Unhappy picture for Beijing's art hotbed
By Mitch Moxley
BEIJING - Ten years ago, Ai Weiwei, one of China's best-known artists,
designers and activists, moved into a dusty village in the city's far northeast
corner, where he designed a compound for himself and friends, along with a
gallery called China Art Archives and Warehouse.
Back then, the village, called Caochangdi, was little more than a collection of
warehouses, a few homes and restaurants, and workers' barracks. Today, defined
by the low, grey-brick galleries that honor Ai's original designs, Caochangdi
has become Beijing's creative epicenter and a hotbed of Chinese art.
Although often overshadowed by its better-known and increasingly commercialized
neighbor, 798 Art District - also known as Dashanzi - Caochangdi today is home
to some of China's most
prominent artists and galleries, including Pekin Fine Arts, Three Shadows
Photography Art Center and Boers-Li Gallery.
But like other artist communities that have come before it, Caochangdi is in
jeopardy. In mid-April, residents were given notices of eviction and told that
the suburb would be demolished to make way for government projects, business
development and, ironically, a "Cultural District".
The notice, vague on timing and similar to one received last summer, originated
from the village government office. "Following the progression of urbanization,
our village has been listed for demolition and eviction, but the time has not
been specified," it read.
The threat of demolition arrives as the bohemian art zone has started coming
into its own. Last month, Three Shadows spearheaded the PhotoSpring photography
festival, modeled after the Arles festival in France. PhotoSpring, which
involves 27 galleries and over 200 artists, drew more than 5,000 people on
opening weekend and will run until June 30.
With the threat of bulldozers looming, PhotoSpring is in many ways seen as
Caochangdi's coming out party. Last month, the New York Times called Caochangdi
"a new frontier for Chinese art", while the People's Daily recently dubbed the
area "one of the nation's artistic hotbeds".
"It would be a real pity to lose this place," said Song Jie, owner of Fodder
Cafe, which participated in PhotoSpring. "I love this village."
Nobody is sure when the wrecking ball will hit, and what, exactly, will be
slated for demolition if it does. Some say the plan will spare some of the
better-known buildings and galleries, while others are convinced the whole
village will be torn down.
Villagers, including many whose families have lived here for generations, are
taking a wait-and-see attitude. Some villagers interviewed for this article
were skeptical that the village would be demolished, while others believed it
was inevitable.
"Some people say 'no', some people say 'yes'," said the owner of a laundry
shop, who declined to give her name.
"They have a plan, but it won't happen this year," Sun Qi Xiang, a 60-year-old
retiree, told Inter Press Service. "This will all become high-rise buildings
one day. It's inconvenient ... For young people it's okay, but for older
people, we're familiar with this place."
Artists and gallery owners have moved quickly in an attempt to save the
village, but their strategies differ. Ai Weiwei has called for public protests.
The artist Huang Rui, a Caochangdi resident and one of the founders of 798, has
tried to raise international support by talking with foreign embassies. Three
Shadows' founders, the husband-and-wife team known as Rong Rong and Inri, drew
up a petition in Chinese and English and circulated it at PhotoSpring and later
online.
"We all have the same goal. Some might run, some might walk, but we all want to
save the village," said the 42-year-old photographer Rong Rong, who has been
forced to move from several artist communities during his career. He hopes that
prominent exhibitions like PhotoSpring will demonstrate Caochangdi's potential
to authorities. "I believe there is a future here."
Complicating matters is the confusing ownership structure that, in many ways,
has allowed the community to flourish. The land at Caochangdi is owned by the
city government and leased to landlords. Many properties are then subletted
several times over. Despite the eviction notice from village authorities, the
district government is staying mum on whether the village will be torn down or
not, said Stephanie Tung, Three Shadows international affairs director.
"Everybody's very confused," Tung said.
Art zones have been spared in the past. In 2004, the Dashanzi International Art
Festival, held months before 798 was slated for demolition, helped save the
area, which is today recognized by the municipal government as "a creative
district and cultural park".
But just a few kilometers away are indications of what could be in store for
Caochangdi. In Beigao village, also a hub of artistic activity, several studios
and artist homes have been turned to rubble, with others slated for demolition.
At Black Bridge International Arts Garden, a sprawling studio, artist commune
and kung fu school, several dozen supporters have gathered outside to
demonstrate against the pending demolition. In black robes and hard hats,
carrying Styrofoam spears, axes and swords, they pose for photos behind a
barbed wire fence.
Last month, Black Bridge's water and electricity were cut, and then authorities
spray-painted the character chai - which means "demolish" - on the walls
surrounding the compound. The compound's residents, a floating population of
people ranging from their early 20s to middle age, have refused to budge.
Feng Zhong Yun, 43, an artist and kung fu master who founded the compound in
2007, has been through this before: He was forced to relocate when Beijing's
original artist village, Yuan Ming Yuan, was torn down, and again when rent at
798 became too high.
This time, though, he said he was not going anywhere: "I have to protect my
rights."
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