Update: On Tuesday, demolition crews flattened the Shanghai studio of China's most famous contemporary artist, Ai
Weiwei. Two months ago, Foreign Policy covered the farewell party the artist organized at the studio to call attention to the government's recent announcement of its impending destruction.
The new studio of China's most famous contemporary artist, Ai Weiwei, is located on the outskirts of Shanghai. Construction costs totaled about $1 million and it was completed earlier this year with the blessing of the local government. As Ai told The Guardian's Tania Branigan and Adam Gabbatt: "Two years ago a high official [from Shanghai] came to my studio [he has another workspace in Beijing] to ask me to build a studio in this newly developed cultural district in an agricultural area. I told him I wouldn't do it because I had no faith in government, but he somehow convinced me… Half a dozen artists were invited to build studios there because they wanted a cultural area." Yet, on Oct. 19, Ai, who is known for being critical of Beijing, received a notice from the local government that his studio was slated for demolition this fall, allegedly for violating building codes. "Ai's studio did not go through the application procedures, therefore, it is an illegal building," Chen Jie, director of the local urban construction department, told the state-run Global Times.
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CEOLDEN
11:49 AM ET
November 9, 2010
Artist studio demolition due to not having proper permits
After looking at the accomodations the artist was able to give to the people he invited to the demolition, I would have had second thoughts and would have allowed him to keep the studio there as long as he also aided the people with help for the homeless and needy , as it appears his studio was large enough to do so, as a compromise, and promise a percentage of his income as an artist go to helping out people have homes. I think it is senseless to destroy perfectly good buildings supposedly due to some flaw in a governmental system that gave him permission to build the studio, then claimed afterwards that he had not filled out the proper forms. Were they sent to him to fill out and he forgot or was it an oversight of the government that he did not receive them to fill out and have approved? Just being an artist does not mean that one has a degree in architecture or urban planning to be able to understand zoning and building construction and permit procedures for same. I worked as a tribal planner for my late father's tribal government for several years, and was cross trained in zoning and water code enforcement so if anyone came into our division who needed help, we could assist them. It is surprising the number of persons who aren't informed when they buy property or building supplies that they need to have a permit to build anything on their property that is going to be a structure, and that the types of structures they can build, if any, are limited by the zoning class of the land, whether it is commercial, industrial, residential, mixed, and whether or not a variance has to be applied for to be able to build what one wants in the location one intends.The art department and the architecture and urban planning departments of the University I graduated from are not even in the same general area of campus, so the two are not closely related, even though they require similar skills of drawing and artwork and design to be able to graduate from their respective colleges.
I hope he saved the dishes and beds, as he had a good idea of having people spend the night for the party if they were traveling, as well as feeding them, In fact , that could be a multiple use of a gallery , as a shelter or overnight stop like a bed and breakfast, so more people in his country could enjoy his artwork and study with him if he decided to teach classes.In these times of economic hardship it seems pretty odd to demolish good buildings unless they were structurally unsound or posed a hazard to the community.
BILL888
1:33 AM ET
November 12, 2010
@CEOLDEN
It is unfortunate it has to happen to him. It is a situation no one wants. This is an expected problem in a society that implemented new land system which people is still reading the old law. Ai's problem is not unique. It is wide spread through out China. New law appears every day. The people who are selling and people who buying do not know there are laws governing land use. Or in this case, the village official may put a blind eye into it. However, Ai should have known because he had education. It was implemented about five years ago that the government will very strict in land use: farm land cannot be used for other purposes except for farm land. Village land for building cannot be used other than housing. Usually these notices are pinned to notice board all the time, yet no one cares or realize its effect. Since five years ago, the government gets tough on the violator. Shenzhen had a nine floor apartment brought down for violation of having no permit. it is the only way. Some of those million dollars summer houses built around restricted historical sites were bull-dosed. I guess Ai did not check with the official for land permit. If this building is going to remain, then others hundreds should remain. I hope there is better solution to it.
FREETRADER
9:56 AM ET
November 10, 2010
Only in China
Good photo essay not ruined by too much ruminating.
The situation would be hilarious if it didn't encapsulate the tragedy of daily life in China, where everything thing that isn't required isn't permitted, except when it is. On issues ranging from human rights to tax law, nothing is certain in the PRC.
The essay makes a good point also that we not make the mistake of treating China as a monolith. In Ai's situation, the issue could just as well have been competition between the governments of Beijing and Shanghai as anything more overtly political on Ai's part.
Anyway, good for Ai and his lighthearted party participants.
RU_STASYE
3:48 PM ET
November 15, 2010
Only in China
It was implemented gazeteler about five years ago that the filmcin government will very tatil strict in land use: farm land cannot be used for other purposes except for farm land. Village gastromid land for building cannot be used other than klip izle housing