There are many exciting cultural destinations across the globe right now, but surely one of the most dynamic has to be Beijing. The Chinese capital is a hotbed of artistic and cultural activity, with a broad range of galleries and museums presenting diverse and inspiring exhibitions for local and visiting audiences.
For a full overview of the scene, it is well work taking a look at the Beijing section of the report A Snapshot of Museums and Galleries across China. This clearly written guide offers excellent insight into each of the key venues and their individual features. Perfect for UK arts organisation looking to take their work to China.
But here is a quick round up of six of the things that we think make it such an interesting arts destination right now:
It has big hitters
When it comes to grand arts venues, Beijing has you covered. For example, the National Art Museum of China, which attracts 90,000 visitors each month and hosts iconic exhibits such as a recent display of masterpieces from Tate Britain. Or the Palace Museum, which draws a breathtaking 1 million visitors each month to see its unique collection of imperial paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and antiquities.
It explores the history of modern design
Beijing is not all just about antiques, as exhibits such as the Beyond Arts and Crafts: From Morris to Mackintosh at the Tsinghua University Art Museum proved. This charming show, outlining the role of the Arts and Crafts movement in the evolution of modern design history, was a hit with both locals and tourists.
It offers interesting smaller venues
Beijing also offers many smaller, often privately owned, arts venues that are just as fascinating to discover as the bigger institutions. The Choi Centre Cloud House is a perfect example of this. It usually attracts only 200 visitors a month yet it actually has a much larger reach, with the recent Ophiolite exhibition drawing enormous international interest through social media platforms like Instagram.
It presents shows with cultural impact
Beijing often attracts major exhibitions with international cultural significance such as the Echoes from the Age of Steam: Art in the Age of Victoria show at National Centre for the Performing Arts. This popular exhibit focused on the development of local art in UK in the Victorian period, with nearly 100 pieces such as oil paintings, watercolours, drawings, sculptures and exquisite fabrics and utensils by many masters of landscape painting who have had an impact on later generations, including Turner.
It has some quirky options
There are some wonderful pioneering venues in Beijing that are well worth checking out, such as the innovative X Museum that holds 1,000 pieces by artists hailing from more than 30 countries and has organised and presented 13 exhibitions in the three years since its opening.
It embraces future gazing
Coming soon to the Taikang Art Museum is the riveting new show Creative Machine, which will look at the interplay between humans and machines in contemporary art. The exhibition will embrace installations of video and computer art, artificial intelligence, robotics and apps by twenty-five leading artists including well-known international artists, Goldsmiths staff and students.
Read about all of these venues and more in the Beijing section of the A Snapshot of Museums and Galleries across China.
