Xinyun Chang
My photographic work is rooted in observational documentary. I am intrigued by my surroundings, whether they are urban, rural, liminal, or somewhere in between. I will often train my camera on details, things that others dismiss or do not see. In my current work, I playfully explore multiple themes associated with spatial systems and rules through the objects, infrastructure, and buildings/interiors within them.
Additionally, I observe the subsequent behaviours of people, both individuals and groups in these spaces, recording their interactions. Whilst this work is based on my personal observations and views, I hope that it can be appreciated and understood universally, providing viewers with a snapshot of how we live today.
Spaces within Spaces
This work is based on my personal life experiences. I am a person who has been going to school outside of my home country since college, which leads to a feeling of strangeness and familiarity when I return to my hometown every once in a while. My sense of belonging to different cities and countries has gradually changed because of my long time abroad. The cityscape billboards are a reflection of my emotions, they are brightly coloured and the scenery in them is always so beautiful, so this project started with the city billboards as well. At the same time, the details on the billboards also reflect the traces of people’s lives in the city, and these details attract me to photograph them, so I gradually found another living space on the billboards, so I started to explore more spaces in the city.
Typologies
This is a project that looks at cities from my perspective. I have always believed that there is an interactive force between people and the city. When photographing spaces, I would have a feeling of being trapped, just like some rules in life, they give us some space but are very limited. So I have been feeling this subtle relationship. I divided this project into five sub-categories: Fences and Road Cones / Houses / People in Nature / People in the City / Details of the City. I want to feel this relationship by photographing animals, nature, and details in the city. At the same time, these snapshots of the city are a reflection of my point of view.
