| 798 Art Zone (Dashanzi Art District) |
| chaoyangqu dashanzi jiuxianqiao lu |
Reviewed by Superchunk ..  |
it seems almost sacrilegious not to love unconditionally something like 798- an eclectic zone of creativity free from the commercial and controlling excesses of its surrounding environment. Well sort of anyway. The limiting factor for me has 3 components:
A) 'Art' seems like the emperors new clothes- I dont get why a dead animal in formaldehyde is considered art.
B) Alot of the 'art' at 798 reminds me of the crappy oil paintings my auntie used to do.
C) Art is just like Golf- a con that rich white people use to voluntarily distance themselves from the little people. i.e. If you dont get it then you dont belong.
So I'm a cynic to begin with and hence I struggle to 'connect' with the vision of the artistes and have a 'theater in my head' moment.
Getting that all out the way, 798 is still a great half day excursion, especially in the warmer months. There's plenty of exhibitions to check out and some very nice cafe's to get some lunch. Its a brilliant concept that is a vital counterbalance for Beijing- something opposing all the modernization of the city and the rush to out-bling your peers. And perhaps one day I will learn to appreciate art.
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