beijing, china | photography portfolio | matthew niederhauser | mdnphoto.com

 

Pushing libidinal practices ever further into the public sphere, the 2009 Shanghai Adult Toy and Reproductive Health Expo took place a floor below the Shanghai Pet Carnival to the chagrin of many fanciers. Marking an ongoing and significant expansion of legal, erotic merchanidizing, the wall to wall displays featured blowup dolls, dildos, fake vaginas and even bondage gear. The crowd was brisk, interested but muted. Only when showcases of

Sex: Shanghai Adult Toy Epxo

What could be facilely described as a hipster transformation is taking place in Beijing. Although some may only dress the part, others are the first in China to truly embrace alternative lifestyles that fly in the face of social conformity so desperately imposed by the Chinese state. Whether shopping at second-hand clothing stores, scouring the Internet for fringe media, pursuing careers in the arts and generally rejecting the popular molds of their communist past, these youth are seeking to stand out from the masses. This increasing tendency toward individualism coupled with newfound online forums for self-expression is one the cornerstones of China's emerging civil society and often comes with a social stigma that is hard to imagine outside of China. Many don't wish to participate in a largely vacuous and unsustainable consumer culture taking hold of the country. While they might not brazenly attack the government, their embracement of such a lifestyle is a powerful statement in and of itself. Over the Labour Day holiday weekend, Chinese hipsters flock to music festivals that take place in parks on the outskirts of Beijing. Everybody dressed to impress at the 2010 Midi Music Festival, one of the largest hipster congregations of the year in China.

Music: Midi Festival Hipsters

Cars are quickly becoming the most hypersexualized and sought after commodity in China. Purchases already surged 45% last year, surpassing the US with 13.6 million vehicles sold, and show no sign of stopping. The greatest manifestation of this phenomenon is now the Beijing International Automotive Fair held every year on the outskirts of the city. With scantily clad models striking poses in every booth, over 40 luxury cars were sold in the first few days alone including a Bugatti Veyron sporting a 5.5 million USD price tag. Thousands of Chinese car enthusiasts clamored to take a seat in their favorite vehicle throughout the massive exhibition halls. Every major car manufacture in the world came in 2010 to pay homage to the fastest growing car market on the planet.

Cars: Beijing Auto Fair

A new wave of Chinese musicians is taking Beijing by storm. Revolving around four venues spread across the city, this burgeoning group of performers are working outside government-controlled media channels, and in the process, capturing the attention of the international music community. They now constitute a fresh, independent voice in a country renowned for creative conformity and saccharine Cantonese pop. In Sound Kapital, photographer Matthew Niederhauser captures the energy of the performers involved in this innovative orgy gripping Beijing's music underground.

Sound Kapital: Beijing's Music Underground

Located in the heart of Beijing's central business district, just north of the newly completed CCTV Tower, Tuanjiehu Park easily takes the cake for a convenient respite from the summer heat. While certainly not a fountain of youth, it still draws all walks of life from across the city - tattooed gangsters and children share inner tubes while lady boys in banana slings contest for sand space with the elderly. There is always a motley crew trying to catch a little sun or enjoy a quick run down a water slide. Just be wary of friends trying to bury you in the sand. Still, if you close your eyes and listen closely to the wave generator, you might as well be at the beach.

Tuanjiehu Park: An Urban Oasis

With China's burgeoning consumer market in its sights, Ikea opened its single largest outlet in Beijing three years ago. The increasingly materialistic nature of the capital’s nouveau riche, coupled with the construction boom of megablocks, proved fertile ground for its economical but trendy furnishings. The 42,000 square meter behemoth is now a magnet for novice Chinese consumers. Shoppers pack Ikea’s isles to peruse a seemingly endless parade of products and the especially popular showrooms. The faux bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms and offices are wildly popular amongst patrons who sometimes visit just to spend a leisurely afternoon lounging on the plush furniture . Desirous looks and gestures abound as they enact little domestic dramas while settling into couches, armchairs and beds. Although nonpaying customers may appear like wasted effort, Ikea tolerates their presence for one reason in particular: indoctrinating China’s urban population with new nesting habits. Even though these consumers-in-training might not buy anything now, they will in the future. Each photograph is thus framed to suspend the customers in their appropriated Ikea environments, as if they were in their own homes.

Visions of Modernity: Ikea

This series of large-format photographs explores the current state of development and new architecture in Beijing. As China continues to embrace what it considers a

Visions of Modernity: Megablocks

P.K. 14, Carsick Cars, and Xiao He - three of Beijing's preeminent underground musical acts - toured the United States for the first time in November of 2009 under the auspices of the Maybe Mars Chinese Underground Showcase. It was easily one of the most successful international tours pulled off by Chinese performers to date as they drew large, enthusiastic audiences up and down the east coast. Proving themselves more than just a novelty act, these musicians upped the ante and expectations for new music out of China which now incubates fresh, independent, and frequently irreverent voices in a country renowned for creative conformity and saccharine Cantonese pop. Even though it is too early to tell what may come of the innovative strides made by these musicians, there is no doubt that they will continue to break ground within Beijing’s nascent artistic landscape, helping to push the boundaries of an already expanding realm of independent thought and musical expression in China.

Beijing Underground Explosion: USA 2009

Maybe Mars Underground Showcase

For two months during the summer of 2008 I traveled with Demerit on their Bastards of the Nation album tour. One of the top punk bands in China, their trademark mohawks and impassioned live performances wrought havoc across the country in both large concert halls and dingy provincial dives alike. More importantly, this wasn’t mindless street punk. Their incisive lyrics in songs like 'Fight Your Apathy' and the album’s namesake 'Bastards of the Nation' called for an end to political cronyism and lambasted the mindless materialism gripping China’s youth. Touring outside the government controlled media channels, this photo essay delves into the cities and people we passed along the way.

Beijing Underground Explosion: China 2008

Demerit's Bastards of the Nation Tour

Joyside's riotous, eight-year run of booze-driven concerts and five album releases came to an end in October of 2009 after a tour across Germany and Austria with Carsick Cars in support. Easily one of the most influential underground bands in China, they consistently flaunted their outright disdain for social mores and popular opinion through their bacchanalian performances and rebellious personal demeanors. High expectations were met in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Vienna and then topped with a massive concert at the Haus der Kunst in Munich. Although fans mourn the loss of Joyside, most are thankful that something as uninhibited and wild as Joyside lasted so long in the first place.

Beijing Underground Explosion: Germania 2009

Joyside's Last Hurrah