Aug 14, 2023
Apr 12, 2023

#1993

100 Signs of Demolition

#1993

1999

Wang Jinsong

(Chinese, b. 1963)

Chromogenic print

Paper: 193 x 127 cm (76 x 50 in.)

Gift of Richard Born 2019.308

Edition: Edition of 8

Location

Did you know?

In 1978, 18% of Chinese lived in urban areas; by 2017, that number had risen to 53%.

Description

One of the earliest photographic works to address China’s massive urban development program, Wang Jinsong’s series 100 Signs of Demolition presents examples of the Chinese character “chai,” meaning “demolish,” written on buildings marked for demolition. Economic and social reforms launched in 1978 greatly accelerated the number of people moving to the cities and led to their modernization, which involved the loss of many historic structures and of some cities’ unique character.

See also
Department: 
Photography
Type of artwork: 
Photograph
Credit line: 
Gift of Richard Born

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.