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November 12, 2007

Belgian Art Donors Found Art Center in Beijing

A Belgian couple has made what is likely to be a multimillion-dollar investment in Beijing’s burgeoning art district, which only a few years ago was at risk of being bulldozed by the city, reports The Los Angeles Times.

The area, called 798, is an old warehouse district of art galleries and studios. Guy and Myriam Ullens, whose fortune comes from manufacturing sweeteners, have sponsored the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, which opens this month.

The 85,000-square-foot center has a $4 admission fee for adults and $1.35 for students and is working to ensure its long-term financial stability and relationship with the local government, which is beginning to realize how important arts organizations are to the city’s development as it prepares for next summer’s Olympic Games.

But not everyone is excited about 798’s growth.

“It’s a dangerous sign,” said Huang Rui, an artist who founded the annual Dashanzi International Art Festival. “The [Ullens] center comes with huge amounts of money and buys up everything in sight. . . . I’m not sure they’re helping real artists.”

Mr. Ullens says he hopes to eventually add low-cost housing and gallery space for young artists. “And we want to pamper artists with food and good wine,” he adds. “You can’t live without that.”

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Monday November 12, 2007 | Permalink

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