Beijing: The Second Ring

A video document of the two opposite directions of traffic flow on 33 bridges along Beijing’s 'second ring'. The artist records a single one-minute-long frame for each direction on the bridge. The entire piece is made up of 66 segments. The length of the film is 1 hour and 6 minutes.
As opposed to Beijing: The Third Ring, which was entirely shot on sunny days, the segments of this film were all shot on cloudy days. The circular ring roads are important urban structural elements of Beijing. They govern the whole spatial organization of the city’s urban fabric. Like the Chang’an Boulevard piece, the act of recording is minimal, focusing on the process of pure observation and the nature of time. The film documents the city's historic aspects and modern development, its nearly 13 million people, mass transport, and the urban reality that defines Beijing. (Ai Weiwei Studio)