Upon first glance, photographer Benedikt Partenheimer’s Particulate Matter series appears to be a soothing collection of pastel colors and cloud-filled landscapes. However, the German native’s work aims to shed a harsh light on a problematic issue that plagues modern day China – the economic progression moving forward at the expensive of environmental and physical wellbeing. Partenheimer describes the photo series as a “the relationship between the revival and decline… the consequences that come with excessive economic growth and the combustion of carbon-based fuels”.
The majority of the series was photographed from above to emphasize an astounding lack of visibility on days where the air quality index (AQI) skirts dangerously above 301, which is globally classified as “hazardous” by governing bodies. On such days, even China’s most iconic sights such as Beijing’s Forbidden City and Shanghai’s Huangpu River are rendered unrecognizable.
乍看之下，德国摄影师 Benedikt Partenheimer的《Particulate Matter 》似乎只是一组色彩柔和，云雾萦绕的自然风景照片。然而， Partenheimer真正的创作意图是揭示一个困扰现代中国的问题–经济发展带来的环境和健康代价。Partenheimer形容这个摄影系列为“复兴与衰落之间的关系……过快的经济增长与过分使用碳基燃料的后果”。
系列中大部分作品以高空俯视的角度拍摄，以突显出在重污染日子里，城市惊人的低能见度。根据规定，当空气质量指数 (AQI) 达到 301以上时，即为”重度污染“。这些时候，即使是中国最具标志性的景点，如北京的故宫、上海的黄浦江等都会变得相当模糊无法辨认。
