The acclaimed Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore once wrote, “I leave no trace of wings in the air, but I am glad I have had my flight.” This is very apt; we all rush through life and leave nothing behind. The role of photography is to record traces of life, layering and mixing these traces with their surroundings to visually express the photographer‟s feelings. Photography is not simply a record.

Photography is usually regarded as a momentary art. Today, photographic methods and ideas are more diverse. For example, one could layer many moments, transcending time and space and expressing the continuity of time, not just one moment. The use of layering to create a sense of the continuity of time is like cutting in and out in a movie.

Purely ancient things can be depressing, but purely modern things can be shallow. The mixture of these two, the injection of fresh modern elements into rich tradition, makes photography the perfect medium for capturing Beijing, an ancient city with modern vigor.

Good photography carries the mark of its time.

- Ma Xiaochun

Curated by Vivian Wang