China’s Art Dist Creating the Fu

Around the turn of the 21st Century， along with the expansion and maturation of Chinas art market and a more dynamic， relaxed cultural atmosphere， art districts such as Beijings 798 and Shanghais M50 began emerging as platforms to showcase contemporary Chinese art and encourage communication between Chinese artists and their foreign counterparts. Today， 798 has become a landmark engine for the development of the nations contemporary art and a potent tourist attraction.

However， the struggle between art and commerce has never ceased. Many worry that Chinas art districts， with development of less than two decades， will fall victim to fates similar to New Yorks Greenwich Village and SOHO. Balancing cultural integrity and commercial viability of art districts remains a thought-provoking dilemma for art brokers， property owners， and artists.

Karen Smith， a Beijing-based British art historian who focuses her major research on contemporary Chinese art， believes that China needs more art districts of different styles and characteristics， and that the art districts need to return to their basic function： serving artistic creation.