What will be, will be by Annie Hsiao – Ching Wang

將會如何，會如何／What will be, will be is artist Annie Hsiao-Ching Wang ‘s second photography book, following the international acclaim for her previous work, Reframing Motherhood. She meticulously selected and reassembled hundreds of thousands of family photos spanning over fifty years, along with her own digital archives, to create a nearly 400-page autobiographical visual narrative. This is an honest and intimate account of life, delicately portraying a woman’s feelings, reflections, questions, and resistance in her daily life, from growth and maturity to facing aging. The classic 1956 song “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever will be, will be)” accompanied her through periods of confusion and unease. While seemingly advising people to go with the flow, it also prompted her to continuously question fate and the situation of women: Can women only exist by being dependent on predetermined roles? Entering middle age, as her body began to feel the weight of time, and her parents and relatives gradually aged, she revisited those images spanning half a century—from black and white to digital, from family records to slices of history. Through deconstruction and reconstruction, this book breaks away from a singular, linear narrative of time with its unique arrangement; the unfolding pages are like unveiling memories and emotions hidden deep within, weaving a profound dialogue about women’s growth, family memories, creation, and self-awakening. This is not merely a family photography book, but a profound exploration of women’s life experiences, time, memory, and self-understanding; it responds to the individual and reflects the times.