Hutong Art Space Arrow Factory Announces Closure

Independently run art space Arrow Factory (no, not the Liangma River-fronting brewpub) has announced that it will close at the end of this month, September 2019, after more than 11 and a half years. The announcement came via Arrow Factory's official Wechat account, and cited ongoing changes in the hutongs, the kind that have affected many businesses in the area over the past few years. In their words, "it has been nothing short of a small miracle that Arrow Factory lasted this long."

The pocket-sized space on Jianchang Hutong (from which it takes its name) opened in 2008 and exhibited works by an impressive roster of over 120 local and visiting artists. 

In an interview with the Beijinger in 2010, owners Rania Ho, and Wang Wei discussed the challenges and advantages of working in such a small space, the impact of their ecological values, as well as their backgrounds in theatre, interior design, and large-scale installation. They also discussed the impact of the then-fresh global financial crisis on Beijing's art scene, which in their words, "[gave] some artists that were overly busy the time and space to breathe, get proper sleep and actually think about making art."

One of the stated aims of the pair, who have worked alongside curator Pauline Yao since the beginning, was to offer an alternative to the "purpose-built art districts in the remote outskirts of the city" to which artists were increasingly being confined. Since opening, the influence of those such districts like 798 has only grown, although the revival of the Longfusu and opening of M Woods gallery in Dongsi does give art lovers in the city center some hope. 

In their WeChat post, the Arrow Factory team extended their thanks "to all the wonderful people who have been a part of this project over the last decade and more: [their] gracious donors and institutional sponsors, first-rate translators, talented designers and dedicated printers, [their] generous volunteers, loving families, and supporters near and far."

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Photos courtesy of Arrow Factory