Xu Xiaoxiao

Watering My Horse

Published by The Eriskay Connection

For Watering My Horse, Xiaoxiao Xu took a road trip of 25,000 kilometres along the foot of China’s Great Wall – as close as it is possible to follow such an awkward edifice through many different landscapes and states of (dis)repair. She did so in an attempt to discover the impact of the fast pace of China’s recent three-decade growth on this historic site and the people living in its vicinity. As she travels she discovers, and photographs, the many tiny communities and individuals who remain closely attached to the wall. Her subtle and sensitive photographs represent her travelogue, but they simultaneously give a very human face and aura to this massive cultural symbol and the massive culture which it continues to represent.