ARTS & LIFE | F E AT URE
ART MEMORIES This Beijing Expat was in 798 Art District Before It was Cool By Alistair Baker-Brian
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ed Gate Gallery, also known by its Chinese name 红门画廊 (Hongmen Hualang), lies nestled among the plethora of art galleries and trendy cafes in Beijing’s 798 Art District. Red Gate’s Founder Brian Wallace has not only witnessed the development of 798, but has also been at the forefront of China’s contemporary art scene for more than 30 years. After first arriving in China in 1984 from his native Australia, Wallace began curating and exhibiting art in the late ‘80s. He later founded Red Gate in 1991. The gallery exhibits contemporary art (i.e. the art of the day). This is not to be confused with modern art, a specific style that began to develop in the middle of the 20th century. As China’s Reform and Opening-up began to take hold across the country, so 20 |SEPTEMBER 2021
too did China’s refreshed contemporary art movement. Gone were the days when artists were required to adhere to socialist realism, a style from the Soviet Union that sought to “idealize the dictatorship of the proletariat in the arts.” Riding this wave of China’s contemporary artists opening their minds to fresh styles of art, Red Gate was established in 1991 in Dongbianmen as the first private art gallery in the country. The gallery later moved to a new location in 798 in 2006. Nowadays, the area is very much one of Beijing’s mainstream tourist attractions. However, when Red Gate was first set up there, the area was still very much in its infancy. Wallace credits 798’s growth in popularity with helping make art more accessible to the general public in China. The gallery has represented many
artists over the years, many of whom have gone on to win prestigious art awards. Sichuan-born Han Qing took part in the gallery’s residence program. Today, he lives and works in Beijing. Many of his oil paintings on linen and canvas represent night scenes, including the iconic Taikoo Li mall in Sanlitun. Wang Lifeng, from Inner Mongolia, has also exhibited with Red Gate since 1991. His work is focused on mixed media painting. A Red Gate curatorial statement asserts that Wang was “one of the pioneers of Chinese contemporary abstract art.” As the gallery celebrated its 30th anniversary, That’s sat down with Wallace to discuss some of the changes he’s seen over the years.
