The evolving canvas of Caochangdi

By Steve Hubrecht (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-03 09:23

The southern part of the village became an office park in the early years of China's reform and opening up.

Many of the different industrial-style buildings from those days are still occupied by foreign and domestic companies.

The unused ones provide the kind of space that attracts Ai and other contemporary artists.

The Boers-Li Gallery, for instance, was once a fishpond, which was later covered. It now resembles a huge, empty ice rink.

"One of the things I think about what makes Caochangdi unique is that we have very interesting and unorthodox space with enough room to breathe. The spaces are interesting and innovative and more sort of quiet and thoughtful," says Maggio.

Caochangdi's experimental gallery spaces and lack of noise have combined to make a good environment for contemporary art, according to Pi Li, a co-founder of Boers-Li.

"The main thing here is that it's not so touristy," says Pi.

"This is a place where people do things," says Robert Bernell, publisher of Caochangdi, Beijing, Inside Out.

"A lot of galleries here are project-based. They do projects. And yes, they do sell them but primarily everything is about doing, thinking and a lot less about selling. I think for people in the art world, curators, that's a lot more interesting than seeing paintings hung on walls with price tags underneath."

Affordable rent and longer-term 20-year leases are another draw.

The village's diverse population - locals, migrant Chinese and foreigners - creates an atmosphere that encourages innovative thinking, says Ray.

"It has a vibe, an energy that is full of life and creative production," she says. Local villagers, for instance, inspired by Ai's designs, are building their own shanzhai, or cottage industry-style imitations.

Caochangdi's colorful mix of people and architecture evolved of its own accord and can't be replicated elsewhere, says Mangurian. It's impossible to plan, build and designate a spot for creativity, he says. "But a place like Caochangdi is naturally spawning it."

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