From Beijing Besieged by Waste to Plastic China : A Conversation with Artist Wang Jiuliang

Abstract

Wang Jiuliang is a Chinese photographer and video artist based in Beijing. Since 2008, he has been focusing on the issue of waste. From 2008 to 2013 he investigated more than 460 landfills around Beijing and made a 76-minute documentary film, Beijing Besieged by Waste, which attracted extensive media attention in China and abroad. Wang Jiulaing won a Gold Award as Outstanding Artist of the Year at the 2009 Lianzhou International Photography Festival. Since 2014, Wang Jiuliang launched an investigation on imported plastic wastes in China. In November 2016, Plastic China was awarded the 2016 IDFA Special Jury Award for First Appearance. He is regarded not only as an artist, but also as a social and environmental activist.