Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Caochangdi

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Ai weiwei the artist barber of caochangdi beijing


Caochangdi (simplified Chinese: 草场地; traditional Chinese: 草場地; pinyin: Cǎochǎngdì) is an urban village and renowned arts district located in the Chaoyang District of northeast Beijing at the intersection of the 5th Ring Road and Airport Expressway. Translated as "grasslands" in Mandarin, Caochangdi is home to a diverse group of residents, including migrant workers, farmers, students and artists, most notably, Ai Weiwei. Caochangdi developed into a thriving arts and cultural hub when artists began to move into the area around 2000, attracting international attention similar to the nearby 798 Art Zone.

Contents

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History

Caochangdi Caochangdi Village is the New Artistic Hotbed in Beijing Travel

Caochangdi has changed dramatically over its history. Once unoccupied grazing land used as hunting grounds by the Imperial Court, it later became an imperial grave and garden site. During the Cultural Revolution, the region became an Agricultural People's Commune and transitioned into a farming village. When the Chinese economy opened up to the global market under Deng Xiaoping, farmers became landlords and began leasing the land to private companies, artists and galleries.

Caochangdi Caochangdi village Iona Whittaker

In 2009, the architects Mary-Ann Ray and Robert Mangurian published a book on the village, titled Caochangdi, Beijing Inside Out: Farmers, Floaters, Taxi Drivers, Artists, and the International Art Mob Challenge and Remake the City. It is a study of the village's history and architecture, and includes interviews with Caochangdi residents.

Caochangdi Caochangdi The studio and the community Exhibition Royal

For many years Caochangdi was under threat of demolition, but in May 2011, after petitions by its residents and businesses, Chinese authorities officially announced the village would be spared.

Events

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"Caochangdi (CCD) – The Community" was launched on September 28, 2012, as a research-driven program that hosts a series of art, design and technology events throughout Caochangdi. Consisting of gallery exhibitions, public art installations, live events, educational programs, workshops and seminars, CCD – The Community seeks to cultivate the diversity of Caochangdi through long-term curatorial projects.

Spaces in Caochangdi

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  • Ai Weiwei 258 Fake Studio
  • artMIA
  • Beijing Architecture Studio Enterprise (B.A.S.E.)
  • C-Space
  • Chambers Fine Art
  • Egg Art Gallery
  • Galerie Urs Meile
  • Harks Gallery
  • INK studio
  • LI Space
  • Pékin Fine Arts
  • Platform China
  • Taikang Space
  • Three Shadows Photography Art Centre
  • Shanghart Gallery
  • Notable people living in Caochangdi

  • Ai Weiwei (艾未未)
  • Naihan Li
  • Matt Hope
  • Li Songsong (李松松)
  • He Yunchang
  • Zhao Zhao
  • Diana Coca (戴安娜 古柯)
  • Sun Liangang (孙连刚)
  • References

    Caochangdi Wikipedia