China Daily covers Beijing art zone demolitions
Jan 25th, 2010 | By Chris | Category: Random Shanghai stuff...There is a China daily article here on the ongoing demolition of art zones in Beijing.
Quote:
“I haven’t yet made any plans for the future,” the modern ink painter and furniture designer says.
The 46-year-old, who signed a 30-year contract with 008 Art Zone’s developer, smiles bitterly. “I thought I could spend my rest of life here,” he says.
Since the Yuanmingyuan Artist Village was cleared in the early 1990s, it has become common for artists to often be forced to relocate.
Engraving and installation artist Li Qiang, who came to Beijing in 2008, has moved from 008 to Xiedaoxi and then to Huantie Art Zone in less than two years.
“I’ve practically become a professional studio decorator,” the 44-year-old jokes.
Li started paying attention to China’s urbanization in 1999. He monitored not only the development of rural villages but also of those within metropolises.
There is also an article on the not-to-be-demolished Song Zhuang here.
And a foreign student’s reminiscences of early (erm, 2003) art zones in Beijing here. And that’s about all the English language press seem to have to say about 1000 or so artist studios getting demolished.
ho hum ey?
