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Artists find inspiration in historic factory
By Tan Weiyun |
September 7, 2009, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
OLD factories that no longer serve their original purposes are standing derelict in empty post-industrial neighborhoods, beginning to decay beyond repair.
But in Hangzhou, these old buildings don't die. They are winning a second life and becoming transformed into studios for artists.
Silian 166 Art Zone, once the site of Hangzhou Silk and Dyeing Plant built in the 1950s, today is a fashion and art landmark in the city, a Hangzhou version of Shanghai's M50 and Beijing's 798 gallery zone.
Visitors can see artists at work in their studios, while young professionals visit to see edgy work. Designers find their niche here and find inspiration from the industrial ruins.
Designed by former Soviet Union architects in the 1950s and with construction supervised by experts from the former German Democratic Republic, the factory covers an area of 20,000 square meters with buildings as high as five to seven stories.
Located on 166 Lishui Road in the eastern side of the Great Canal built in Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618) that linked ancient Beijing and Hangzhou, the silk factory was once the largest textile manufacturer in the country, processing tons of silkworm cocoons each day. In the early 1980s when China carried out its reform and opening-up policy, competition in the textile and dyeing industry became fierce.
The state-owned factory's giant industrial chain was broken by many private companies and eventually lost its edge in the market. It has almost stopped silk manufacturing today, with only one workshop still in operation.
The factory marks a milestone of Hangzhou's industrial history and in 2007 it was listed as one of the city's industrial heritage buildings for preservation. After a one-year renovation, the area's 6,600 square meters has been turned into the Silian 166 Art Zone.
An influx of painters, designers, photographers and collectors from Hangzhou, Shanghai, Italy and France poured in and set up their art studios in the old factory which was once full of huge ventilating fans, grinding wheels and silk reeling machines.
Cao Jingen moved into this art zone last year. The 65-year-old potter has been making porcelain vases, cups and other pieces for more than 40 years. His pottery skills were passed down from his ancestors, and his father and grandfather were potters.
Fifteen years ago, Cao met ceramicist and professor Dai Yuxuan from China Academy of Art. Dai invited Cao to work with him and took him from his birthplace Nanchang, capital city of Jiangxi Province, to Hangzhou.
Cao then settled in the city and never went back. He says his life is nothing but pottery. He seldom walks out of his art studio.
He sleeps in a small room in his studio and even built a tiny kitchen there. "I like making pottery. I feel peaceful when working," Cao says.
The two-story building is filled with his work pieces which range from flower vases and teapots to Chairman Mao's statue and figures of ancient beauties.
Before moving into the art zone, Cao worked in the city-famed Qingteng Teahouse in the busiest street, Yan'an Road. All the teapots, cups, sculptures and statues showcased there are Cao's works.
"But I prefer working here, because it's quieter and better for creation," he says.
Many artists like Cao chose the art zone for its peaceful environment. The Golden Leaf Studio hidden in a small corner is hard to find. Stepping into the room is like flashing back to the days of yore.
The studio is neatly arrayed with relics of the early 1980s, such as a collection of the classic white Huili sports shoes, printed handkerchiefs, aluminum lunch boxes, cassette recorders and old-fashioned thermos flasks.
"This place is good for nostalgia. Just take a casual and carefree walk in the studio, and you may find the inner peace that is rare in the nosiy metropolis," says the studio's director Eric Fang.
Sweet Peach Cafe might be the busiest place in the whole art zone. The restaurant is always filled with passionate young artists from 9am to midnight.
The manager Ji Yadi, a 30-year-old, has decorated the bistro with a strong flavor of Southeast Asia with a wide range of antiques that he collected from India and Malaysia.
The cafe's menu is filled with popular favorites, ranging from Italian spaghetti and pizzas to English tea and American hamburgers. "What to eat is not the most important here," he says. "It's a little cute place for young people to meet with new friends and come up with fresh new ideas."
But in Hangzhou, these old buildings don't die. They are winning a second life and becoming transformed into studios for artists.
Silian 166 Art Zone, once the site of Hangzhou Silk and Dyeing Plant built in the 1950s, today is a fashion and art landmark in the city, a Hangzhou version of Shanghai's M50 and Beijing's 798 gallery zone.
Visitors can see artists at work in their studios, while young professionals visit to see edgy work. Designers find their niche here and find inspiration from the industrial ruins.
Designed by former Soviet Union architects in the 1950s and with construction supervised by experts from the former German Democratic Republic, the factory covers an area of 20,000 square meters with buildings as high as five to seven stories.
Located on 166 Lishui Road in the eastern side of the Great Canal built in Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618) that linked ancient Beijing and Hangzhou, the silk factory was once the largest textile manufacturer in the country, processing tons of silkworm cocoons each day. In the early 1980s when China carried out its reform and opening-up policy, competition in the textile and dyeing industry became fierce.
The state-owned factory's giant industrial chain was broken by many private companies and eventually lost its edge in the market. It has almost stopped silk manufacturing today, with only one workshop still in operation.
The factory marks a milestone of Hangzhou's industrial history and in 2007 it was listed as one of the city's industrial heritage buildings for preservation. After a one-year renovation, the area's 6,600 square meters has been turned into the Silian 166 Art Zone.
An influx of painters, designers, photographers and collectors from Hangzhou, Shanghai, Italy and France poured in and set up their art studios in the old factory which was once full of huge ventilating fans, grinding wheels and silk reeling machines.
Cao Jingen moved into this art zone last year. The 65-year-old potter has been making porcelain vases, cups and other pieces for more than 40 years. His pottery skills were passed down from his ancestors, and his father and grandfather were potters.
Fifteen years ago, Cao met ceramicist and professor Dai Yuxuan from China Academy of Art. Dai invited Cao to work with him and took him from his birthplace Nanchang, capital city of Jiangxi Province, to Hangzhou.
Cao then settled in the city and never went back. He says his life is nothing but pottery. He seldom walks out of his art studio.
He sleeps in a small room in his studio and even built a tiny kitchen there. "I like making pottery. I feel peaceful when working," Cao says.
The two-story building is filled with his work pieces which range from flower vases and teapots to Chairman Mao's statue and figures of ancient beauties.
Before moving into the art zone, Cao worked in the city-famed Qingteng Teahouse in the busiest street, Yan'an Road. All the teapots, cups, sculptures and statues showcased there are Cao's works.
"But I prefer working here, because it's quieter and better for creation," he says.
Many artists like Cao chose the art zone for its peaceful environment. The Golden Leaf Studio hidden in a small corner is hard to find. Stepping into the room is like flashing back to the days of yore.
The studio is neatly arrayed with relics of the early 1980s, such as a collection of the classic white Huili sports shoes, printed handkerchiefs, aluminum lunch boxes, cassette recorders and old-fashioned thermos flasks.
"This place is good for nostalgia. Just take a casual and carefree walk in the studio, and you may find the inner peace that is rare in the nosiy metropolis," says the studio's director Eric Fang.
Sweet Peach Cafe might be the busiest place in the whole art zone. The restaurant is always filled with passionate young artists from 9am to midnight.
The manager Ji Yadi, a 30-year-old, has decorated the bistro with a strong flavor of Southeast Asia with a wide range of antiques that he collected from India and Malaysia.
The cafe's menu is filled with popular favorites, ranging from Italian spaghetti and pizzas to English tea and American hamburgers. "What to eat is not the most important here," he says. "It's a little cute place for young people to meet with new friends and come up with fresh new ideas."
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