2010 Feb 12 Beijing’s Artist Communities Under Pressure
Rumors have been circulating for some time that Caochangdi, the area past Dashanzi that’s home to a number of high-profile galleries, may be razed for redevelopment, but it’s far from the only “art zone” under threat by voracious real estate agents. Red Box Review recently published an overview of the areas under pressure.
While some areas like Songzhuang are currently being actively developed as creative communities, in many other places artists are facing harassment and forced evictions. The Red Box Review article notes:
“A new cycle of evictions began again in December, when artists in Beijing’s 008 Art Zone and Zhengyang Creative Art Zone were given one month to vacate their studios before demolition. Artists organized performances and protests, but in January the whole district was bulldozed as planned. At least 13 other art zones in Chaoyang are currently under threat, which would displace at least 1000 artists.”
Like ordinary residents in cities all over China, artists are often powerless in the face of developers’ demands, irrespective of rental contracts. Even 798 was only saved from demolition by intense lobbying from both inside and outside China, though rapidly rising rents and rank commercialism have managed to effectively strangle the area's once-thriving creative community, even if the old factory buildings have survived.
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Art Zone Shopping: 798 Teems with Creative Treasures
While Dashanzi’s 798 Art District is most well known for its eclectic collection of art galleries, art centers and coffee shops, it is also becoming a place for innovative furniture and fashion designers to sell their wares to an audience that appreciates quality and creativity. The following are some of the area’s standout stores.
Spring Awakening: Caochangdi Busts Out All Over
If you eschew the airport expressway that hurtles past 798 and instead take the tree-lined airport side-road (Jichang Fulu) that winds its way beside it, you will eventually come upon a blue-and-white cluster of signs that point you to the many and diverse corners of the “artist village” of Caochangdi - which this April will be home to an explosion of events under the auspices of the Caochangdi PhotoSpring.
Fashion Without Limits: Zhang Da's "Boundless" Collection at UCCA
If you haven’t heard of Zhang Da before, who could blame you? He's earned a reputation as one of China's most mysterious designers, probably because he shows so little enthusiasm for promoting himself. Still, he has managed to become well-renowned for his unique design technique, best illustrated through his own label Boundless ("Meibian" 没边). More recently, he was also enlisted to design for Hermes’ up-and-coming China-based label Shang Xia.
Though his atelier is located in Shanghai, he flew down to Beijing to lead a four-part design series at 798’s Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA). It all began in early July with a student workshop (in which Zhang Da instructed students from the Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology) and concluded with a “fashion show” last Sunday, August 15, previewing his Fall/Winter 2010 collection.
The State of Art: Vivienne Li of Ullens Center for Contemporary Art
Beijing’s 798 art district has become a hub of China’s art scene and at its heart is the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), opened in late 2007 by Belgian collectors Guy and Myriam Ullens. The Ullens sold their famous Turner watercolor collection at auction, raising $21 million to fund the center’s construction. Vivienne Li became UCCA’s Communications Director a year ago, combining her career path in public relations with her affinity for contemporary art and allowing her to enjoy her vocation and avocation at the same time.
Six Years of Partying with YEN: DJ Mickey Zhang
Yen, organizers of the Yen Fetish Halloween Party voted “Best Party of the Year” in our 2010 Reader Bar & Club Awards, is having its 6th Anniversary Party this Saturday June, 26 at 706 Factory in 798 Art District. Click here to find out how to win free tickets. Featuring a full lineup of Beijing’s best local artists and special guest performers, it is guaranteed to titillate the senses and fulfill all your techno music needs. Mickey Zhang, techno veteran and long time Yen DJ, tells us a little bit about himself and how the idea of Yen came about.
