What’s On in 798: Gallery Weekend & Other Art Stuff

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With spring turning to summer, right now is the best time to get out and about in the capital – you might just be able to catch a cool breeze or two before things really heat up. One place to get the most out of this time and catch a bit of art while you’re at it is 798.

There’s a lot going on in the arts district as of late, and with Gallery Weekend set to take place from tomorrow (more on that below), we decided to go take a look at what’s going on in the former factory area that’s worth checking out.

Slide/Show and Geng Jianyi Retrospective at UCCA

Geng Jianyi's art is a study of our actions in daily life and how we view others

UCCA has two major shows currently on: Slide/Show, which is a sort of study on the history of slides in art in China – whether it be for the dissemination of older works of art from the West throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, or the use of slides as art in and of itself; and Who Is He? a retrospective of the work of Chinese contemporary artist Geng Jianyi.

The latter show is the larger and the more thought-provoking of the two. Building on the artist’s idea of art as coming 50 percent from the artist and 50 percent from a participant – be they the subject of the art or the viewer themselves – the exhibition showcases pieces, models, and recreations of Geng’s work dealing with our interactions with the world around us, and, how we view ourselves and others (hence the title “Who Is He?”).

The wall of slides is one of the higlights of Slide/Show

Put on in collaboration with Shanghai’s Power Station of Art, Who Is He? at times isn’t as extensive as it could be, mostly due to constraints of space – Power Station being much larger than UCCA – but it’s still worth the visit. The Slide/Show exhibition, which snakes through the outside of Who Is He?, is an added treat.

Who Is He? A Geng Jianyi Retrospective and Slide/Show are taking place at UCCA until Sunday, Jun 11. Tickets are RMB 100 for one show or RMB 180 for two people. You can either purchase tickets on the day of your visit or in advance via the UCCA mini program. To do so, find the mini program in WeChat by searching UCCA尤伦斯当代艺术中心 and purchasing there (mini program can be switched to English).

UCCA 尤伦斯当代艺术中心

4 Jiuxinqiao Lu, 798 Arts District, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥4号798艺术区内
Hours: Tues-Sun, 10am-7pm
Phone: [phone]

Red Gate Open for Business

Red Gate is opening and hosting a new exhibition

Red Gate Gallery, the oldest foreign-owned and operated contemporary art gallery in Beijing, is back after a long hiatus last year. Even though the gallery was slated to close last year due to pressure from Covid restrictions, owner Brian Wallace says a stroke of luck in the form of an offered lease extension from 798 was too good to pass up. You can go check out their latest exhibition of works from Wallace’s collection now.

Red Gate Gallery 红门画廊

2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 798 Arts District, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥2号798艺术中心区内
Hours: Tues-Sun, 9am-5pm
Phone: [phone]

Gallery Weekend is Coming

Gallery Weekend Beijing is back this year from May 30 to Jun 4. The annual event, which sees galleries and institutions within and from outside 798 open their doors for people to explore their exhibitions and collections all on one pass. This year, seven special exhibitions and 40+ institutions are taking part, open from 11am-6pm from tomorrow until Sunday. If you’re keen on seeing what the world of Beijing art has to offer, this is an event not to be missed.

It's not just art in store, but music as well, with event organizers dipdipmusic, House of Jade and 88rising inviting an impressive lineup of bands and DJs for the weekend. From Jun 2-3, they'll be taking over the 2nd floor of 798 Art Center to put on two days of music amidst art.

Gallery Weekend Beijing is taking place from Tuesday, May 30 ‘til Sunday, Jun 4. Tickets are RMB 289 per person and can be purchased via the mini program in this WeChat link.

dipdipmusic x 88rising x House of Jade's Up&Coming Sector Public Day Music Party is happening on Friday, Jun 2 and Saturday, Jun 3 from 9.30pm-3am on the 2nd floor of 798 Art Center. Regular tickets are RMB 129 and at door tickets will be RMB 159. To purchase tickets follow this WeChat link.

Robot Food Vendors

Although not art related, there’s a new feature traveling around 798 on a daily basis: robot food trucks. Two of these sell treats like cakes and pastries, while another sells ice cream shaped like the roofs of 798 Art Center. The catch is these ice creams cost over RMB 25 or so… so get one only if you’re really into the whole novelty thing, we suppose.

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Images: Vincent R. Vinci, Gallery Weekend Beijing

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