One billion invisible Chinese.

by Rand on 2009/12/11 · 13 comments

in Insights

Post image for One billion invisible Chinese.

This one isn’t about advertising; rather its a forwarded email I got from Andrew (my biz partner), which he got from his sister in Australia (now you know my content sources). In it is a Chinese man named Liu Bo Lin that literally paints himself into the background. It’s pretty cool in a weird sort of way; so I figured I’d post it and share this Friday after-work oddity with you.

Digging a bit deeper than the obvious entertainment value; we can see glimpses of the Chinese point of view, particularly if you’re on the lower rung of society; feelings of invisibility as the engine of capitalism zooms by; feeling faded into the background, unable to move, unable to catch progress as it sweeps up your “betters” and takes them to the “promise land”.

Just one of one billion; now you see him, now you don’t.

China's advanced new road blocks spurt fountains of blood when you run into them.

China's advanced new road blocks spurt fountains of blood when you run into them.

In the time he spent painting himself, he could have rebuilt his house.

Another common scene in China... except for the ghost man in the middle.

Talking to this guy is like talking to a brick wall.

Talking to this guy is like talking to a brick wall.

Redefining "wall flower".

Redefining "wallflower".

Did he continue the window stripes of the building in the distance? Tsk Tsk.

Hopefully no one tries to board this gap anytime soon.

Even the invisible man can't hide form the Chinese government.

Even the invisible man can't hide from the Chinese government.

This one is great; took me awhile to find him.

This one is great; took me awhile to find him

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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Vladimir Algin December 14, 2009 at 2:45 pm

I was thinking about an expression of not seeing the forest fore the trees, I guess this is not seeing the population fore the progress…kind of.
Best regards,
Vladimir

Reply

2 Rand December 14, 2009 at 3:01 pm

Ya something like that; the progress covers the sacrifice made for progress. Can’t say its wrong or right; just that its happening today, tomorrow.

Reply

3 Erwin March 17, 2010 at 5:15 pm

Shoot, I’m an expatriate and feel that way.

Reply

Leave a Comment

{ 10 trackbacks }

  • Dan Harris

    This is so cool. The invisible Chinese. http://is.gd/5kWqv

    December 12, 2009
  • Bruno Raymond

    RT @DanHarris This is so cool. The invisible Chinese. http://is.gd/5kWqv

    December 12, 2009
  • jaqi

    RT @DanHarris: This is so cool. The invisible Chinese. http://is.gd/5kWqv

    December 12, 2009
  • theREALmarvin

    is reading " One billion invisible Chinese. http://bit.ly/80skuq "

    December 12, 2009
  • Doug M

    Wow. impressive effort has gone into these pictures RT @DanHarris: This is so cool. The invisible Chinese. http://is.gd/5kWqv

    December 12, 2009
  • Dana Chen

    Feeling invisible as the engine of capitalism zooms by: http://bit.ly/5drlSp

    December 12, 2009
  • Clare

    Hero! RT @investoralist Feeling invisible as the engine of capitalism zooms by: http://bit.ly/5drlSp

    December 12, 2009
  • +Aziz

    Art | One Billion Invisible Chinese | http://bit.ly/69gHyL | #china #art

    December 13, 2009
  • Ellen Lin Perry (林雨)

    China got talent! awesome! RT@DanHarris One billion invisible Chinese. http://ow.ly/LBov

    December 13, 2009
  • Vladimir Algin

    Reading: "One billion invisible Chinese."( http://twitthis.com/5epjy6 )

    December 14, 2009

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