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798 Art District: A World of Art

Can you pair, in your mind’s eye, a deserted, rusty factory and a cutting-edge centre of contemporary arts? The 798 Art District at Dashanzi in Chaoyang District, Beijing, is exactly such a pairing.

“798” is the name of a State-owned radio parts factory built in the 1950s with help of East Germany, when China was aligned with the Soviet Bloc. The factory was closed down in the 1960s and its buildings had been deserted until individual artists and cultural organizations came in 2002 to use them as studios.

Today, the area has developed into one of Beijing and the world’s most famous art districts, featuring not only studios but also exhibitions, fashion shows, concerts and other artistic performances, including many recognized by critics as meeting the highest domestic and international standards. The 798 Art District is where numerous artists started their rise to stardom. As it gained increasingly great popularity, it was named in 2006 one of the first batch of “cultural industry clusters” in the Chinese capital. 

On September 20, 2008, Gallery TN Korea+798 Exhibition opened, attracting nearly 1,000 visitors of whom half were from foreign countries. Journalists from Germany, the United States, Japan and other countries covered the event.

During the exhibition, Song Yang, a young, emerging artist, reached an agreement with some Indian art dealers on holding a personal painting exhibition in India in 2009. Like Song, many young artists have held exhibitions at 798, and their works have been well received by international buyers.     

Just a couple of years ago personal painting shows were rare, if any, at 798. Feng Zhongyun with XYZ Gallery was the first to “break the ice.” That came in 2005, when he staged an exhibition of his water-ink paintings. “The exhibition was successful,” he said. “Thanks to it, I got some more foreign costumers.” 

In comparison, success stories like that of Feng are no longer exceptional at the 798 Art District. The XYZ Gallery now has 13 contracted artists, compared no more than two at the beginning. With help with his agency, Feng has had his works exhibited in Washington, Singapore and many other international cities. “Sales of my works in 2006 were 20 percent greater than in 2005, and there was a further increase of 30 percent in 2007,” he said, declining to reveal any concrete figure.

CNN, BBC and many other international media organizations have listed the 798 Art District as the third “must go” place, following Tian’anmen and the Forbidden City, in Beijing.

International Galleries

In August 2008, the New York-based Pace, a renowned contemporary art gallery, opened a branch at 798. By doing so, Leng Lin, Pace General Manager (China) said at a ceremony, they hope to enable New York to learn more about Chinese art while helping Beijing to get acquainted with what was happening outside China.

Like Pace, many famous art galleries and institutions have settled in 798 in the past two years. “The exchange and merger of different cultures has been a great boost to 798 in its development,” said Leng Lin. Meanwhile, he said proper government control is needed. “Otherwise,” he added, “798 may lose its unique features and change into a shopping centre like SOHO.”

The gallery at 798 is the only Pace branch outside the United States,” said Leng, “Compared with other art districts in Beijing, 798 is larger in area and enjoys easier access to transportation. It is vigorous in artistic creation. That’s why Pace and many other international art galleries have chosen 798 as an area for expansion.”

Renovation of 798

Just before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opened, a 150 million-yuan (US$21 million) project to renovate the 798 Art District was completed. The local parking lot was expanded. Walls were whitewashed. The gas and water supply networks were improved.

The renovation was not meant purely for the Games. It was designed to make 798 match its status as an world-class art centre, according to Chen Yongli, director of the management office of the district. Its sponsors include the Beijing Municipal Government, the Government of Chaoyang District, the Administrative Committee of Zhongguancun Science Park¡¢Beijing Electronics Holding Company Limited and Seven Stars Group.

Expansion of 798

At the end of 2006, the Zhongguancun Electronics Zone Creative Industry Cluster was established at 798. The cluster is composed of the 798 Art District and Zhengdong Creative Park. The aim of the 798 Art District is to serve as the exhibition, trade and advertising centre for software and artwork. Residing enterprises will enjoy the same policy privileges as Zhongguancun with respect to recruitment of talents, taxation and introduction of capital and projects.

Infrastructural development at 798 will be completed by 2008. And by 2013, a complete industrial chain will be established to serve as a window for Beijing to provide high-end creative products and participate in the global culture industry exchange and competition.

An expert committee was established in May 2008 at the 798 Art District to carry out assessment of the residents as well as the policies and services of the district. The committee was composed of renowned artists and industry insiders including Hong Huang, Leng Lin and Fei Dawei. “We will protect, support and create some those that conform to 798’s expansion plans while eliminating those that do not,” said Chen Yongli.

北京798艺术区——连接起世界艺术的纽带

文/杜秀平

艺术家从这里走向世界

2008年9月20日，《天画廊韩国+798展览》在艺术区内开展，近千人参加了当天的开展仪式，其中有半数以上是外国人，此外还吸引了来自德国、美国、日本等世界多个国家的新闻记者光临。

宋洋是此次参展艺术家中惟一的“80后”，热衷于艺术的他如今早已在圈内小有名气。就在此次宋洋的个人画展上，他与印度的书画商人达成意向协议，准备于2009年下半年在印度举办画展。其实，像宋洋一样的年轻人在798举行个人画展的还有很多，他们所展露出的艺术才华吸引了来自世界各地买家的目光。

早在3年前，举行个人画展还是一件比较新鲜的事情。据XYZ画廊的冯钟云介绍，在798举行的首场展览就是《2005年冯钟云的彩色水墨展——“写意人生”》，当时办画展的场地是向3818库画廊租借的，但是画展举办后收到了很好的效果，此前收藏冯钟云作品的只有国内藏家，但那次展览让他拥有了很多国际买家，并且得到了很高的评价。

如今，像这样的艺术家们多不胜数，仅XYZ画廊代理的艺术家就从开始的1—2名发展到现在国内外的13名艺术家。XYZ画廊把冯钟云带去华盛顿、新加坡、日本等地办展览，并且极大提升了其收入，“2006年比2005年的销售收入增加两成，2007年又比2006年增三成。”冯钟云的话语中有着掩饰不住的兴奋。

如今，美国CNN、英国BBC等有影响力的国际媒体已经把798列入继天安门、故宫之后他们为读者推荐的北京第三处“必到之地”。

国际顶级画廊进驻798

2008年8月2日，在国际上享有盛誉的顶级现当代艺术画廊Pace在798举行了隆重的揭幕仪式。纽约Pace画廊中国分部总经理冷林在揭幕仪式上表示：“希望将来不仅仅是在纽约能了解到中国艺术的情况，更希望在北京也能了解到世界艺术的发展情况。”

1960年，Pace画廊还只是美国波士顿的一家小画廊，开业不久便推出了安迪·沃霍尔、罗伊·里奇特斯坦、克勒斯·欧登柏格、罗伯特·印第安纳等波普艺术家的艺术展。经过20年的稳固发展，在20世纪80年代早期，Pace画廊已经成为在国际上享有盛誉的顶级现当代艺术画廊。1993年，Pace画廊与一家有118年历史、收藏有16—19世纪期间众多印象派名作的著名老牌画廊——Wildenstein & Company联合组建了如今的Pace Wildenstein集团，成为现今世界上拥有印象派以及早期古典绘画大师作品最多的私人艺术机构。Pace画廊以艺术品价值判断严格和高质量、高水准的艺术展览闻名于世，中国与之签约的当代艺术家目前只有张洹、张晓刚等几人。

近两年来，尤伦斯基金、伊比利亚当代艺术中心、亚洲艺术中心、林冠画廊、灿艺术中心、玛蕊乐画廊、常青画廊等国外及中国港台地区的画廊、艺术机构进驻798的消息屡见报端。冷林认为，多种语言的多种文化相互融合，对798的发展是一种极大的促进。事实上，798的变化从来没有停止过，但是在变化发展的过程中需要政府的控制，否则如果变成SOHO一样的购物中心就失去其本身的意义了。

“北京798是Pace画廊在世界众多国家和地区中惟一的分支机构。”冷林介绍说，“比起其它园区，798规模更大、更集中、交通方便、内部活跃，所以成为Pace画廊在中国的首选。”事实上，冷林在这里道出了众多品牌艺术中心选址798的真正原因所在。

联合投资1.5亿元进行环境改造

经常光顾798的人们会发现，经过修整建设后的艺术区，停车场大了、墙面更整洁了、裸露的外面的管道也整齐有序了……

据园区管理办公室主任陈勇利介绍，这不仅仅是为了迎合奥运期间的旅游观光潮，主要是园区的环境已经不太符合国际级艺术区的层次，经常给人一种陈旧的感觉。而从客观上讲，奥运会的举办必然会给798带来更多的参观者。这次整体环境改造是由北京市人民政府、朝阳区人民政府、中关村管委会、北京电子控股有限责任公司、七星集团联合投资进行的，投入资金达到1.5亿元左右。

为了确保此次整修的顺利进行，还特别对一些空间的利用、改造征集了整修方案，管委会最后从5家公司里选定了一家国际知名设计机构进行了专业化设计，将原来那些容易给人带来陈旧感觉的工业管道选择了不做表面处理的铝板，目的就是随着时间推移，这些铝板产生的自然生锈，会重新给人带来古旧的感觉。

2013年完成园区产业链形成规模效应

2006年12月18日，由798文化艺术区和正东创意产业园组成的“中关村电子城创意产业及集聚区”正式挂牌成立。根据规划，798文化艺术区的产业定位是发展电子信息软件和文化艺术品的设计展示、交易、广告展览等产业，形成会展、交易、创意等服务体系。入驻企业都将享有中关村的优惠政策，包括人才、税收、资金、项目引进等。

“中关村电子城创意产业基地”是中关村科技园区“十一五”发展的重大方向性项目，由中关村科技园区管委会正式批准设立，包括“798文化艺术区”和“正东创意产业园”两个独立的文化创意产业发展单位，同时还包括在园区其他地域培育、发展的文化创意产业项目。规划将以高科技、IT应用技术为载体，引入时尚创意设计，将园区打造成集IT高新产品应用及研发、视觉艺术展示、艺术培训、版权、交易、会展、生活、娱乐服务等功能于一体的正东创意产业园，2008年将完成基础设施配套。到2013年，完善园区的产业链结构，形成产业规模效应，成为首都向国际市场提供高端创意产品、参与全球文化产业交流竞争的窗口。

陈勇利最后表示：“我们要保护一批、扶持一批、孵化一批、腾退一批。”2008年5月园区成立了专家委员会，对园区的入驻、政策、服务等方面进行评估。据介绍，园区的专家学术委员会由洪晃、冷林、费大为以及清华大学等相关专业人士组成。早在2007年专家学术委员会就开始筹建798艺术区发展促进会，画廊、个人都可以自愿加入，前期已经有100多家签名加入，希望通过学会、协会使798艺术区最终实现“大家共同企划”，让798更加辉煌。