Beijing’s Experimental Art Space Repurposed for Patriotic Education
By Pamela Wong
Installation view of ZHANG PEILI
Beijing’s nonprofit contemporary art platform The Bunker announced the closure of its space on May 8, effective immediately. The independent organization has operated an underground facility at the Renmin University of China since 2017.
The sudden news was announced on the organization’s Wechat account. According to the statement, the city’s Renmin University of China, which was founded by the Communist Party of China and has owned the property since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, “has decided to convert the entire courtyard into a patriotic education base” dedicated to the historical background of the architectural complex.
Located at No. 3 Zhang Zizhong Road on the eastern side of Beijing, the underground section of the building that The Bunker is located in was constructed in 1941 by general Yasuji Okamura as a command center during the Japanese occupation of China. The building is located within a Western-style complex by Qing-dynasty architect Shen Qi, built in 1906 over the site of a demolished 18th-century Qing royal house. Shen’s design acted as the headquarter for the Qing army and navy until it was taken over in 1912 by Yuan Shikai, the first official president of the Republic of China, as his office and the headquarter of the Republican army and navy. It was subsequently overseen by acting chief executive of the Republic of China Duan Qirui. The site was the location of the March 18 massacre in 1926, during which 47 citizens died and more than 150 were wounded in an anti-warlord and anti-imperialist protest against foreign political powers. The new education base will be themed around this massacre, which eventually led to the demise of Duan’s government as he was seen as responsible for ordering armed police to disperse the crowds.
With aims to foster experimental and conceptual work by artists, The Bunker has hosted a series of solo exhibitions by Ko Sin Tung, Zhang Peili, Zhang Ding, as well as Xin Yunpeng’s 2018 project and art forum “Hope,” which also reflected on the historical significance of the March 18 massacre. In addition, the site has held events such as “An exhibition only last for 4 hours,” a musical art performance by Yan Jun in 2018. The last exhibition staged was Zhou Yan’s “No Quarter,” which was on view from October to December in 2019, showcasing the artist’s response to China’s latest online environment.
Without the physical existence of The Bunker, the team claims that it “aims to continue its concept in other ways.” Details are yet to be announced.
Pamela Wong is ArtAsiaPacific’s assistant editor.
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