In light of the recent Beijing Olympics and the upcoming Expo 2010 in Shanghai (May 1 to Oct. 31), all eyes are focused on China. As travelers flow into the East and marvel at the bounty of the ancient world (The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, etc.), many are delighted to discover the country’s thriving contemporary art scene, which is also making international waves. Blossoming in exciting gentrified locales, China’s creative communities blend New and Old Worlds alike, allowing visitors a unique glimpse into the country’s engaging dichotomy – and, potentially, an opportunity to score a one-of-a-kind, or at least a limited edition, souvenir.
BEIJING’S 798 FACTORY
During the 1950s in an agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the USSR to unite military and industrial interests, the Dashanzi factory complex was born – although this project would eventually link the Chinese with their East German cousins, from whom the buildings inherited their Bauhaus design.
Officially called the Dashanzi Art District, locals have affectionately baptized the entire area as “798 Factory” or “798 District,” referring to the biggest building that now houses 798 Space Gallery. Painted high on the walls above modern photography, paintings, sculpture and abstract installations; remnants of Maoist slogans quietly remind passers-by of Dashanzi’s not so distant past.
Some five revolutionary decades later, the area breathes with a bohemian Greenwich Village air. Tall indoor spaces masterminded to maximize natural light now offer optimal conditions for their current gallery incarnations. And there is literally a maze of exhibitions to see. The Long March Space and Chinese Contemporary galleries promise enough stimuli to challenge even the most abstract of thinkers. For photography aficionados, must-see spots are 798 Photo and Paris-Beijing Photo.
Dashanzi is also home base to Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts, so students mingle on a daily basis with resident artists and workers in the few factories that still operate. But locals and tourists are also valuable members of this vibrant community, criss-crossing from building to building, strolling in and out of one gallery to the next.
There are several quaint eateries for break time and people watching, but perhaps the most popular spot is the Timezone 8 Bookstore & Café, owned and operated by Texas-native Robert Bernell. Peruse his eclectic book selection before taking in a light lunch from a Western menu of sandwiches, pastas, soups and salads. In good weather, enjoy a meal (or maybe just an ice-cream) in the shade of the patio’s yellow sun umbrellas.
SHANGHAI’S M50
Often snubbed by Beijing’s intellectual crowd as being the superficial little sister; Shanghai, it seems, is always in an extreme state of transformation. Some go as far as calling Shanghai “The Paris of the East,” likening the futuristic Pearl Tower to La Tour d’Eiffel.
Etymologically speaking, Shanghai translates roughly to ‘city by the sea;’ a logical name considering its earlier importance as a fishing and textiles port. Here, along Suzhou Creek and nestled within the Putuo District’s decommissioned cotton and wool spinning mills, circa 1930, another art enclave has emerged.
Legally labeled the Chunming Art Industrial Park, locals will likely scratch their heads until you say “M50,” a fashionable derivation of its central address at 50 Moganshan Road. Much more cozy and intimate than Dashanzi’s spacious lot, at M50 big and small workshops sit on top of each other sharing real estate with a cosmopolitan brotherhood of galleries, design studios and architectural and media firms.
For art patrons, the ShanghART, Art Scene, BizArt and Eastlink galleries are the big contenders and often the biggest crowd pleasers – the latter being worth the climb up five flights of stairs. A recent auction entertained by international buyers (mainly European and American) estimated a portrait by respected artist Huang Yan (infamous for painting traditional Chinese art on the human form) at RMB 15,000 to 20,000. A hefty price indeed, but mere peanuts in light of more revered artists such as Yue Minjun, who is considered the granddaddy of Chinese contemporary art. Many of his works are now worth millions. Less expensive works, of course, are also available from emerging talent.
A second, smaller outpost of the Timezone 8 Books & Café is centrally located near the Moganshan entrance. An alternative is the adjacent Traveled Coffee & Tea that shares a common courtyard.
Or why not bookend the day in the painfully hip Taikang Lu area, which is still decidedly on the down low? Spread throughout a bustling hutong (traditional Chinese neighborhood connected by narrow lanes and small alleys); vegetable peddlers and old-timer residents live in harmony alongside modern coffee shops, miniature pizza joints, and clothing boutiques. Discuss brush strokes and lighting techniques over cappuccinos (and free WiFi) at Cafe Mojo! Zealous tourists will want to purchase one of the best-looking “I Heart Shanghai” T-shirts in town, available at Produc-T.
If an extra day permits, the Ke Center for the Contemporary Arts, which occupies a former rubber factory, is free and offers daily events. As well, adjacent to the People’s Park and the picturesque lotus pond of Barbarossa Lounge, the Museum of Contemporary Arts (MOCA) is another worthy attraction.
Unlike many of China’s landmarks that have staked permanent places on the map, art districts – despite their popularity – tend to have a more transient lease on land. As newer, more lucrative businesses spread out, they creep in and push out older infrastructures. When pop art icon Andy Warhol (whose portrait of Mao recently sold for $17.4 million) once said, “In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes,” he clearly overlooked the artists of Dashanzi and M50 who merit much more than the quarter hour allotted in Warhol’s prophecy. While there are no guarantees that they will become household names in the West (kudos to any English-speaker who can master Mandarin’s five tones!) their works will surely leave lasting impressions in any visitor’s memory – and maybe even one on the their living-room wall.
Artist names to know: Huang Yan, He Yunchang, He Saibang, Yue Minjun, Yang Zhenzhong, Wang Guangyi
Artist names to watch: Guan Shi, Dong Ming guan, Hu Zi, Yang Fudong,
GETTING THERE
North American visitors can fly directly into Shanghai’s Pudong or Beijing Capital international airports. United Airlines has direct flights to both cities from San Francisco.
Between Beijing and Shanghai, Air China offers hourly flights (approximately two hours long). A more relaxing option, however, (at less than half the price of airfare) is to take the 7 p.m. overnight train with sleeper cabins. Travelers get dinner in Shanghai at the outset and arrive in Beijing just before breakfast, and vice verse. The trip takes about 12 hours and costs just under RMB 500.
Getting from your hotel to the art districts themselves may prove more of a challenge. Opt to take a taxi instead of the bus. Ask your hotel concierge to inform the driver of your destination. The names M50 or and Dashanzi sound very different in Mandarin.
Shanghai tip: At www.smartshanghai.com you can search and print out key addresses in Chinese characters. Your cabbie will be grateful. It’s also a great site to know what’s going on in general.
WHERE TO STAY
Dashanzi and M50 are both situated along the periphery of their respective cities. So unless you are not visiting any other sites, you will likely want to book your room in a more central area.
In Shanghai it seems there are endless options for hotel accommodations. How many cities claim two Hyatts (one on either side of the Huangpu River, Pudong and Puxi) – and a third, which will open this fall.
Beijing alone boasts five Shangri-La locations, with the most elegant one situated near the Summer Palace.
On the other end of the cost spectrum, the Peking International Youth Hostel (a stone’s throw away from the Forbidden City) is surprisingly chic – thanks in part to one of the owners who moonlights as an interior designer.
In either city, another popular option is the thoroughly modern yet budget-minded Motel 168 chain.
By Patricia Gajo
