Zhang Yu “Meiji Monument”

Banshan Gallery

Finished

Artists

Zhang Yu

After the Meiji Restoration, as Japan embraced Western culture in all directions, architecture was of course greatly influenced. From the wooden buildings of the past, there was a gradual shift to Western-style architecture with a mixture of wood and brick structures. If a closer look is taken at such buildings, the changes of the times in terms of urban history, national culture, and social development may be understood. On the other hand, Zhang Yu thought that it is possible to see the role that different types of architecture and urban landscapes have played in Japan’s social development.

Therefore, Zhang decided to travel around Japan to photograph public buildings such as banks, churches, schools, hospitals, and government buildings built from the Meiji era to the 1940s. Although China and Japan are both Asian countries, in China, the architecture from the Ming Dynasty has not been preserved in good condition, and in many cases, it has been torn down or only parts of it remain. It seems that the historical value hidden in the architecture has been considerably reduced.　

On the other hand, Japanese architecture from the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa eras have been well preserved. However, even if they still remain, they seem to be gradually fading out of people’s view as their memories of that era fade away. This work is a monument that integrates the former modern architecture of Japan into the contemporary Japanese landscape as a historical relic. In this age of globalization, what will become of the historical landscape of modern and contemporary Japan?

Schedule

Aug 24 (Tue) 2021-Sep 19 (Sun) 2021