Latin American Art Is Landing in Songzhuang 

On the eastern outskirts of Beijing, a town named Songzhuang rose to prominence at the dawn of the 90s, a crucial time of transformation for China. Shall we take a leisurely stroll down Memory Lane?

Affordable rent was one of the powerful reasons for a series of notable creatives to escape the hostilities of central Beijing and pitch up at Songzhuang. These waves of avant-garde visionaries —think of Fang Lijun and Yue Minjun— gradually transformed a pocket of impoverished farms and languishing factories into a cocoon of galleries, art studios and exhibition spaces. Contemporary Chinese art started to garner attention by the late 1990s, and so did Songzhuang cement its reputation as a major cultural and artistic hub. In the early 2000s, initiatives such as the Songzhuang Art Festival were striking gold and attention from worldwide visitors and collectors. Songzhuang went as far as being declared a “cultural industry base”, inspiring other artistic colonies such as the 798 Art District and Caochangdi. 

Sadly, nothing golden can stay, and the formerly brash, incisive artistic hub was gradually encroached by the web of politics and urban development spun by the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Change was unstoppable with the emergence of Tongzhou as the administrative center for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban cluster.

How was that for a primer, dear reader? In the words of Antonio Machado, today is always yet to come, so fast forward to the present we will. And do I have some exciting news for you!  Save the date, s’il vous plaît, for the grand opening of a brand new art space in, you guessed it, Songzhuang! Argentinian writer Guillermo Bravo, known and loved by the local Spanish-speaking crowd for his bookstore Mil Gotas, is welcoming everyone on Saturday, Jun 15, 4.30pm to Espacio Mil Gotas, a Latin American art gallery and artistic residence. Expect a well-curated opening showcase, live music and a grand time. I’m dying for Guille to share all the details with us below…

¡Hola, Guille! I know that Espacio Mil Gotas has been a long time in the making, right? Could you delve into the meaning behind the name of your brand new space?
¡Hola, hola! Thank you for the window into this beautiful project that was actually first conceived a few years before Covid. Back then, we started out with a few exhibitions in order to get ready for an eventual space of our own, except, well, Covid. Once I finally got to visit Argentina in 2023, I met up with many artists at their studios and I realized —it was time to resume this. China is presently fascinated with Latin America, and there are several relevant Latin American artists reciprocating this interest, too. Espacio Mil Gotas is definitely eponymous to my bookstore and publishing house. In that sense, we’re still highlighting the cultural exchange that is taking place between China and Latin America. And as we do so, we’re evoking a book by Argentinian writer César Aira, Mil Gotas, where a thousand oil drops from the Gioconda flee from the famous canvas and part their ways to travel the world. It’s a story about the art world, as well as a plea for diversity and constant motion. I would like to think our Mil Gotas universe here in Beijing shares similar themes. 

It really is such an apt extension to your continued labor of love with culture and arts in Beijing. Why choose Songzhuang as your new home?
Much like those legendary artists back in the 90s, I have moved my lodgings there. It has been nothing short of a privilege for me to get acquainted with Songzhuang over the years. Yes, it has gone through several waves of change from that initial vision that gave us so much. But there’s so much to come still. If I remember correctly, there are twenty thousand artists living here, each of them carving their own unrestrained path. This artistic community is still evolving in real-time, and so is my own project. Initially, I had these grand plans to just have a gallery where I could showcase Latin American art and invite artists from that vast continent. And don’t get me wrong, that’s what we’re going to do, except now we think of ourselves mostly as a space for welcoming others and learning from them, rather than deeming ourselves the show. 

Espacio Mil Gotas wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of my neighbors. They truly welcomed me into their community, and this is a gift I do not take for granted. Filmmaker Gu Tao, from Inner Mongolia, had our fellow neighbors join us in building this Mongolian yurt that I then got to keep in my yard, front and center, as this symbolic token of friendship and camaraderie. 

What was the process of setting up shop? I believe you’ve been working on every detail with friends and it’s been really exciting to glimpse at it on your socials…
Much like that Mongolian yurt, every tweak to my house was also a community effort, echoing the very spirit of this incredible community. Tell you what, I had another book in mind to name this gallery —Gracias, by Argentinian-Armenian writer Pablo Katchadjian. Because I really won’t ever be able to fully express my gratitude to all these people. My friends, my neighbors and several Embassies too. If I have to be perfectly honest, I am a little overwhelmed by this wave of support. This project is filled with good energy, and I hope that I will be able to pay it all forward.  

Before we took our lease, this space wasn’t so much a place to showcase art as it was a mere meeting point for locals to have a bite and a chat. I intend to carry this very spirit into our new chapter, together here. 

It is amazing to see Latin American art and culture amplified in Beijing. For those who aren’t well acquainted with its contemporary iterations, what can we look forward to seeing at the grand opening? If I remember correctly, there will also be some live music and dancing…
With about 20 artists showcased, I really do think this is a diverse exhibition. We are indeed focused on contemporary Latin American art, and I have an anecdote for you. Recently our bookstore held an exhibition by Argentinian artist Fernanda Laguna, quoted with the following words: “Argentinian art in the 90s is rooted in precariousness.” And indeed, it’s an artistic current that owes much to all those cheap Chinese wares that reached our country back then. I think our exhibition now is doing a good job showcasing the richness and diversity of Latin American art. Our little Mongolian yurt will host some video art by really cool folks, such as Spanish artist Agnes Pe, as well as Chinese art from the community. Wang Yiqiong will be doing a performance, too. Then you may look forward to some flamenco by Chinese and Spanish musicians, as well as electronic cumbia straight from Argentina by San Ignacio. What a special day it will be. 

Espacio Mil Gotas will have an additional dimension as an artistic residence space. Do fill us in on this! And it would be lovely to know more about your long-term hopes and dreams for the venue.
As I told you, the intentions for this project have morphed a little ever since I came up with the idea. Espacio Mil Gotas is primarily meant to provide these Latin American and Spanish artists with a space where they may learn and exchange knowledge. I think our resident artists will gain lots from the experience itself. The main requisite they need to fulfill is having an open spirit, so that they may come here and listen to the wonderful people that will be their neighbors. At the end of their residence, artists will be free to exhibit their work in the gallery portion of our property or elsewhere. To be clear, the boundaries of that gallery portion are deliberately blurry. The entire venue is a gallery.  

It can feel so scary to embark on new entrepreneurial endeavors nowadays, let alone in arts and culture. Your wonderful bookstore, Mil Gotas, is living proof of your resilience as a devoted cultural enthusiast and businessman. What motivates you to continue taking leaps of faith in Beijing?
Perhaps it’s as simple as scratching an itch that I could no longer hold in, not when I came back from Argentina last August. I’d love to say that I did my market study and pondered every step of the process, but no. The truth is that I had to do this. I had to. China fascinates me because it is a place where you still have room for experiments, for all things new. Yes, I could just move to Europe and open my gallery there. But where would the news be? 

Lastly, how can folks stay updated about all things Mil Gotas?
Easy peasy! You can follow our website (www.milgotas.com), or else just type Mil Gotas in WeChat and you’ll find our official account there. 

Espacio Mil Gotas' grand opening will take place Jun 15 at 4:30pm

Espacio Mil Gotas  仟雨集
Latin American Gallery Artist Residency, Hanhan Supermarket in Baimiao Village, Songzhuang Town, Tongzhou District
拉丁美洲画廊艺术家驻留通州区宋庄镇白庙村涵涵超市
Opening Times: Mon-Sat 10 AM – 6:30 PM 

READ: Timekeepers at Ballhouse: On Keeping Beijing Alive and Running

Images courtesy of Espacio Mil Gotas