Author: Ruan
With the use and management of a group of Chinese and foreign artists, some dilapidated old factories on Shanghai Taikang Road and Moganshan Road are forming a new cultural industry, just like the "Su He" in the United States. Its future and destiny are worrying.
Old Hutong has become an international cultural community, and has become the "Silicon Valley" of visual industry and the base of cultural creativity.
There is an old street 420 meters long in the center of Shanghai. The houses on both sides of the street are a combination of Chinese and western styles, which are slightly shabby in the downtown area, but have the style of old Shanghai. It's Taikang Road block in Luwan District, Shanghai.
Some old alley factories are small in scale and mixed with residential buildings. In recent years, Shanghai's industrial structure has been transformed, and many old factories have closed down or are facing closure. Some artists have a discerning eye, and after renting them, they make studios, exhibition rooms and art galleries, creating an economical and practical world with artistic charm.
The painter Chen Yifei's studio is located in a big warehouse; Erdongqiang Art Center, the largest private art museum in Shanghai, used to be a workshop for processing iron pieces, with crane hoists and wire ropes hanging on thick wooden beams. Shanghai Zizai Crafts Company operates unique carved bamboo carvings here, as well as Jamie Ceramic Workshop in the United States and Lotte Ceramic Society in Hong Kong. This is Tianzifang in Lane 2 10 of Taikang Road.
At present, there are 162 enterprises and shops in Art Street of Taikang Road, with people from 17 countries and places. Among them, there are 29 art design studios; 58 handicrafts and galleries; 65 antique shops; Bars, cafes, entertainment 10, with more than 780 employees. The "Silicon Valley", which is called the visual industry by the media, is a cultural and creative base and an international community where history and modernity, people and environment, form and function, economic development and social development, and multiculturalism meet. Old buildings and streets are preserved here, and artists have recreated them, which makes them have strong regional characteristics, highlights the distinctive characteristics of the times, and shows the real life of Shanghai residents. Taikang Road has naturally become a tourist attraction.
A number of old factories on the south bank of Suzhou River now have the best galleries and powerful film and television media organizations in China.
Located at No.50 Moganshan Road in the hinterland of Shanghai, on the south bank of Suzhou River, it is a group of tall old factories, which used to be cotton mills, wool mills and flour mills. According to the original urban planning, these factories will be demolished to build high-rise residential buildings. But many artists take a fancy to the spacious space and cheap rent here, and rent it as a studio and art workshop. The more people gather, the more. There are more than 60 artist galleries from Britain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Canada, Norway and Hong Kong, as well as more than ten provinces and cities in China, involving graphic design, architects' offices, film and television production, environmental art design, artwork (jewelry) design and so on. , forming a very popular world of artists.
Among them, Na Xiang Gallery founded by Swiss Lawrence and Biyi Art Center founded by Italian Ledou are the best galleries in China and enjoy a high reputation in the world. Shanghai camera film and television media organizations have occupied a building and occupied the market by virtue of their strong strength.
The presence of these artists has created a strong cultural atmosphere along the Suzhou Creek, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists, and a new cultural and creative industry has gradually taken shape. The original plan to demolish the factory has also been shelved due to the artists' constant petition.
Preserving them is to preserve the memory of culture and city, and realize the vivid combination of new and old, past and modern, native and art.
In the United States, the "Su He" has been fighting for 10 years, which reflects people's resentment and dissatisfaction with the urban transformation model of demolished buildings, their recollection and demand for history and culture, and their pursuit of a new living environment, and also causes people to reflect: Do new cities have to eradicate old buildings? Should the new life abandon all the old things?
In the urban construction of China, it is too late to think about how to make rational use of these old factories. A few years ago, Shanghai took the lead in protecting outstanding modern buildings in China, and then 15 outstanding modern industrial buildings were identified for protection, most of which played an important role and had historical value.
However, there is still a lack of protection planning for those factories in Lane, those dilapidated and outdated shell factories. Some of them will be demolished and replaced by new commercial or residential areas, and some real estate developers have obtained development permits.
The situation in these places is the same as that in Suhe of 1960. And Su He is also an excellent historical mirror for us. Give up this factory warehouse, and now there is only one commercial plot left. When Su He is preserved, the memory of culture and the city will be preserved, forming a cultural industry that reflects economic development and forming a unique art and fashion area of the city. The government will also gain huge wealth from the growth of real estate and taxes.
Although these factories and warehouses on Taikang Road and Moganshan Road in Shanghai do not have the decoration of cast iron components and workshops with attics like those in new york, there are the earliest flour mills in Shanghai, which preserve the imprint of Shanghai's early life in the streets and lanes, and even have people's lingering alley complex, which has a hard journey of starting a business in the old days. Today, the process of new cultural industry has given it brand-new content, which is a vivid combination of new and old, past and modern, native and art.
On the Huangpi Road in Shanghai, a world-famous "Xintiandi" appeared with the help of the "First Congress" site. Now, a "Su He" district in Shanghai is brewing, and we expect it to grow in difficulties and become another beautiful scenery in Shanghai.
However, the situation is not optimistic. Land interests, previous commitments and secular prejudice will all hinder the formation of Soviet Union. It may still be stillborn.
We earnestly hope that the relevant decision-making departments can be inspired by the Su He in the United States, and proceed from revitalizing the cultural industries in China and Shanghai to promote the smooth birth and healthy growth of the "Su He" in Shanghai.
Seeing the big word "demolition" on the opposite house, artists have to worry about the future of Taikang Road Art Street.
The former factory building is now an artist's paradise. In Er Dongqiang's studio, the ceiling fans and cranes in the factory are still in their original positions.
Na Xiang Gallery transformed from boiler room.
Editor in Charge: Shen Jianwei