Hong Kong art gallery in Beijing unfazed by two weeks’ notice to quit premises ahead of demolition
Uncertainty is part of what makes the Chinese capital’s art scene special, says director of gallery in Caochangdi, suburb that has been haven for artists and galleries, many of whom must also find new premises by end of this month
Galleries in Beijing’s Caochangdi art district have been given just two weeks to vacate their premises as development of the capital’s suburbs gathers pace.
Among those affected are the Hong Kong-based de Sarthe Gallery, which set up its Beijing branch in 2014, and X Gallery.
Migrant evictions tear at the fabric of Beijing’s economy
Nessa Cui, manager of de Sarthe Gallery Beijing, said rumours of redevelopment had been circling for over a year but it was still a shock when she showed up at work on Wednesday and found a big, red circle with the Chinese character cai (demolish) sprayed outside the gallery entrance – the usual mark for a condemned building in mainland China.
“It was the first we knew about this. Later in the day, the official eviction notice was put up by the Caochangdi village committee, citing safety concerns. We have until July 31 to move out. The water and electricity supplies will be cut off on August 1,” she said on Friday.
Artists in the Chinese capital have often moved en masse from one affordable area to another. Since the late 1990s, those who used to have studios in Sanlitun, East Village and the 798 art district have congregated in Caochangdi – whose name literally means grass field – far away from the city centre beyond the fifth ring road. Now its days as an artists’ refuge seem to be numbered.
This is what makes the city’s art scene special. You just don’t know where the next art community is going to show up