Anyone seen my coke stash? I’ve got some art to create and I need to be in the right state of mind…

798 was a former military industrial complex, used by the commies in the 50’s with some help from the East Germans and their Russian comrades. What’s fascinating is that several of the factories within the complex are still operational. A couple years back, some artists recognized that within the aging socialist industrial spaces there was enormous potential for studios, galleries and rent control that could save their hides from the pre-Olympic property boom. Then unfolded the same old story; the artists came, and like bears scavenging for honey, the wealthy followed. Probably unique in this all too familiar gentrification scenario, but not surprising considering the breakneck pace of China, is how the industry is being pushed out before it even collapsed. Most cases you’ve got areas that are run down because some industry bites the dust like steel in Hamilton or autos in Detroit. Nope, not here. They jump on that shit while it’s still steaming hot.

When I first heard of it, my mind conjured up images of yet another SoHo or Queen West. A land once filled with dirty hippies and bohemians thanks to the wicked creative environment, but then replaced by people with more money than brains. Here you’ve got wanky mix of bicycle riding artists, bmw driving artists, gallery staff of all colours, the aforementioned rich, Korean tourists surprised that their neighbors can think for themselves, some Chinese tourists who are just as surprised, and factory workers who look like they go through some kind of time warp on their way to work everyday. This leads to some enjoyable moments, like the look on the factories workers’ faces as they pass by the Korean tourists giving the peace sign in front of the pink statue of a naked woman riding a bike while spread eagle.

There’s no subway station within walking distance, so I took the metro to Sanyuan Bridge and then cabbed it from there, which was another 15 minutes. On arrival I was starving, and didn’t want to diddle around, so I quickly made haste to the nearest café that looked modestly busy and consumed what was obviously a frozen cooked pizza. Note to those who want to get good rations or refreshments, head to the back of the district near the train and there’s a street there that has much better options than the compost I ate. After my so-called meal I wandered…and wandered…and wandered. Seriously there was so many damn galleries in this place, looking at them was like trying to chop off the head of a hydra, you’d get through one and out pops two more. If you’re the type of person that will look at a piece of art as if you’re staring into the portal of another universe, where, I might add, they have stripper flavored milkshakes, then you could be here for a while. Another nice thing was that they’re all free, as in beer with vodka as a chaser. The art on the other hand, was the opposite of free and perhaps multiplied by the number of letters in this post. I’m taken aback that the local government went from putting 798 on demolition death row, to letting it exist, and all the while no admission fees have yet to be instituted. Usually if there’s an area of interest in China, there’s a price to it, regardless of whether it’s of actual interest or not. Perhaps the galleries have to pay extra “security” fees. Either way, it’s still a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon or two.

What I did come to realize though while walking around was how nice it must be to have a place like this. In Qingdao, a city of 7 million, and we might have 2 small galleries total. Hardly worth the effort to visit unless their showing something you dig. With 798, there’s something for everyone. Of course, what’s being exhibited changes all the time, so it’s not a been there done that kinda place. I’ll admit I’m probably not much of an art fanatic. I appreciate good photography, and there are some styles of painting, drawing and mixed media that float my boat, but I think most modern art is nothing more than fecal matter with sparkles thrown on top for distraction. It’s like the artist just pulled some crazy shit out of his ass, and then afterwards was like “so this piece represents the relentless struggle of the masses within a post-materialistic society and their natural spiritualistic harmony….GOOOOSE!” Alright then. So it was nice to come across not one but two galleries that featured quite a bit of work that blew my hair back. More on that later.

The best thing about 798 is the quantity and quality of all the spaces. Over time you begin to think those two words are mutually exclusive on the mainland. Gems like these remind you otherwise. It blows my mind the architecture they used back then for factories, when nowadays they’re all a bunch of blue and gray windowless boxes that are built in some enormous factory making factory. Lots of space has been converted into lofts serving all kinds of artistic endeavors, hopefully one of them being hardcore S&M activities involving the Beijing political elite. In many instances, the original features of the manufacturers have been left behind, like giant weigh scales, tooling machines, and hilarious communist slogans painted on the walls. I really liked searching for all the little details the area exudes. Of note, there’s a giant above ground piping system that runs all over the complex that serves some industrial purpose. Distributed sporadically throughout the area, there’s these leaky release valves that are dripping water (I hope) and steam into their environs.

798 yea or nay?

Definitely yea, if you want to check out the latest in crazy Chinese contemporary art, walking around in an area of Beijing without retards honking, industrial architecture, or have a steam valve fetish like I do, then 798 is for you.

Now for the photo tour:

Enlightening interior spaces!:

significant ceilings!:

head toward the light:

my screwy steam valve fetish:

And some chinglish to finish things off:

Finally, this is the bonus, my own work of art. “Purple shirt wearing mustache man contemplates life and spam amid chrome covered objects”

Filed under: tourist shit