Dashanzi 798: The Cultural Revolution

Dashanzi 798: The Cultural Revolution // Happening // 2008/08/01 at 16:00

Imagine a factory divided in two by a simple partition. On one side, workers toil at the assembly line; on the other side, the Chinese contemporary artist Wu Xiayun completes his latest piece, a 20-meter high neon sculpture. This is Dashanzi 798.

A central location for Chinese contemporary art, this former industrial neighborhood has undergone a radical transformation where workers hammers have been replaced by artists’ paintbrushes.

An example of soviet-era East German architecture, the Dashanzi neighborhood began some 50 years ago as an industrial armament complex. However with the passing of time, the factories were abandoned and fell into ruin, quickly becoming a wasteland. Luckily, during the late 90’s this wasteland began attracting young artists.

Today, the Dashnanzi area has become an exhibition space fought over by the most prestigious galleries in the world and by the wealthiest art patrons.

November 2007 was a milestone for the Dashanzi neighborhood when Beijing’s first contemporary art museum was officially opened. Created by the prominent Belgian Ullens de Schooten, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) is quickly becoming a reference in the contemporary art scene.

In celebration of the Beijing Summer Olympics, works from Ullens collection will be on display in the exhibition entitled “Our Future: the Guy and Myriam Ullens Foundation Collection”, which will feature the works of some sixty Chinese artists. Proving the Cultural Revolution is underway.

In other Olympic-related news: A limited edition Fashion Week.

Stay tuned....

Exhibition: July 19, 2008 - October 12, 2008

More informations: UCCA website