In the Zone Two-Decade Development of China’s Art Districts

by Hua Mao

When speaking of con- temporary Chinese art， a major element is the emergence of art districts， which are considered to drive progress because each of their moves can affect the local art market， even the sensitive nerves of the entirety of contemporary art. Evolving from small “territories” some 20 years ago， art districts have become the hubs of modern art today， the development of which has in turn accelerated the growth of art districts， which attract greater attention as highly-valued features of large and midsized cities throughout the country.

A Gathering Place for Avant-Garde Artists

In the early 20th Century， a new wave of avant-garde artists， radicals， and rebels began gathering in Greenwich Village of Manhattan in New York City. Peaking in the 1960s， Greenwich Village became a hub of modern American art， and influenced the entire country as well as the world. Many historians and artists believe that in the 20th Century， the worlds artistic pole shifted from Paris to New York， as art districts began emerging， especially New Yorks.

In modern China， the first communities of artists began sprouting in the 1980s， and by the late 20th and early 21st centuries， large art districts had become mainstream.Chinas earliest were founded in Yuanmingyuan and Dongcun， both in Beijing， which lured independent artists， profes

sional artists， and young people with artistic dreams from every corner of the country.

“In those zones， they wove dreams of life and artistic creation，” illustrates Ye

Yongqing， a distinguished Chinese modern artist and professor at the Sichuan Fine

Arts Institute. “They led hard lives， though， struggling for survival.”

Art districts continued mushrooming in the early 20th Century， led by Beijings 798 Art Zone and Shanghais Moganshan Road Art District （M50）. Most such districts share several common traits. They are mostly found in former sites of factories and warehouses： simple architecture， tall and spacious， perfect backdrops for modern artwork， not to mention low rent. They quickly became popular， attracting many artists from near and far. Beijings 798 is now considered a landmark of the progression of modern Chinese art and a tourist attraction as unmissable as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City （Palace Museum）.

From 2005 through 2008， the Chinese art market as well as its art districts experienced remarkable progress as contemporary Chinese work began seeing demand in the international market. A number of art districts took shape along with 798 and M50： Shanghais Red Town， Blue Roof in Chengdu， Tank Loft Chongqing Contemporary Art Center， the Loft in Kunming， and the Textile City in Xian. In addition to galleries and independent studios for traditional forms of art， such as sculpture， painting， and photography， these districts have also attracted other businesses， such as bookstores， fashion shops， graphic designers， environmental designers， boutiques， interior decorators， restaurants， and bars.

A Showcase for Modern Art

The 2008 global financial crisis decimated the market for modern art. Artists made an exodus from art districts， while many galleries and art institutions folded. Many art districts went stagnant except for a few larger and relatively mature ones such as Beijings 798 and Shanghais M50. In 2010， art districts finally began warming up again after a long cold spell.

The maturing art districts began to play a role as a window into modern Chinese art and a platform for exchange between artists from all over the world. In 2010， for instance， the Paris-Beijing Art Gallery in 798 exhibited photos by Erwin Olaf， a pioneering photographer from the Netherlands. In September 2011， new work from Marc Desgrandchamps， one of the most representative names in modern French and European art， was displayed at Dialogue Space Gallery in Beijings 22 International Art Plaza. In 2012， an exhibition of 18 priceless photos by Daniel Reynek， a famous Czech photographer， was held at Big Warehouse Gallery on Moganshan Road in Shanghai. In 2013， 33 immortal oil paintings representing neo-expressionism in Germany graced the stage of the Zhan Zhou International Art Park in Beijing.

It was not by chance that such districts became windows to modern Chinese art. In Beijing， contemporary Chinese art experienced a lengthy incubation during the decade which witnessed the establishment of art zones from Yuanmingyuan Art Village to Songzhuang Art District and finally to 798. The art market eventually thrived and artists matured in terms of both artistic creation and individual wealth， laying a solid foundation for the emergence of more art districts. More importantly， changes in ideology – a more favorable cultural atmosphere and environment in the country– has offered greater space for the develop-ment of modern art and their districts.

Business vs. Art

Actually， the rapid development of art districts is not necessarily good news for true artistic pioneers. Many art districts， especially those specifically planned， tend to be commercialized. The rising rent drives individual artists and small and medium-sized galleries out of mature districts to make room for bigger art institutions and high-end consumer goods manufacturers. The battle between art and commerce has been ongoing for ages.

Since the late 20th Century， Chinese cities have become more diversified and inclusive， and art became an important component of urban culture. While art and the market are complementary and co-dependent in some respects， they also compete and clash with each other.

Many doubt that Chinas relatively young art districts will repeat the same path of Greenwich Village and SOHO. Greenwich Village， a hub of the American modern art in the 1970s， was eventually invaded by fast food， clothing shops， and luxury housing. The pioneering artists moved to SOHO to start anew. SOHO， however， was also soon seized by the market. Rising rent sent artists to the East Village， Chelsea， and Nolita， or even as far as Long Island， where costs were much more reasonable.

Today， ordinary artists in many famous art districts in China similarly embark on new journeys， seeking “better places”because only a few commercially successful artists can afford to stay. As previous stories from the United States testify， such places can eventually be found. The question is how to preserve the soul of art districts while fostering economic growth– a challenge facing proprietors， property owners， and artists alike.