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China's Modern Art Zone----798 Complex
 Presently, there are 20,000 square meters of art studio
in the 798 complex, all acting as venues for a broad scope of exhibitions and
seminars. "Settlers" here often compare it to the SOHO district of New York, in
which, as recalled by the New York Times, factories were also preserved in their
primary state.
In a sense, 798 is becoming a ideal place for people to
observe China's modern art up close, and is unceasingly attracting more and more
attention from artists from other places of the world.
In 2003, Beijing appeared on the annual Newsweek world cities
list. One of the reasons was the virtue, existence, and development of the 798
arts complex. Articles in Newsweek and the New York Times about 798 have brought
many intrigued foreign artists and interested businesspeople to Beijing for a
glimpse of the art complex.
In May 2004, China's first non-governmental arts festival was held at factory
798, and more than 30 art activities took place that month. Among them were
influential avant-garde concepts such as visionary and audio art, along with
live concerts, dance, drama, performance art, architecture, and design
exhibitions. There were also four individual film festivals and eight
photographic exhibitions. During this merry month more than 200 well-known
artists from both home and abroad came to exhibit their works at 798.
  Threatened Future
Nowadays, this former suburban industrial area's value has
escalated alongside its development into an up and coming area of the city and
is now believed to be worth billions of RMB (Chinese
currency). Artists originally rented spaces here very cheaply, but since the
area began to thrive, property owners have raised their rents. Also, Beijing is
considering building a new electronics industrial area that will encompass
factory 798. Either way, whether it becomes a real estate project or a new
industrial electronics area, property owners stand to clean up. Most rental
contracts are up next year, which will cast a cloud over 798, as many currently
resident artists will have no choice but to leave.
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Presently, there are 20,000 square meters of art studio
in the 798 complex, all acting as venues for a broad scope of exhibitions and
seminars. "Settlers" here often compare it to the SOHO district of New York, in
which, as recalled by the New York Times, factories were also preserved in their
primary state.
