Beijing

Rong Rong belongs to the famous generation of artists which represent the very roots and birth of experimental art in China. After the Yuan Mingyuan was shut down by the authorities in the early 90’s, different artists of this avant-garde art community scattered to different parts of Beijing. Rong Rong belonged to the core of a group which settled in what they called the ‘East Village’. At the time, this deserted Factory compound was mostly composed of old buildings and heaps of trash. Living and working in this environment the West Village artists produced some of China’s most important contemporary art figures. Today the ‘East Village’ is better known as Da Shanzi or 798 Factory Art District and is considered to be the most Dynamic and well known art zone in China. Rong Rong is known for documenting the unique life-style of the East Village community including famous landmark performances such as Zhang Huan’s ’12 Square Meters Head (1994).

Rong Rong’s photographs are an autobiography of a certain lifestyle as well as landscape of Beijing. Images of dilapidated buildings, bleak walls, rubble and dust are a metaphor of the collapse and reconstruction of a modern identity and state of mind. The parallel between architectural and human transformations carries a lyrical sentiment which highlights and distinguishes Rong Rong’s work as a landmark in Chinese contemporary photography.  

Later works downplay cultural connotations in favor of aesthetic appeal. These works of naked couples wondering in vast landscapes display Rong Rong's high sensitivity and minimalist approach.

Today Rong Rong’s photographs are ranked at the top of China’s contemporary art price lists. His work has been exhibited all over the world, popular for its appeal as well as its important historical context.

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