刚刚过去的一个月, 我们看到了草场地艺术区推出的第二次年度摄影季, 一个以三影堂摄影艺术中心为主, 27家画廊共同参与, 邀请了来自世界各地的摄影艺术家举办长达两个月展览和活动的摄影盛会. 此次活动的副标题为 “阿尔勒在北京”, 摄影季与著名的法国最富盛名的国际摄影展之一的 “阿尔勒国际摄影节”形成合作的伙伴关系, 似乎通过这种国际间的交流与合作进一步加强巩固草场地作为设在北京的艺术区的地位。
无论如何, 就在开幕的前几天三影堂摄影艺术中心和附近的其他家画廊都收到了拆迁的通知. 虽然早在09年6月份以来就一直有拆迁的谣言, 尽管村子里其他非艺术机构还没有收到拆迁通知, 但是艺术家和画廊机构用春天行动来给与此事更多的关注, 包括著名的艺术家艾未未, 他也有自己的工作室在草场地同时还是他草场地一些艺术空间的设计者。
目前一份呈请书广泛流通在北京的艺术社区人们手中甚至包括一些国际外交官, 试图来强调草场地艺术区作为一个重要的艺术文化聚集场所. 许多人都希望它能像798艺术区一样在政府意识到它作为一个艺术产业与旅游目的地的价值之前而不要遭受到破坏, 这样它才有可能得到同样完好的保存. 随着当前不断的活动, 比如草场地摄影季和最近开放的CCD工作站的五月节(侧重于电影和舞蹈), 这些希望似乎依然还在, 但是草场地的未来依旧无法确定。
This past month, Beijing saw the launch of the second annual Caochangdi PhotoSpring – a festival based at Three Shadows Photography Art Centre and comprising over two months of exhibitions and events at 27 galleries, with artists from around the world. Subtitled “Arles in Beijing,” PhotoSpring was created in partnership with the acclaimed Les Rencontres d'Arles festival of France, and seems to further strengthen Caochangdi's position as an established art district in Beijing.
Only a few days before the opening, however, Three Shadows and neighboring galleries had received yet another notice that their buildings were slated for demolition. Though rumors of Caochangdi's eminent destruction have been circulating since June 2009, and though it seems most of the non-art businesses in the area have *not* received these latest notices, artists and gallerists were concerned enough to spring to action – including luminaries like Ai Weiwei, who has a studio in Caochangdi and personally designed several art spaces there.
A petition is currently circulating through Beijing's art community, and even its international diplomats, in the attempt to emphasize Caochangdi's importance as a cultural site. Many are hoping that as with Dashanzi 798 Art District, which was set to be destroyed until the Beijing government realized its value as an art and tourist destination, Caochangdi might be similarly preserved. With the current campaign, as well as festivals like Caochangdi PhotoSpring and the recently-opened CCD Workstation May Festival (focused on film and dance), these hopes remain, but Caochangdi's future is far from certain.
【编辑：张瑜】
