Sze Tsung Leong (British-Mexican-American, b. 1970)
Xinjiekou, Xaunwu District, Nanjing, 2004, From the series History Images, 2004
Chromogenic print
40 x 80 in
Gift of John Andrew MacMahon ‘95
During Spring 2020, I took a course called “Urban Ecology” with Dr. Anika Bratt, Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Davidson College. Through the course, I learned about the importance of urban ecosystems and how they shape our environment. With the rise of urbanization, ecologists and sociologists are just beginning to understand the immense ways in which humans and their actions are influencing the lifecycles, ecosystems, structures, and climate within the urban landscape. Our studies in the course centered on the ecology of cities, where we explored the complex relationships between people, society, and environment. Ultimately, the most important takeaway of the course was that urban environments have the ability to drastically alter the course of life on earth.
I immediately thought of this course when viewing Sze Tsung Leong’s photographs of the built environment. Leong’s body of work includes three different portfolios: Cities, Horizons, and Histories. In our collection, we are fortunate to have works that showcase the breadth of his work across these projects.
Pictured here is Xinjiekou, Xaunwu District, Nanjing, 2004 from the series Histories. In his artist statement, Leong discusses the role of histories in the urban environment: landscapes constantly and gradually change over time to influence the erasure of histories in the urban realm, the absence of histories, and finally, provide a space to contemplate “future histories.” For Leong, “These photographs are of histories recorded in urban form, all simultaneously occurring, all in the midst of change. They are records of cities in time, in the process of perishing, disappearing, or starting anew… these photographs are of cities caught in the tenuous period after the end of one history and at the beginning of another history.” [1] Built environments are representations of time, as they shape culture and society and act as “visual manifestations of power.” [2] It is at this juncture that Leong’s photographs lie.
Like my studies in “Urban Ecology,” Leong’s photographs of cities illuminate the significance of urban landscapes in shaping the future. Ultimately, his work seeks to reveal hidden histories embedded in cities, demonstrating that the built environment is one that cannot be overlooked.
Click this link to explore more of Leong’s photographs in the series, Histories.
Leong is a visual artist combining his experience in urban studies and architecture. He attended the Art Center College of Design, earned a BA from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree from Harvard University. He has received numerous awards including the Eisner Prize in Photography, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Cohen Rome Prize. His work is held in many collections and has been exhibited internationally including at Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey, Yossi Milo Gallery, National Galleries of Scotland, Hood Museum of Art, Weatherspoon Art Museum, and the McColl Center for Art + Innovation.
[1] Leong, Sze Tsung. History Images. Apr. 2004, www.szetsungleong.com/texts_historyimages.htm.
[2] RAY. “Interview with Sze Tsung Nicolás Leong.” 2018, ray2018.de/en/ray-magazine/interview-sze-tsung-nicolas-leong/.
Emilie Hoke ‘21