Those who live between reality and ideal life
- By Zhuang Chen
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 1, 2014
Uncertain prospects
Hanging by the need to balance between creativity and commercialization, the debate over the future of the village rages on. Some artists think Songzhuang is a place to create, while others think it is ready for commerce.
[Watch: interviews with both artists and visitors]
"I came here for a peaceful life, but more and more real estate developers are coming here," said Tao Sirui, the abstract and oil painter.
Tao, who usually commutes from the downtown Beijing on the weekend, is considering "fleeing from" Songzhuang.
"Art in Songzhuang is going to be more independent," insists Yang Yida, who is also the secretary-general of the Songzhuang Art Forum. "It is the trend to become the second 798, (a famous art zone in Beijing). The model of Songzhuang's operation will influence the future of Chinese contemporary art."
For Liang Guangcai, the future of Songzhuang is entwined within the meaning displayed by the "Earth Generate Gold" sculpture, which looms tall over the village and is celebrated as a symbol of the village's rise from obscurity. It includes seven layers from bottom to top respectively: earth, brick, tile, iron, bronze, silver and gold.
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Sculpture in Songzhuang titled, "Earth Generates Gold" [Photo by Zhuang Chen] |
"It also manifests a different fate and destiny," Liang said.
Zhuang Chen is a postgraduate student from the School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University.
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