENT / PORTRAIT”
September 4, 2007 – October 11, 2007
Group Exhibition – 12 photographers
m97 gallery
No. 97 Moganshan Road, 2nd Floor
Shanghai, China
