Guest Post: Beijing Art Districts under COVID-19

Written by Wang Qingsong, who was artist in residence at LRCCS.

I was quarantined at home for a week, and I couldn't wait any longer. Wanting to go out for a drive, I took a tour of several major art districts in Beijing.

在家自我隔离了一星期，实在待不住了，想开车出去兜兜风，顺便游转了一下北京主要几个艺术区。 

Since the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan which was closed since January 23, experts estimated that the half-month period of high epidemic spread had passed. But from the moment I drove around in various art districts, I found that the outbreak should continue. Each art district has been still in a state of self-isolation.

自疫情爆发武汉在1月23日封城以来，专家判断的半个月的疫情高发期算是已经过去。但目前从我开着车去转了转各个艺术区的情况，我发现这个疫情爆发应该还在持续。各个艺术区也还是处于自我隔离的状态。

The first Songzhuang art district I planned to check out was nothing strange to me. I lived in Xiaobao Village in Songzhuang for nearly two years from 1995 to 1997. So I drove up the highway to Songzhuang from Caochangdi since there was no toll fee on the highway during the holiday. I wanted to go down the exit and took a shortcut to Songzhuang which was circumvented from the back of my own studio. When I arrived there, I found the entrance had been closed. 

Songzhuang Art District

第一个去的宋庄艺术区也是我相对熟悉的艺术区。因为1995年我曾在宋庄的小堡村居住过近两年，所以先从草场地开车上高速去宋庄，由于假期未完高速公路没有收费，下宋庄高速口后，我是想按原来经常去的路线抄近道进入宋庄（从我的工作后面路口），到了之后发现，这个路口已经被封掉了。

Judging from this closure, I thought Songzhuang Art District takes the epidemic very seriously ‘cause it uses a large container to block the intersection. Unlike other villages or art districts which blocked roads with simple blue building panels as it was easier to install and dismantle. Maybe that kind of baffle is easier to come in or disassemble. For this container, cranes must be used to remove it.

从这个口封的状态来看，我想宋庄艺术区还是非常严肃对待这个疫情的，因为我发现它是用一节大型的集装箱来封住路口。不像别的普通村庄或艺术区是用那种简单蓝色的建筑用挡板封。可能是觉得那种挡板比较容易进来或拆卸吧。集装箱一看就是没有吊车是挪不开移不走的了。 

Songzhuang Art District is a well-connected and outreaching art district because it is a relatively natural art district formulated over the years. I know countless ways to enter Songzhuang. Then I turned to the second portal and found that it was also shut down by a container. After four or five inroads which were all closed in this way, I had to take the main entrance to enter. The villagers responsible for blocking the main entrance told me that there was only one entrance to my studio in Songzhuang Art District, so I Just detoured into it.

宋庄艺术区是一个四通八达的艺术区，因为它是一个相对自然的形成的一个艺术区，我知道有无数个口可以进入宋庄。接着我就转向第二个口，发现同样也用集装箱封掉了。这样反复走了四五个口都同样被封掉了，最终我只好选择了走大路从正门进，负责封锁正门的村民告诉我只有一个口可以进入宋庄艺术区我工作室那边，于是我就绕道绕了进去。

The inspection in the art district was still relatively strict. You must show your driver ’s license or ID card, and tell them where you will be heading. I did not bring my ID card, and I used the ID photo on my mobile phone to provide proof for my identity. I told the guards that I ran some errands in y studio and would leave immediately. They allowed me in.  

进艺术区检查还是比较严格的，必须要出示驾驶证或是身份证，并要告之去处方可放行通车，而我又没带身份证，最后还是用手机上之前拍的身份证照片提供给他。并说我只是到这边工作室办点小事儿就马上离开，这样才算进去。

Songzhuang, as an art district with artists about 10,000 living there, is also regarded as the largest art district in the country. I think this strict way of blocking the roads probably was enforced to isolate the migrants and reduce the transmission of the epidemic. Of course, I can imagine that the amount of human labor involved to block the intersections with containers.

宋庄作为一个居住1万人左右艺术家的一个艺术区，也算是全国最大的艺术区。我想它这种严格的封锁方式可能是为了隔离外来人口造成传播的这种危险性吧？当然我也可以想象它把各个路口用集装箱封堵的这个工程量是非常大的。

It is said that Songzhuang also may have found some patients with suspected Wuhan pneumonia who are diagnosed as such. Therefore, Songzhuang is heavily guarded. I don't have any special feeling driving around, and found no one on the street. Occasionally, there are one or two people on the road, who may be out shopping or walking around. But everyone wears a mask.

据说宋庄可能也发现过有疑似武汉肺炎病情的患者，好像也有一些已经确诊，所以造成了宋庄严防把守的现状。开车转了转也没有什么特别的感受，也没有什么人。路上偶尔有一两个人，可能就是出来购物或出来走走转转的。但所有人都戴上了口罩。

After visiting Songzhuang, I departed through the same route. Then I headed to T3 Art District where I have never been. When entering the gate, the guard opened the automatic gate as soon as my car stopped. I drove around and didn't see any artists coming out. The whole art colony was quiet. It is easy to enter the T3 art district as T3 has no intersection with the surrounding villages, and it is a relatively independent closed art district. The management may be relaxed. Unlike the Songzhuang Art District, which is mixed with the villagers' houses, entering and exiting T3 is relatively simple and easy.

宋庄按原路出来之后就去了我从来没去过T3艺术区。进入T3艺术区门口的时候，车刚停在门口，门卫就把自动闸口打开了。开车进去转了一圈，并没看见任何艺术家出来，整个艺术园区很安静。所以能够轻松进入T3艺术区，源于T3艺术区与周边的村庄是没有交集的，并且是一个相对独立的封密大院艺术区，所以管理上就可能相对要松一些。不像宋庄艺术区是跟村民的民居整个混杂在一起的，所以进出T3就相对简单轻松一些。

I basically drove around and left. Immediately, I drove to Qiaozi Art District in Huairou. Along the way, I saw that the entrances to various villages were blocked in various ways and were guarded.

我基本是整个绕了一圈就出来了，紧接着就开车去了在怀柔附近桥梓艺术区。一路看见各个村庄的进口都用各种方式封了，并有人把守。

After arriving at the Qiaozi Art District, I found that the gate was closed. For sure, no one from outside could enter. Maybe they are all trying to quarantine themselves. Maybe it is right.

Qiaozi Art District

到了桥梓艺术区后发现大门紧闭，估计外面的人也是进不去的。可能他们都在自我隔离不想出来，我想这样也是对的。

I took a couple of pictures in the Qiaozi Art District and went directly to Shangyuan Art District, close to Qiaozi Art District. The Shangyuan Art District is also very new to me. This art district intersects with the village like Songzhuang, and it is also an art district that develops slowly in the early days. We told the guard in charge at the entrance that we wanted to go in. He said that cars not of the art district were definitely not allowed in. Unless you ask the artist to come and pick you up, you will able to enter the art district.

在桥梓艺术区拍了个照片然后就直接去了离桥梓艺术区很近的上苑艺术区。上苑艺术区对我来说也是很陌生。这个艺术区跟宋庄一样和村庄相互交叉在一起，也是早期比较自然的慢慢发展起来的一个艺术区。我们跟门口负责人说想进去，他说不是艺术区本地的外来车是绝对不充许进去的。除非是你让艺术家本人来出来接，才可能进去艺术区。

I didn't think I should ask my friends to pick me up in this situation, and I didn't want to trouble any friends or artists. So I just drove around and left without entering the art district. At this time, I assumed that other art districts would be similar, and people outside would not make it to enter. So I went directly to the 798 Art District.

我想在这个情况下我不可能叫朋友出来接，也不希望给任何朋友或者艺术家添麻烦。所以就在周边转了转就直接就走了，没有进这个艺术区。这个时候我想其他艺术区可能都大同小异，外面的人肯定是不能随便进去的。所以就直接去了798艺术区。

798 is a relatively commercial and popular art district consisting of galleries, museums, non-profit spaces, and some artist studios and art shops. Usually, there is a large flow of people visiting. It is also a popular cultural tour site in Beijing. I originally wanted to go in through the main entrance, but found that the two main entrances to the west had already set up, and all vehicles were inaccessible. I asked the gatekeeper and learnt that I could enter from the south gate or north 751 square entrance. Then I detoured to an entrance of 751 from the north side and discovered that there was basically no one. The only thing one could see was several cleaning personnel shoveling snow. The past of congested 798 art district has disappeared.

798 Art District

798是以画廊、美术馆、非盈利空间、以及一些艺术家工作室、艺术品商店组成的一个较为商业和人气很旺的艺术区，平时的人流量非常大，也算是北京比较受欢迎的文化旅游景点的标志。原本想从正门进去，但是发现西边两个正门都已经设卡，所有的车辆都是不可以进入的。问了门卫得知可以从南门或者北边751广场入口可以进入。于是绕道北边从751入口进入。进了798艺术区后发现，基本上是空无一人，唯独可以看到的就是几个环卫的人在铲雪。往日798人来人往的盛状早已消失。

Of course, the body temperature must be checked by the staff to enter the art district. Security guards were placed at several large intersections. They would ask any moving vehicles about the purpose of visits. I took a few shots and felt a very weird mentality.

当然进入艺术区必须由工作人员检测体温，而艺术区内几个大的十字路口也有保安把守，看到行驶车辆也会询问是来干什么的。停车在798转了一圈拍了几张照片，感触还是很不一样。

Back to Caochangdi after 798, it was almost evening. Caochangdi Art Village is a place where I mainly work. The village is more defensive than it was at the beginning. In the past, there were five entrances with two allowing for passages at the same time. Now these two portals were reduced to one for entry and the other for exit. At the same time, a pass is required for entry and exit for anyone who has lived in this place for a long time. It is basically difficult to enter without a pass, so in fact the blockade is even stricter. 

从798回到了草场地，这时已接近傍晚。草场地艺术村是我现在主要工作的一个地方。村里跟刚开始相比防守更严了。以前是有五个口留有两个口可以同时进出，现在这两个口已经变成了一个口只能进入另一个口只能出。同时出入需要有出入证，即使你长期居住在这个地方村民也需要办理出入证。没有出入证基本上是很难进来的，所以其实封锁更严了。

There were some more people in Caochangdi Village than in the past few days. However, all the space including galleries, restaurants, and commercial streets were not open yet. Only a supermarket and a grocery store are open to provide people with basic living needs. At a glance, the sun went down a little bit and snow melted a little. The new year is about to end, but the epidemic has not yet been gone yet.

草场地村里比前几天人略显多了一点点。但所有的空间画廊、餐饮、商业街基本都没有开，仅有超市和一个菜店开着供给人们基本的生活需求。一眼看去，太阳一点点落山，雪一点点融化，这个年也即将过完了，但疫情还没解除。

After returning home in a full circle, I sat on a chair and reflected upon what has been going on. Being the best art expo in Asia, Art Basel HK released a notice that it would suspend the show. This large-scale outbreak of the Corona Virus epidemic forced the cancellation. In addition, Gallery Week Beijing 2020, and some art galleries have also issued notices of extension or cancellation of their respective exhibition activities. Large art events throughout March have been affected.

转一圈回到家以后，坐在椅子上想想也就是昨天。算是亚洲最好的博览会，香港巴塞尔博览会发出通知决定停办。我想整个疫情的这种大规模爆发，让香港巴塞尔不得不取消今年的博览会。除此之外，还有画廊周北京2020，以及部分美术馆画廊也都发布了各自展览活动延期或取消的通知。整个3月的大型艺术活动都受到了影响。

Due to the postponement and cancellation of art activities, coupled with the self-isolation of these art districts in Beijing. I think this year's art market will be unprecedented unknown.

由于艺术活动的延期和取消，再加上北京这些艺术区都进行了自我隔离的状态。我想今年的艺术市场将是一个前所未有的未知数。