Paomian in Taikoo Li Sanlitun 

In mid-May 2022, an unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in Beijing, the political center of China; inhabitants of several districts in the center of the city were infected. The Beijing Municipal Government issued an unprecedented martial law. Many citizens have been confined to their neighborhoods and were not allowed out, let alone allowed to go to hospitals or supermarkets. Many communities were guarded 24-7 by the Chinese People’s police. During this period, I saw the empty city of Beijing as never before. However, I was able to take my dog, Paomian, to Taikoo Li Sanlitun, a landmark area in Beijing, to shoot this Paomian in Sanlitun, which was a legitimate artwork that I created during the epidemic.

Feeling like a drifter, especially in the midst of an epidemic-ridden society, I was in the same state as Paomian in the photos actually. Not knowing where I was, I stopped here and there, walking around. It seemed that I had chains around my neck, only they were invisible. The chains did not confine me to one place; rather, I was led by the neck. From time to time it appeared that I could feel the breeze of freedom; however, a pen was always there.