Vietnam’s cities may have some work to do when it comes to improving their air quality, but compared to the smog-filled skies of China’s urban areas, we live in a relative biosphere.
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Though it’s been two years since the Chinese government launched a US$277 billion scheme to clear up the poisonous haze that kills as many as 1.2 million people per year. Its effects don’t seem immediately evident based on these images taken by photographer Benedikt Partenheimer.
"I wanted to create a body of work that is not photojournalistic, but more conceptual, and at the same time critical," said Partenheimer who traveled across China for five months, taking photos of the country’s cities.
"It deals with the relationship between revival and decline and reflects on the consequences that come along with excessive economic growth," Partenheimer told Fast Company.
"I think images are like mirrors, we can see ourselves in them but at the same time also discover different realities," he added. "We tend to get caught up in our everyday lives and problems, and that's okay, but there are many other things that deserve and need our attention. We have to start to rethink our capitalist economic system before it is too late."
With smog like this (it can even be seen from space), it's no wonder that some people in Chinese cities are coming up with creative ways to get some "fresh" air.
