-/Beijing has long been a tourist destination unlike any other. To start with, it's one of those rare cities that can brag about being, in past and present alike, the capital of an entire'empire'. If you want proof, just cast an eye over any Chinese bank note and you'll see no less the five languages printed on it ! So how to apprehend the full complexity of this megalopolis of 17 millions inhabitants ? The approach we propose is simple : start from the centre and head outwards in an exploration that will naturally be chronological. Begin with the Forbidden City and move on to the famous Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Confucius, the Lama Temple, the Temple of Heaven and the old quarters with their inextricable hutongs (alleyways). Then as you cross one, two, three, four, five and finally six ring roads, you progressively discover a city that becomes increasingly modern with its huge blocks of offices and flats and its gigantic shopping centres. It isn't just by chance that beyond the sixth ring road many contemporary artists have setup their studios over the last decade. First came the amazing 798 District in the very fashionable Dashanzi quarter ; this old factory that was due to be demolished now houses more than 200 galleries and is said to be the fifth most visited place in Beijing ! It has become so strongly symbolic that it is now backed by the authorities, who have fully understood the econom-ic benefits they can derive from it. Although there is discreet censorship, a relatively benevolent attitude has nevertheless enabled the development of other cultural districts such as Cao Chang Di, Songzhuang and Guanyin Tang, along with many others that are more or less successful ; these are officially known as "industrial zones for cultural creativity" ! Given this profusion of art, which can be likened to a grand bazaar and includes some artists who command outrageous prices, it's obvious that a new generation of promising artists is developing here. Visiting the Beijing of contemporary art is an entertaining and enriching experience but you have to be expertly guided and advised if you want to buy artworks. Chinese contemporary art is now 30 years old and some of its proponents are internationally renowned, such as Zhang Xiaogang, Zeng Fanzhi, Yue Minjun and Liu Xiaodong. Among the new generation, many are skilful practitioners but others are truly creative, a quality all the more admirable given a power base keen on maintain-ing a certain order. One sign of the times is that great artists such as Hei Yue and Ai Weiwei sometimes even descend on the city centre and put on (furtive) performances that demonstrate the major role artists intend to play in their country's development. Une Française à Pékin… -/A French woman living in Beijing Installée depuis une dizaine d’années à Pékin, Bérénice Angremy est – avec l’artiste chinois Huang Rui – à l’origine de l’incontournable district 798 dans le quartier de Dashanzi. Aujourd’hui, elle est à la tête de Thinking Hands, une agence qui organise des événements autour de l’art et conseille les acquéreurs. COTE : Comment est né le quartier 798 ? Bérénice Angremy : En 2002, seuls quelques locataires exposaient ici car l’usine devait être démolie. En 2004, nous avons organisé la première édition du DIAF (Dashanzi International Art Festival) qui a immédiatement bénéficié du soutien de personnalités et d’institutions. Nous avons beaucoup travaillé pour cette reconnaissance par les autorités. C’est grâce à cela que le site est aujourd’hui pérennisé. J’avoue que le fait d’être française m’a permis d’être plus facilement écoutée… Certains disent qu’il s’est galvaudé… Il est un peu victime de son succès, je dirais ! Depuis 2007, il est dirigé par le propriétaire initial qui devait construire des immeubles à la place de l’usine. Si ce centre artistique subsiste, il est maintenant géré de manière plus commerciale. Quelques galeries importantes comme Iberia ou Continua sont représentées, mais on a peut-être perdu l’esprit créatif qui y régnait à ses débuts. Malgré tout, le quartier 798 demeure toujours incontournable. Quels sont les artistes et les lieux que vous soutenez particulièrement ? J’adore le Three Shadows Photography Art Center dans le quartier artistique de Caochangdi. Le bâtiment construit avec des briques de récupération venant d’édifices très anciens est l’œuvre d’Ai Weiwei. Il a été créé par RongRong qui est l’un des photographes chinois majeurs et par sa compagne japonaise Inri. Ils y organisent des expositions extraordinaires ! Organisez-vous des visites de ces lieux ? Nous proposons une visite de Dashanzi qui comprend notamment une présentation de la scène artistique locale. Nous pouvons adapter cette offre à un thème ou à des demandes particulières. En général, ces programmes durent une demi-journée ou une journée entière. Bérénice Angremy. -/Bérénice Angremy has been living in Beijing for some 10 years now and was the instigator, with Chinese artist Huang Rui, of the famed798 District in the Dashanzi quarter. Today she runs the Thinking Hands agency that organises art events and advises buyers. COTE : How did the 798 District come into being ? Bérénice Angremy : In 2002 only a few tenants were exhibiting here as the factory was due to be demolished. In 2004 we organised the first Dashanzi Art Festival (DIAF) that immediately drew support from celebrities and institutions. We worked extremely hard to earnthat recognition from the authorities and it's because of it that the place is now a permanent fixture. I have to admit that the fact l'm French meant it was easier to get people to listen to me. Some say 798 has become hackneyed. l'd say it's a little the victim of its success ! Since 2007 it has been run by the owner who wanted to build office and apartment blocks on the factory site. So although it still exists as an art complex, it's now run along more commercial lines. Some important galleries such as Iberia and Continua are still there but it has perhaps lost the creative spirit that imbued its beginn-ings. Despite all that, the 798 District is stillan essential player. Which artists and places do you particularly support ? I adore the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre in the Cao Chang Di art district. The place was designed by Ai Weiwei and built with bricks salvaged from very old buildings. It was setup by RongRong, one of China's top photographers, and his Japanese life partner Inri. They put extraordinary exhibitions on there ! Do you organise visits to these places ? We run a tour of Dashanzi that includes an introduction to the local art scene, and we can also adapt this tour to a theme or individual requirements. We do half-day and full-day tours. Thinking Hands Tél. + 86 10 5978 9182 www.thinkinghands.org Le 798 Art District et Three Shadows sur Internet : www.798art.org & www.threeshadows.cn