Art from industry
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The dance drama "Winter" is staged in Dream Park. [China Daily] |
Beijing's old and decaying factory buildings are getting a new lease of life. Following the success of 798 art district, former factories and warehouses are being transformed into art spaces and creating a renaissance in arts and culture.
Here is a group of artists who are helping to pique the taste of Beijingers with their bold visions and commitment.
Long Long: The One
It's almost midnight and the opening night of The One, a two-floor venue for live music that accommodates 500 people.
On stage are folk musicians Lao Lang, Gao Xiaosong and Ye Pei, with their live bands.
They jam up a storm with a succession of heart-warming folk songs from the early 1990s that earn hoots and cheers from the audience, as late Friday on December 11 becomes early Saturday.
"I believe there's a type of music for every person if they take the time to listen, so we try to provide a home for that," says the owner, Long Long.
A producer, and guitarist with jazz band Tuan Jie Hu Groove, Long came up with the idea of his own venue four years ago.
"We had performed around the country and the conditions of the venues were so disappointing," Long says. "Either the equipment or the environment were not professional enough. So I decided to do it myself."
He found his venue with the help of the transportation department.
"It was shabby when I saw it for the first time. I liked it because it is was not very big and was hid among some high buildings, which made it a cozy and private environment," he says.
He invited his long-time friend Percy Laws, an architect and guitarist, to join in the venture.
They took the idea a step further by adding three recording rooms and a mixing room behind the live house. Long says the focus on live music and live recordings distinguishes The One from other venues.
A graduate from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, who studied viola from the age of 4, Long has a vast appetite for jazz, rock, pop and folk. He was also the founder of rock band Baojiajie No 43.
"I know there are other live house venues in Beijing, but The One could turn out to be the purest place to hear music, not simply a place to hold concerts or commercial performances," Long says.
"Beijing has a gigantic music scene but people haven't formed the habit of paying for live music. They are prepared to pay a lot on dining, but what about music?"
Long has worked with many musicians during the past decade and he says live performances are key to communicating with listeners.
"Some say the music industry is dying because no one buys CDs today. Everyone's turning to the Internet. But live music is unique."
The One is the first and biggest live venue in 718 Good Loft, a newly-developed creative hub, which is 12,000 sq m and located near Gaobeidian, between the eastern Fourth and Fifth ring roads.
Renovated from a factory built in 1957, 718 Good Loft aims to fire up the live music scene in the capital.
Since 2006, Chaoyang district government has laid out plans to develop Gaobeidian, an area along Tonghui River, into a cultural and creative enterprise zone.
An extension of the central business district, more than 10 creative industry projects have been developed in the area, with an investment of 1.5 billion yuan (US$220 million).
The One received strong government support, Long says.
