2026 SPE Annual Conference: Catalyst for Exchange
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print this pageA Participatory Visual Investigation into the Migrant Children in China
Tianqiutao Chen
Saturday, March 21 - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
Agusta
My presentation will focus on my project "Seen/Unseen: The Migrant Children", which centers on observing migrant workers and their children in Beijing - a highly underrepresented community from less developed areas around China that temporarily migrates to urban centers in search of better employment and educational opportunities. Over the last 30 years, migrant workers have been the engine of China's spectacular economic growth and have enjoyed some benefits of urban life. However, they remain marginalized and face institutionalized discrimination. Their children have limited access to education, healthcare, and social welfare.
During my voluntary service for a non-profit organization in two migrant villages on the outskirts of Beijing, I initiated this social practice where I collaborated with a group of migrant children, teaching them photography while providing them with disposable film cameras, and enabling them to document their lives in Beijing. The work consists of two visual components: portraits of the migrant children taken by me as deadpan observations of their harsh living conditions; candid and playful snapshots captured by the children revealing in-depth perspectives from the true insiders. My presentation will showcase the visual outcomes of this project and highlight the aesthetics of human interaction and development based on participation. Additionally, I will discuss the anticipated reunion scheduled in the summer of 2025 in China between myself and the participating migrant children.
This project aims to reveal both the seen and unseen aspects of the lives of migrant children in Beijing. The displacement and alienation experienced by the migrant people result in their complicated social and living conditions and states of mind that bring them both dilemmas and moments of contentment. My presentation will explore with the audience these aftermaths reflecting the complexity of China's current rapid urbanization.
speaker
Tianqiutao Chen
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