Kailai Zhang

Kailai Zhang

Kailai Zhang is an artist based in Beijing and London.

Kailai Zhang takes photographs.

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Degree Details

I really like to use Polaroid for my creations because it breaks down the barriers between performance photograph and photography work. It can transform the moment into reality through the fusion of elements within 30 seconds. The unique charm produced by instant photography develops the photographic paper into a non-repeatable work and produces tactile perception. That’s a magical power that goes beyond simple visual impressions.

The shooting process is not only about collecting memories. It is also a cure for me. I used a macro camera originally needed in dental clinics and crime scenes to shoot partial close-ups of flowers blooming, decaying and withering, squirmy marine creatures, human organs, etc. Common objects have shy, subtle and funny reactions when we peep at them through the macro lens, and even they are personified. The subtle forms and emotions are sealed in the instant photograph, which contains unique energy and atmosphere.

This project was taken by Polaroid Macro 5 SLR.

On October 2, 2019, Polaroid originals announced on social media that it would stop producing the spectra film suitable for this camera.

On January 1, 2020, I found that this camera did not stride into the next decade with us, and the time showed on the back of the camera automatically returned to his year of birth 1994. It means that in the designer's original plan, it is not expected to be used until 2020.

I kept a lot of spectra film and tried to prolong its life in this way. However, no matter how hard we try to retain, this product is destined to leave us and become the mark of the times. Years after expiration，these films began to fail to display the complete picture and correct color. And as time goes by, the picture becomes more and more blurred. You can clearly feel that it is getting farther and farther away from you.

So I began to try to use it to capture some passing moments. We usually think that these plants are shorter lives than animals, so we can see a more complete life cycle. Compared with the infinite time of the universe, life is destined to be fragile and short. But life and death are the process of infinite transformation. Rotten fruit will also grow colonies. Decaying flowers will become fertilizer for new plants. Therefore, life is a complete and circular process, just like the sun rising, setting and rising again. Even the process of going to death has vitality.