French artist pockets Chinese history in photos

Although it has been 18 years since French photographer Pierre-Jean de San Bartolomé first visited China, his desire to record the nation's skyrocketing growth has never come to a standstill. Three years after he finished his Moon Door Dreamers series in 2008, he is still exploring the stunning transformations taking place throughout the country, but more importantly, the way people relax as the world changes around them.

The result was Summer Billiards, a group of exquisite shots that captured scenes of youth playing billiards in Beijing's urban fringes.

Instead of employing a purely realistic approach of taking snapshots of his subjects, the 62-year-old photographer juxtaposes modern imagery with traditional. In his pictures, you can spot land surveyors and beauticians rubbing cheeks with characters from the Peking Opera, who were portrayed by professional actors.

Set against the demolition and construction taking place in the urban fringes of Beijing, the series of 14 photos presents a striking contrast between reality and an imaginary world. The artist's surreal interpretation of the rapid transforming urban landscape gives rise to thoughts of disappearing farmlands and drifting youth.

As China developed throughout the 80s and 90s, billiards became an iconic image of China's development. It was common to see young people playing billiards outside, often among the debris of construction sites while wearing white vests that had been rolled up to expose their chests in the hot weather.

The juxtaposition of Peking Opera characters demonstrate the artist's concerns and reflections regarding modern China. To reflect these concerns, he chose characters from the Yuju Opera Cool Breeze Pavilion, which tells the tale of a child who abandons his adopted parents in favor of his biological ones, because those parents were richer and more powerful. "This could happen in China now, because of the country's one-child policy," said curator Zhu Jiong. "People now crave change to such an extent, that it can cause problems as well. By contrasting the old and new, the modern reality and the ancient, San Bartolomé presents an accurate view of Chinese society."

When: Until July 8

Where: No. 112, Lizexiyuan, Guangshun Beidajie, Wangjing, Chaoyang district

Admission: Free

Contact: 6473-4987