Yutong Liu

Residing in a foreign city, I constantly wander through urban public spaces. I coexist with crowds yet maintain psychological distance, remaining emotionally isolated within shared environments. This state of being simultaneously inside and outside urban life has led me to perceive a persistent sense of “Dislocation” within contemporary city life.

The transitional nature of urban spaces and the fluidity of personal identity leave many migrants in a state of incomplete belonging. Integrated into the operational order of the city, yet observing daily life as outsiders, people commonly experience a profound sense of alienation.

As an outsider who has studied and lived in Glasgow for one year, I adopt photography as a medium to interpret such experiences. Rather than documenting the city’s superficial appearance, my work visualizes the in-between states of belonging and unfamiliarity, participation and observation, immersion and detachment from a migrant’s perspective. The camera thus acts as a dual medium that embodies both connection and separation.