Laurent Hou offers an offbeat look at Beijing
Society & Culture
“Although central Beijing is already overphotographed, this project brings a different vision,” says Hou.
This article was originally published on Neocha and is republished with permission.
Welcome to the Jing is a photo book project shot by French photographer Laurent Hou (罗鸿 Luó Hóng) between 2013 and 2017. Hou, who’s based in Morocco, took the photos during his last few years living in Beijing, when he got to witness a special moment in the city’s history: After the Olympics and before the citywide demolition of illegal buildings that began in 2017, Hou snapped around 100,000 shots, mostly of quirky people and happenings inside the city center.
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“Although central Beijing is already overphotographed, this project brings a different vision,” says Hou. “Other series focus either on the traditional aspects of the hutongs or the modern architecture in the business district. And pictures aren’t merely a description of Beijing, because the photographer’s vision plays a crucial role.”
Hou has chosen to make a photo book of the series because he thinks that’s the best way to present the work. He hopes to publish it soon. “The recurring motifs, the variety of the subjects, the tangle of different narratives, and the quantity of pictures called for a book rather than an exhibition of 20-30 pictures,” he explains. “The book form is also more intimate, and turning the pages mirrors the act of walking through the city. I want readers to look at the stream of pictures as if they were wandering the streets of Beijing and running into all these quirky situations.”
Since he started the project, almost six years have gone by. Hou says his vision for the project didn’t come into focus until long after he’d been taking pictures of his surroundings. Only once he made some preliminary selections did it start to take shape. “The vision developed during those six years, which was also a period when I learned a lot about photography,” he says. “And I don’t mean the technique, I mean getting to know the works of great photographers, emerging photographers — understanding different styles and trends, thinking about authorship in photography and the meaning of the photo book as a form.”
