CHINA BLOG: Some Inspiration for a Modern Chinatown

11:35 am, Saturday, September 6, 2008
798 Art Zone, Dashanzi District, Beijing, People's Republic of China

"Last year, China displaced France as the art world's third-biggest auction market, after the United States and Britain...The red-hot center of Chinese art is the Dashanzi arts district, situated in and around the former Factory 798 in northeast Beijing..." New York Times, July 7, 2008

"The economic growth of the giant China has been accompanied by an explosion of ‘creativity' flooding the international contemporary art markets. While its creative value may be questionable, there can be no doubt that this is a tidal wave of art prepared to defend itself in the face of western culture..." Art Signal Contemporary Art Magazine

"Beijing's vibrant arts scene has gone from underground to big-time as the city rushes to transform itself..." Travel and Leisure

Portland uber creative guy, John C. Jay, thinks Portland's Old Town/Chinatown can be the North American hot spot for Asian contemporary culture and art, i.e. a modern Chinatown. To get a sense of what he was talking about, John suggested I check out the Beijing's 798 Art District.

Occupying an old manufacturing facility the 798 Art Factory displays modern art that reflects, confronts and digests the massive physical, economic and social change underway in China.

I am typing this blog sitting in a café inside the UCCA located in the 798 District.

I see why John Jay sees a fit for modern Asian art and culture in Portland: quirky, weird and wonderful. And no other U.S. city has ‘lock' on it.

So what?!

In addition to making for a more interesting city and a smarter city, more than ever, talent in the U.S. and the world can chose to live where they want (think Richard Florida and the Creative Class). And where they want to live is in a vibrant city to shows support for artistic and cultural innovation.

BTW: The place also is definitely a global tourist attractor. Around me I hear people speaking German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese. You can take a look for yourself at some the links below:

Interni

RMB City Blog

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