Interventionist Curatorial and Display Practices in Beijing

Over the past decade, a number of curatorial and exhibitionary practices have developed in China that intervene into daily life. Interventionist practice partly develops from dissatisfaction with the marked division between the commercial art world and the everyday realities of cultural producers. They also develop from a desire to create a common space of engagement for artists and the local public. While much of this work is not overtly political, the prevailing social conditions of an authoritarian state lend these practices a critical edge, which can lead to surveillance, censorship and other consequences. This article surveys curatorial and artistic interventions in Beijing, placing them in the specific context of the various neighbourhoods, such as the 798 Art District, the city centre, Caochangdi village, and the industrialized suburbs.