On the lush grounds of Overseas Chinese Town, one of Shenzhen's premier residential developments, a tin-roofed warehouse rises against the sky. The massive block letters, O-C-A-T, painted on a rough concrete wall identify it as the OCT Contemporary Art Terminal.
Elsewhere, abandoned factories are being torn down to make way for glass and steel towers. But in this corner of Shenzhen, relics of its early manufacturing boom are turned into industrial chic as the city's first art zone materialises around the terminal - a collection of studios and display space spread over several sites, with the warehouse serving as the main exhibition hall.
Creative enterprises from Hong Kong as well as Shenzhen have snapped up converted factory space offered by the Overseas Chinese Town Group, a state-owned investment enterprise behind the museum art space development. Architecture and design firms, art galleries, cafes and fashion houses rushed in as soon the first 50,000 square metres of space became available in January. And as the group prepares to release another 100,000 square metres in the neighbourhood, dubbed Loft, there seems to be no lack of prospective tenants seeking a more laid-back, artistic environment.
This burgeoning creative hub is anchored by OCAT, the mainland's first state-sponsored contemporary art museum.
But if the state links conjure images of stilted propagandist material, think again. Charged with the mission of nurturing contemporary Chinese art on the mainland, OCAT has launched an international artist residency programme and put on a number of exhibitions since it formally opened two years ago.
The latest is Travelling Exhibition, featuring works by eight Chinese abstract artists from the US and the mainland who have worked across both cultures.
The month-long show is held in conjunction with J&J Art Fund, a New York-based Chinese-American foundation, and will travel to Beijing, Hong Kong and the US.