Chien-Chi Chang: Double Happiness
Taiwanese photographer Chang explores the disturbing world of the brokered marriage industry in this somewhat monotonous collection of black-and-white photographs. Over the past decade, more than 80,000 Taiwanese men have purchased and married Vietnamese brides, choosing them from rows and rows of silent young women, many of whom hail from poor farming families. Chang's photos document the transaction process, showing women waiting to be chosen, the couples undergoing pre-marital counselling and, finally, the wedding ceremonies in which the newlyweds share their first kiss. The images beautifully capture the women's painfully stoic facial expressions, as well as the emotional isolation of these prospective brides and grooms, who never look at one another, each seemingly in their own world. The wedding photographs seem to offer a glimmer of hope, though. While some of the women still look miserable, others appear genuinely excited about the life that awaits them. The structure of the book is awkward; instead of offering information about brokered marriages throughout, an essay by Claudia Dowling is simply inserted in the middle. Without much commentary to accompany them, the photos can seem repetitive, but this collection still offers an intriguing behind-the-scenes glimpse of an overlooked phenomenon.