(Un)Breathing the Air: Some Preliminary Thoughts on Visual Narratives of Air in Selected Chinese Urban Visual Texts

This chapter examines visual narratives of air pollution in post-socialist China to reconceptualise air as a ‘storied matter’ with agency. Using a new materialist approach, the analysis focusses on three selected works: Chai Jing’s documentary Under the Dome (2015), Jia Zhangke’s short film Smog Journeys (2015), and Cao Fei’s film Haze and Fog (2013). The methodology involves detailed visual and thematic analysis to explore how these texts depict air’s materiality, its effects on health, and its role as a medium shaping emotional and social spaces. The discussion further investigates how these works challenge traditional views of air as merely external or passive, emphasising its active role in mediating human experience and fostering a sense of togetherness across social divides. The conclusion underscores the importance of viewing air as an active participant in environmental narratives, offering new insights into the cultural significance of pollution in contemporary China.