Caochangdi Going Down? Galleries Issued Demolition Notices

Rumors have been circulating for months about the impending demolition of Caochangdi, the suburb northeast of the 798 Art Zone that is home to many famous galleries such as the Three Shadows Photography Art Center, Platform China, Pékin Fine Arts and White Space – not to mention Ai Weiwei’s home. Now the fears of local residents and business owners have been realized, with everyone in the area issued notices that they will be evicted and the suburb demolished.

Yesterday the Global Times reported: “On April 16, one day before the second annual launch of Beijing's biggest photography festival – the Caochangdi PhotoSpring – village authorities notified all resident enterprises that the area was set for evictions and demolition, but no specific time was mentioned.”

Artists and galleries in the area had hoped the PhotoSpring festival, which included may high profile exhibitions and events like the Sound Kapital book launch, would help save the area by drawing crowds and international attention. However, the Global Times article quotes photographer and Three Shadows founder and director Rong Rong as saying: “The notification [for demolition] came a few hours before official approval of the photography festival… It was a bitter-sweet and confusing day for me.”

When theBeijinger.com contacted Stephanie Tung, the International Affairs officer at Three Shadows, to confirm the content of the Global Times piece, she replied, “The article is true, unfortunately.”

She also noted, however, that there is some confusion about who authorized the impending demolition: “We received the notice from the village government, but after the PhotoSpring festival a reporter asked the higher-up town government and they deny the whole thing. It's a very confusing situation for all the artists and art organizations involved.”

Three Shadows and others in the area are not resting on their laurels while they seek clarification. An online petition has been launched which Tung claims has already attracted over 500 signatures. You can add your name by clicking here.

Meanwhile the PhotoSpring continues until June 3 (demolition permitting), so get up to Caochangdi and enjoy what may be the last months of the area in its present form. Full festival details here.