Burning North

• Prize
  Silver in Special/Street Photography
• Jury Top 5 Selection

  Emre Kuheylan

• Photographer
  Chenglong Zhang
• Technical Info
  35mmfilm
• Photo Date
  2020-2023

I lived in Beijing for more than a decade, photography became an opportunity for me to explore the metropolis. Exploration means adventure, from a safe place to an unknown field, and such movement is not only in the physical space, but also in the spiritual and emotional evolution. I keep roaming in the city, thinking about how urban space shapes people's lifestyle and desires, and whether there is another world hidden under the surface of daily life. When the stream of reality that is constantly dissipating and reassembling becomes a photograph, I arrive at the other side of reality.

My name is Zhang Chenglong, a filmmaker and photographer. I studied in an art high school and majored in drama performance for three years, which was my first contact with art and drama. As a dramatic actor, I performed Shakespeare's plays and learned Stanislavski's and Brecht's theories. I graduated from the Communication University of China, majoring in cinematography and film directing. I focus more on the people themselves, about our emotions, conditions, and mysteries. I believe these are the eternal themes of photography, the silent images that can change us and the world.