" Unable to overcome the physical barriers, I ended up crossing 'the border' by taking an alternative route. I decided to explore the city through the pale light of my computer monitor using Google Street View."
Artist: Alper Goldenberg
Project: Wall
"WALL is a series of photographic postcards that originated from my experience of navigating an unexpected diplomatic barrier. In 2018, after being selected for an artistic journey to Beijing, China, through an open call in Paris, I encountered a startling setback—a visa denial. This was my first attempt at international travel and it was disheartening to be denied the opportunity to go beyond Europe. As a dual citizen of France and Turkey, I didn't expect any travel issues. However, it seems that my profile didn't meet the requirements set by the Chinese authorities at that time. As a university student I wondered if I would ever get such a chance to visit and explore Beijing.
Unable to overcome the physical barriers, I ended up crossing 'the border' by taking an alternative route. I decided to explore the city through the pale light of my computer monitor using Google Street View. I would virtually wander through the streets equipped with an analogue SLR camera (Canon T70), capturing the pixels on film to create a sense of physical connection. It was a paradoxical experience, as Beijing's grandeur and density made me feel like an alien discovering a new world."
"By framing and reframing user-uploaded 360-degree images, I created a personal journey and explored how photography influences our memories. The 360-degree images became a liminal space waiting to be framed and turned into memories.
It's worth noting that Google's Street View cars do not operate in Beijing. China's regulations on Google's services limit the information available about Chinese cities, which adds another layer of intrigue to my digital exploration.
As I dropped the pegman on different locations, I felt a desire to explore more and more. Physically, I was in my room, but mentally, I was outside of my comfort zone, lost in Beijing. I encountered passersby without actually meeting them. It dawned on me that I was slowly venturing into a virtual territory. Google Maps' Street View became a threshold, a genuine access point to the unfamiliar. I realised that a space could influence me through a digital intermediary. The psychogeography of Beijing through my screen. The memories I formed were from this paradoxical zone - the experience of a virtual tourist, overtaken by the ambivalent feeling of confined freedom and an alienated sense of place."
© Alper Goldenberg