Caochangdi: Where the Artists Go to Art

Unlike the more commercial 798, you get a sense from exploring Caochangdi that people are not only exhibiting and selling their work in this area but producing it here as well, making it a super exciting place to explore. The past 15 years have seen Caochangdi drastically evolve from a small farming village into an international hub of creativity, with artists not just from Beijing but from around the world migrating here to set up shop. While it is quickly outgrowing the “up-and-coming” label often used to describe it, the “grass field,” as it’s known, is also well on its way to becoming one of the most exciting areas for experiencing art in China. Here are some ideas on how to maximize your time in this creative Mecca.
 

FOOD AND SHOPPING

You will likely need some nourishment after the lengthy trip out to this northeastern part of the city. For traditional cafe fare, look no further than A+ Cafe, a Taiwanese-owned space populated by artsy looking people filling their heads with caffeine and surfing the web. This café/restaurant offers coffee (RMB 20-32), and a decent selection of eats including pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and cakes.

Also on the premises you’ll find a pretty cool vintage European furniture store, designer clothing shop, and a very small hostel, where you can rent a room for RMB 180 per night. The furniture store is loaded with European-sourced chairs, desks, and lamps. They even had a couple of antique Eames Chairs available for purchase, which we were surprised to see.

If you have your heart set on family-style Chinese food, then check out Fodder Factory. Some say that this is the best restaurant in Caochangdi and it is a favorite hangout for many artists. If you go, make sure to try the sweet and sour pork ribs (RMB 46). We hear they are delightful.
 

GALLERY WALK

Make sure you arrive with a plan to help guide your way through the maze of produce stands, chuan’r vendors, and of course art, because Caochangdi can initially be a difficult place to navigate. We began with Pekin Fine Arts, as they are one of the mainstays in the neighborhood and located right where all the action is. They are a good entry point, and consistently feature work from some of the best contemporary artists in Asia. We’ll definitely be coming back to check out their next show, opening on Sep 26, titled “Cutting Edge,” which will feature new work from students of The Sichuan Fine Arts Institute.

Next we strolled on over to the red brick galleries, where it’s pretty much space after space of unadulterated art exhibition. You will know you have arrived when you’re surrounded by brutalist red brick buildings. From here you can hop around to a bunch of galleries as they are all in close proximity to each other.

We enjoyed “Sexual Hysteria” by Zhang Zipiao at Ying Space, which will be up until Oct 7. It features a series of macabre paintings and drawings that look like portraits sent through a meat grinder, then reassembled with paint on canvas.

After checking out a handful of the galleries here, we headed back out to Nangao Lu, where you’ll find Three Shadows Photography Art Centre. This is Beijing’s only space solely dedicated to contemporary photography and video art. Currently, they are featuring the works of German photographer Candida Höfer.
 

THE UNDERGROUND

Your Caochangdi exper ience wouldn’t be complete without experiencing some of the younger artists challenging the curatorial status quo. At Harks Gallery, most Sundays they have a mini art show, that transforms into a small party or barbecue at night. It’s a casual affair, which is nice if you’re into art but shy away from the pretensions of traditional gallery exhibition.

The building itself is a worn down industrial space that sits about 100m to the east of Three Shadows. It’s a little rough around the edges with rusted out stairs and water damage, but we like it warts and all. There are three rooms, and every month selected artists take over each room with the artistic mediums of their choosing. Feel free to drop them an email for more info on these great weekly happenings.

Special thanks to artists Gloria Chiang and Chase Brae for showing us around Caochangdi. For up-to-date info on exhibits and other happenings check out Gloria's website at caochangdi.co.
 

DIRECTORY

Three Shadows Photography Art Centre
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm. 155 Caochangdi, Chaoyang District (6432 2663)
三影堂摄影艺术中心：朝阳区草 场地155号

Pekin Fine Arts
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm. 241 Caochangdi, Chaoyang District (5127 3220)
北京艺门画廊：朝阳区草场地 241号

A+ Café
Daily 9am-9pm. East of Caochangdi Village Committee (6433 2569)
朝阳区草场地村委会东

Fodder Factory
Mon 5pm-11pm, Tue-Sun 11am- 11pm. 123 Caochangdi Village, Chaoyang District (6431 9580)
朝阳区草场地村123号

Ying Space
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm. A3 Space Red Area Caochangdi Art District, Chaoyang district (5127 3153)
应空间：朝阳区草场地艺术区红 一号A3

Harks Gallery
155 Caochangdi Village, Chaoyang District (caochangdi@qq.com)
朝阳区草场地村155号

Photos: Kipp Whittaker