Chen Wei
New Station
In the large-scale photograph New Station by Chen Wei, an abandoned bus stop takes center stage. Various objects—suitcases, assorted boxes, and the bus stop’s skeletal structure, marked by an empty sign—suggest the presence of invisible passengers. This photograph is part of a series that looks at the rapidly changing urban landscape in China, particularly in Beijing, the artist’s homebase, where buildings often undergo rapid demolition or stand incomplete. The depicted bus stop, while fully constructed, laid dormant until the bus route was operational. Rather than documenting this period of disuse as it occurred, the artist recreated and reimagined the scene in his studio. Arrays of suitcases and boxes were added, suggesting the dynamic presence and movements of individuals from diverse backgrounds traversing the location—whether heading to school, work, or embarking on journeys never to return. This photograph metamorphoses into a metaphor for urban evolution, daily life, and the sweeping currents of global migration.
Chen Wei addresses social issues and documents human values and desires through his photographs of still lifes, empty interiors, and staged nightclub scenes. Whether capturing dark, deserted interiors or dance club portraits, Chen’s works are marked by a dramatic, cinematic quality. He is known for his photographs of carefully handcrafted objects and architectures, composed to a meticulously staged mise-en-scène that blurs the boundaries between realities and cinema, landscapes, and dreamscapes. One of his most renowned series is Float (2013), which calls attention to China’s prohibition of large gatherings, except in the case of nightclubs. Simultaneously sad and beautiful, the images reveal temporary escapes from a restrictive reality—a sense reinforced by the deliberately exaggerated, dream-like settings. Culling inspiration from the daily news and everyday life, as well as artists such as John Cage, Wolfgang Tillmans, Martin Parr, and Zhang Jungang, Chen is more concerned with capturing the outcomes of dramatic conflicts than showing the stories behind them.