Motivation for Art is Flights of Fantasy
Claudia Albertini
"Beijing/Background" is the theme of the 2006 edition of the festival and Beijing/Background wants to be the emphasis upon which architects, artists, along with academics, developers and critics will exchange ideas and seek strategies to approach the rapidly developing story of Beijing. A new city emerges from the remains of construction. Far beyond the ancient city gates, Beijing expands a rambling fusion of old and new. With the aim of bringing together various intellectuals and competent figures from the social, architectural and artistic fields, the project "Soldiers at the Gates" (2006-2008) aims to set up open forums, exhibitions and competitions. For the first time this year, opening during the Dashanzi Art Festival (April 29 — May 21), a series of events will take place and pave the way to the creation of a new vision of Beijing, which will interact with people and spaces to propose an alternative for the future urbanization in China.
In collaboration with the Thinking Hands organization and the international research and design platform, Dynamic City Foundation, an energetic and active team of young people will direct an ongoing dialogue during which they will dissect the city from the centre to the outskirts, crossing its historic, contemporary and future urban texture.
Considering "Soldiers at the Gates" and flying back to the image of soldiers through the pages of Chinese history, it shouldn’t be overshadowed; this unexpected twist that took place over a 100 years ago when a general assault from Western forces took the entire city within three days. Soldiers have always been at the gates of the city, defending the princely mansions, protecting the magnificent residences and fortifying the static massive imperial walls. They become metaphors today, symbols of the past in relation to the dramatic changes happening now. They were and are those who observe the shocks of transformations and bring accomplishment in the development and expansion of Beijing’s urban design.
In response to the question of how desirable the new landscape is, "Soldiers at the Gates" will explore the various symbols of the past in relation to the astonishing and hectic developments of this city. This first chapter will concentrate on the search for identities; the second year will focus more on the effect of gated residential complexes and the challenges a new city presents. The third year, "Beyond the Periphery," will question the future awaiting Beijing, moving outwards, beyond the borders. The culmination of this project aims to show the ongoing process of change across the city, from its core to the suburb; soldiers will no longer be at the gates but pushing its edges further outwards.
The collaboration between artists, architects and developers will be physically embodied by conferences, art events and an open ideas competition launches. As the discussion moves on towards the edges of the city, in its final year, the outcome of the project will be shown through an exhibition of urban models. The winning team will be able to design a new proposal for a specific site in Beijing.
Historical areas, mega-scale projects, shaped identities will be discussed in the first session this May. Artists and architects will be invited to argue the way art, as a reflection of social circumstances, can contribute to urban spaces. Life and buildings, processes of changes, gates of history and new challenges; the soldiers of Beijing are hoping to lead the way and carve out a path for the future.
