Beijing’s art scene eyes global revival with Gallery Weekend Beijing in 798 Art District
- Gallery Weekend Beijing, based in 798 Art District and involving 30-plus galleries, plus two art fairs signal hope for the city’s art scene
Years of stringent zero-Covid lockdowns. A hardening of the political climate. Rapid urban redevelopment that displaced artists and galleries from once-famous artist villages. Beijing is trying to revive its art scene after a series of blows.
For years it was the beating heart of Chinese contemporary art. “Two decades back, if you were a scholar or curator and tried to research Chinese contemporary art, Beijing was the sole destination,” says Craig Yee, the founder of Ink Studio, a Beijing-based gallery and experimental art space.
This year, backed by the local government, the annual Gallery Weekend Beijing (GWBJ) centred around the 798 Art District coincided with the city’s two contemporary art fairs, Beijing Dangdai Art Fair and JingArt, making May the Chinese capital’s de facto “art month”.
As big signboards around the city declare, the 798 Art District wants to be “The Global Art Destination”.
The city’s intellectual and artistic foundation has always made it more than a place to trade art. “But for the last four years, it had felt like Beijing was merely engaging in self-contained activities, isolated from the global art community,” said an industry insider.
