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Cavernous concrete ceilings， vintage brick walls， obsolete machinery， and mazes of pipelines… The remains of a once-bustling factory that went dark during the economic transformation of Beijing regained life when artists swarmed into the industrial compound and transformed it into the 798 Art Zone， known as a “cradle of contemporary Chinese art.”
Genesis
The bones of 798 Art Zone in northeastern Beijing are relics from North China Radio Equipment Joint Factory built with help from East Germany in the 1950s. When the city began transforming drastically in the 1990s， many manufacturing enterprises were pushed out of the city proper. The radio factory was no exception， and it left behind many large empty work- shops and warehouses.
In 2002， American Robert Bernell moved his Timezone 8 Art Books shop into a former factory cafeteria. Later， attracted by the old factory’s spacious structures， low rent， and unique Bauhaus-influenced architectural style， more and more artists began creeping in， refurbishing the former factory into studios and galleries. Most of the earliest settlers chose the former Factory 798， inspiring the art zone’s name.
In fact， the trend of art districts sprouting from old factories can be traced back to the 1970s in the West. When developed countries like the United States and France entered the post-industrial era， a large number of factories and warehouses went vacant. Such structures easily win favor from artists for their spaciousness， low rent， and unique atmosphere， and many have gradually developed into art zones.
Zhang Guohua， executive vice president of the 798 Art Zone Administrative Committee， regards the rise of the art zone as an inevitable phase of the culture sector along with China’s social development. “The earliest settlers in the art zone， including Sui Jianguo and Hong Huang， had lived and studied in foreign countries，”he explains. “They advocated the modern SOHO and loft styles that Western artists were already embracing. After decades of reform and opening-up， China has formed a social ambience fostering cultural freedom， and contemporary art began to boom in the country around the turn of the 21st Century. When artists studying abroad returned to China， they were happy to discover that the spacious workshops and comparatively quiet environment of Factory 798 met their ideals. Gradually， the area became an art zone.” Evolution
The popularity of the 798 Art Zone， both domestically and internationally， exploded with the arrival of foreign-funded galleries such as Ullens Center for Contemporary Art （UCCA） and Tokyo Gallery. After a decade of evolution， the art zone is now home to more than 500 art establishments， including 260 galleries， of which 50 come from foreign countries including the United States， Italy， France， and Belgium. As the largest contemporary art zone in Asia， it has developed into a world-class landmark of contemporary Chinese art. Along with the Great Wall and the Forbidden City， the 798 Art Zone can be found on almost every itinerary for foreign tourists.
Its visitors include high-ranking political figures from all over the world and celebrities from every industry. The 798 Art Zone was listed as one of the world’s 22 best cultural landmarks by Time magazine.
Upon arrival， visitors cannot miss fabulous creations regardless of where they look. Galleries display not only masterpieces of prestigious contemporary Chinese artists such as Yue Minjun， Zeng Fanzhi， and Zhang Xiaogang， but also work from unknown recent graduates. Its openness and inclusiveness make the art zone beloved by creative types.
Currently， the 798 Art Zone welcomes 3.5 million visitors each year， of which 30 percent hail from abroad. “Not only has the art zone opened a window for foreigners to understand contemporary Chinese art， but conversely， its 50 foreign art institutions provide a channel for Chinese people to catch a glimpse of Western avant-garde art，” illustrates Zhang Guohua.
As the art zone’s prestige continues rising， so does its commercial value. As the rent continues increasing with each year， some less profitable art institutions have been forced to move out. In recent years， with scores of high-end art businesses， fashion activities， and cafés setting up shop， the 798 Art Zone could be on the verge of becoming another Myeong-dong， a former art gallery street in Seoul that was so invaded by boutiques， cafés and malls that it has transformed completely into a commercial zone.
Zhang admits that today’s 798 Art Zone is no longer the ideal place for art creation， but has become the place to display art. “We could attempt to slow the pace of commercialization，” he notes.“Now only art-related businesses such as galleries and design companies are allowed to settle in the art zone. In addition， renowned art institutions like UCCA are given discounts on rent.”
The manager of the art zone has mapped out a plan for it future development. According to Zhang， while preserving its current art space， the 798 Art Zone will build an auction center and a contemporary art museum nearby， to fill in every link of a chain for the culture industry.
Genesis
The bones of 798 Art Zone in northeastern Beijing are relics from North China Radio Equipment Joint Factory built with help from East Germany in the 1950s. When the city began transforming drastically in the 1990s， many manufacturing enterprises were pushed out of the city proper. The radio factory was no exception， and it left behind many large empty work- shops and warehouses.
In 2002， American Robert Bernell moved his Timezone 8 Art Books shop into a former factory cafeteria. Later， attracted by the old factory’s spacious structures， low rent， and unique Bauhaus-influenced architectural style， more and more artists began creeping in， refurbishing the former factory into studios and galleries. Most of the earliest settlers chose the former Factory 798， inspiring the art zone’s name.
In fact， the trend of art districts sprouting from old factories can be traced back to the 1970s in the West. When developed countries like the United States and France entered the post-industrial era， a large number of factories and warehouses went vacant. Such structures easily win favor from artists for their spaciousness， low rent， and unique atmosphere， and many have gradually developed into art zones.
Zhang Guohua， executive vice president of the 798 Art Zone Administrative Committee， regards the rise of the art zone as an inevitable phase of the culture sector along with China’s social development. “The earliest settlers in the art zone， including Sui Jianguo and Hong Huang， had lived and studied in foreign countries，”he explains. “They advocated the modern SOHO and loft styles that Western artists were already embracing. After decades of reform and opening-up， China has formed a social ambience fostering cultural freedom， and contemporary art began to boom in the country around the turn of the 21st Century. When artists studying abroad returned to China， they were happy to discover that the spacious workshops and comparatively quiet environment of Factory 798 met their ideals. Gradually， the area became an art zone.” Evolution
The popularity of the 798 Art Zone， both domestically and internationally， exploded with the arrival of foreign-funded galleries such as Ullens Center for Contemporary Art （UCCA） and Tokyo Gallery. After a decade of evolution， the art zone is now home to more than 500 art establishments， including 260 galleries， of which 50 come from foreign countries including the United States， Italy， France， and Belgium. As the largest contemporary art zone in Asia， it has developed into a world-class landmark of contemporary Chinese art. Along with the Great Wall and the Forbidden City， the 798 Art Zone can be found on almost every itinerary for foreign tourists.
Its visitors include high-ranking political figures from all over the world and celebrities from every industry. The 798 Art Zone was listed as one of the world’s 22 best cultural landmarks by Time magazine.
Upon arrival， visitors cannot miss fabulous creations regardless of where they look. Galleries display not only masterpieces of prestigious contemporary Chinese artists such as Yue Minjun， Zeng Fanzhi， and Zhang Xiaogang， but also work from unknown recent graduates. Its openness and inclusiveness make the art zone beloved by creative types.
Currently， the 798 Art Zone welcomes 3.5 million visitors each year， of which 30 percent hail from abroad. “Not only has the art zone opened a window for foreigners to understand contemporary Chinese art， but conversely， its 50 foreign art institutions provide a channel for Chinese people to catch a glimpse of Western avant-garde art，” illustrates Zhang Guohua.
As the art zone’s prestige continues rising， so does its commercial value. As the rent continues increasing with each year， some less profitable art institutions have been forced to move out. In recent years， with scores of high-end art businesses， fashion activities， and cafés setting up shop， the 798 Art Zone could be on the verge of becoming another Myeong-dong， a former art gallery street in Seoul that was so invaded by boutiques， cafés and malls that it has transformed completely into a commercial zone.
Zhang admits that today’s 798 Art Zone is no longer the ideal place for art creation， but has become the place to display art. “We could attempt to slow the pace of commercialization，” he notes.“Now only art-related businesses such as galleries and design companies are allowed to settle in the art zone. In addition， renowned art institutions like UCCA are given discounts on rent.”
The manager of the art zone has mapped out a plan for it future development. According to Zhang， while preserving its current art space， the 798 Art Zone will build an auction center and a contemporary art museum nearby， to fill in every link of a chain for the culture industry.