An interview with the planning designer Cao Wei from Capital City Commerce & Urban Planning Design Academy,concerning the Songzhuang development.

 

Length: 00:11:24 / 00:05:14 interviewer person: Wang Lan Ning LIU Xian-feng (painter)

Text:

China songzhuang Net: Why are you interested in the development of Songzhuang?

Cao Wei: I am very interested in planning Songzhuang.We all know about the art gallery area, 798, but not many people know Songzhuang, which is currently where many artists and galleries reside.798 is wonderful example of many issues confronted in the commercialization of space.What we have seen is a community of artists who while financially enriched are now uncomfortable due to commercialization of their private studios.Artists began to leave and now few artists live in 798, so the space is now solely commercial.I would like to emphasize that to maintain long-term commercial value for a venue, it should be vibrant, dynamic,and cultural.In the case of 798 the design and marketing design failed to think in terms of protecting the culture.Culture is the most
important factor for artists living together.

 

Now songzhuang on the contrary is not commercialized but is a place artists have relocated to form a community and to escape commercialization.If Songzhuang is commercialized as was 798, the artists will again leave.So we must maintain and augment the current atmosphere for artists to continue to live here.Of course there is no simple solution to this problem.Songzhuang’s government wants to implement an arts district,but the residents of Songzhuang want to organically build their own town characteristics and culture.In addition, unlike 798, this arts district is not necessarily confined to the painter's art, because there are many different types of artists living there. To address this issue, I want to create an artistic atmosphere in terms of an art village.

 

To digress for a moment, in Europe, if you go to the arts district, you will see at night, even weekends, there are many types of art on display, whether it is painting, performances, dancing, playing music, spoken word activities, and so forth. There is a famous street in Barcelona in particular, where many art conscious people create an atmosphere of inclusiveness and diversity. On the weekends there are performances, and the government encourage the artists or people to play there all night, creating a number of conditions to facilitate this.I think Songzhuang could implement a model such as this, creating a commerce and performance street,that is somewhat isolated from where the artists live, so that there is a balance between the personal and private and, on the other side, the public display of art and artists.

 

Songzhuang's government development should not favor painters, but from the beginning of the design conception, the goal should be to encourage communication between the various arts and artists.To create venues for creative displays and exchanges while being mindful of the atmosphere that encourages creative thought. Design should balance the artistic need for quiet with the huge number of artists in Beijing.Beijing is China's largest gathering place for artists, for a variety of artists, for artists from all across China.To create an environment that encourages a variety of cultures and cultural expressions, this is the ideal place for a government to carefully consider how to create a whole based on distinct parts.Currently there is no one place committed to helping artists live together, allowing them both to engage in production and consumption, engaging in creating rock and roll, or viewing music, engaging performances, attending performances. In Beijing, there are many people who have artistic dreams, so why not use the power of architectural design to focus and encourage their art?

 

Songzhuang currently is just such an atmosphere.And I would like to create a space for the future, to provide their public and private needs. To create an arts district in Songzhuang, not just confined to the painters, but also not confined to the domestic artists.Songzhuang should hope to attract artists from around the world come to live here, create here, observe here, and exchange here China has reached a point of development where it makes sense to create an international art community like those in Spain and France.

 

So what is the artistic atmosphere?798 has developed into a commercial exhibition center, but it does not have the cultural life that comes from artists living there.Songzhuang has depth of culture in tis atmosphere, which is what I want to maintain.

 

China songzhuang Net: What could you tell us about songzhuang long-term planning?

Cao Wei: I am impressed by the person in charge of the Songzhuang project. Yaoda is the primary person in charge of creating a world class art center, Songzhuang Art District, and I think together we can do it well.

 

China songzhuang Net: He has a good plan.

Cao Wei: We are dedicated to this project. But the planning should not proceed by first designing the traffic organization, then roads, then buildings.It should not be like Dashanzi, but rather we must first think of the future and maintaining the delicate and rich atmosphere.

 

China songzhuang Net: Yes, you have a location,but the purpose could be more clearly defined.

Cao Wei: We should think this through thoroughly, and that will take time.In fact in this project, we may not want to rely on Chinese tradition because of the international nature of modern art. In fact, many art area abroad, in Paris, New York, and so forth have art districts, and there are powerful lessons we can learn from these. China's Art Center could be Songzhuang, and is what I am now dedicated to creating。

China songzhuang Net: However, each nations’s Art District has its own characteristic and atmosphere.

Cao Wei: Yes, we must mutually integration China and all the world arts that are now flourishing in China.

China songzhuang Net: Insightful comments. Thanks!