Once an industrial complex of factories for weapons manufacture, the 798 transformed into an arts district in the 1990s as Beijing shifted its focus toward becoming a world-class international city. The shift from weapons to art succeeded beyond all expectation, with galleries opening and shows being presented by artists from throughout China and the world.
Galleries to Visit in the 798 Art District – Exploring The Beijing Art Scene
The 798 art zone has so many galleries, sometimes it is hard for visitors to decide which ones to see. Here are a few of the most interesting and influential galleries featuring Beijing art:
- The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA)- A large museum project, the Ullens is the only place in the 798 art district with an entrance fee. The contemporary and abstract exhibits it hosts are worth the price, though. Shows often feature big-name artists producing large-scale installations.
- The 798 Space – a gallery space housed in one of the older Bauhaus factory buildings and still maintaining the look and feel of that style. This gallery and exhibition space not only hosts amazing exhibits, it also rents out the space for major shows and events within its arched brick walls.
- Galleria Continua – With a mission to bring foreign artists to China to expose the Chinese to world-class exhibitions from other lands, this gallery hosts impressive installations for anyone to enjoy.
- Tang Contemporary Art Beijing – A gallery featuring Chinese and foreign artists whose goal is to foster dynamic interchange between the two, the Tang's installations combine creativity with the brilliant social commentary Chinese contemporary artists exposed to the world stage can bring.
- Iberia Center for Contemporary Art – an academic institution promoting Chinese contemporary art and culture, this center holds massive exhibitions featuring up and coming Chinese artists and holds a repository of documentary and artistic video projects.
- The 798 Photo gallery – located in the same complex as the 798 Space, this small gallery is one of the best of the Beijing art scene. The 798 Photo Gallery hosts photo exhibitions featuring China's best photographers. From touching scenes of everyday life in Tibet to thematic pieces exploring the themes inherent in rapidly changing China, the photographers featured here capture the best and worst through their lenses.
Walking Around Beijing's Dashanzi Art District
Sometimes just wandering around in the 798 art district can lead to fascinating discoveries. Once visitors have hit all the major sites, here are a few suggestions for other things to see:
- Galleries large and small - the spaces and exhibits are always changing in the 798 art zone, so sometimes its best to walk around and discover things that others might have missed. In some smaller galleries, the artist may even be in residence for visitors to ask questions about the works.
- Public Art - many 798 art zone galleries sponsor huge sculpture installations, sometimes in front of the gallery but other times scattered in obscure corners of Dashanzi. From a shocking pink girl on a bicycle to a haunting set of disembodied heads, visitors never know what they might find around the next corner.
- Festivals – the Dashanzi International Art Festival occurs every year, with the dates dependent on the political climate and other major events happening in the area. Smaller festivals such as the Affordable Art Festival held in the spring also bring more artists and visitors into the area.
Whether touring the latest blockbuster art exhibit or exploring the finer points of an obscure abstract art museum on the third floor of an otherwise decrepit factory, there are plenty of things to see and do in the 798 art district.
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