Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China

The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) is an independent, not-for-profit art center serving a global Beijing public. Located at the heart of Beijing’s 798 Art District, it was founded by the Belgian collectors Guy and Myriam Ullens and opened in November 2007. Through a diverse array of exhibitions with artists Chinese and international, established and emerging, as well as a wide range of public programs, UCCA aims to promote the continued development of the Chinese art scene, foster international exchange, and showcase the latest in art and culture to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The center, located at the heart of the 798 Art District, was reconstructed by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte in collaboration with Qingyun Ma who leads the Chinese architectural office MADA SPAM. The building covers a floor space of 8,000 square meters with 31-foot-high ceilings.

Though its public programs, the center offers a meeting place for exchange, communication, study, and the sharing of interest, knowledge, and passion. Offering a wide range of events including talks and forums, art cinema, live performances, workshops, and family and school programs, UCCA’s Public Programs Department takes art as a starting point to provide content in many fields and on different levels.

Spread over three factory chambers built in the early 1950s to Bauhaus-influenced designs, UCCA’s spaces maintain traces of their industrial past. Fully renovated by architects Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Qingyun Ma in 2007, it is a space capable of hosting international exhibitions of the highest caliber. With a total area of 8,000 square meters, it encompasses four main exhibition spaces including the signature Great Hall, the Central Gallery, the Nave, and the Long Gallery,

Ullens Center for Contemporary Art: 8,000 square meters, on the next two, the historical building into a modern fashion style of the building. The whole space is mainly composed of two 11 meters high and low span. Design from the original status of the factory building, retained the original structure of the integrity and traces of the era of large industry. Up to 50 meters of the big chimney to become a spectacular interior, but also become the 798 Art District landmarks. The whole building is mainly white, dark gray supplement, many use of iron, stainless steel, glass and other materials, which highlights a simple and original industrial beauty. In the entire building on the axis, from south to north followed by 1,2,3 three exhibition hall. No. 1 exhibition hall is about 2,500 square meters, due to the larger area, by the exhibition organizers free separation of space, can be international exhibition, international cultural exchange exhibition, or for business activities to provide space. Hall 2 is the tallest exhibition hall in the three exhibition halls, drawing on the technology of many internationally renowned museums, the internal space to maintain constant temperature and humidity, to the master artists and their important works to provide showcase. Hall 3 is mainly for some prominent style of national, contemporary innovative works tailored to display space, but also to some young artists to provide experimental exhibitions.

In the 2,3 exhibition hall on both sides, is two across the north and south of the channel. Located on both sides of the channel, is a number of exhibition facilities, namely reception area (ticket), art shops, cafes, and the lecture hall. These are an extension of the display space, providing visitors with a wider range of reverie space, thus forming a thematic art business interaction space, the art and business perfect connection together. Across the café, it is a relatively independent lecture hall that can accommodate about 130 people at the same time and is equipped with the best audio and video systems and simultaneous interpretation systems. For the convening of the meeting, broadcast images, live performances, academic lectures, popularization of the arts to provide a good place to promote. In the reception area and the cafe, each has an elevator and stairs to reach the second floor.

The second floor is mainly composed of office area, book archives center, multi-function hall. These areas are connected by a glass bridge, is a number of continuous and relatively independent of the space. Book archives center, the future will be planned to become Asia’s largest CD-ROM database and library, can be described as the art of reading the hall. The multi-function hall is composed of a VIP activity room and a salon. Here you can hold a small meeting or contact the lecture hall system. There are also staircases and passages connected to the kitchen and restaurant, and there are many activities to separate the multi- Separated.

The different layers of the two layers of the composition of the different artistic aspects of its appearance, the formation of their unique work atmosphere, absorbing and play with the characteristics of the Beijing courtyard architectural concept, but also the formation of a free series of open space form.

Ullens Center for Contemporary Art Unique intelligent equipment system mainly includes the dimming system and the exhibition hall of the ground system. When the sun rises, the dimmed louvers will slowly open with the sun, the light is high to absorb into the exhibition hall, and in the entire space filled open. With the soft refraction of light and lighting systems, at the same time the foot came soft breeze, as if wandering in the art of the ocean. The entire system uses uninterrupted UPS power supply and two-way, 24-hour uninterruptible power measures. In order to make the exhibits better preservation, air conditioning system for the temperature automatic sensor control, to ensure that the art center exhibition room constant temperature and humidity environment. The entire building both inside and outside have strict security and security measures to ensure the safety of exhibits. Everything in order to create a perfect contemporary art space dedicated to the audience.

UCCA has four major exhibition space, each year about 10 different sizes, the theme of a wide range of art exhibitions, and over the same period launched a wealth of public projects, so that the audience can close contact with art and experience the concept of the works. The exhibition hall is decorated in a large number of industrial building elements. The exhibition hall is mainly aimed at large-scale tour exhibition, the exhibition hall is facing well-known artists. The two small exhibition hall were named white cube, black box, mainly for the recommendation of young artists.

As an international art institution based on China, UCCA aims to promote the development of Chinese art environment and continue to focus on and promote the new sound of Chinese contemporary art, combing its historical context, while the international forefront and mainstream Contemporary art trends into the country, so that the most outstanding contemporary creative achievements into the public eye.

UCCA provides the public with a place to meet, communicate, communicate, learn and share their interests, knowledge and enthusiasm. UCCA public project department will expand this platform, through lectures and forums, art theaters, live performances, workshops, youth classes and other projects to art as the source, students issued more yuan and the level of content, the art center Into an open classroom, the city’s indispensable public space.

Ullens Art Store (UCCASTORE) is China’s limited edition works of art professional model of the pioneer. Which brings together more than 80 contemporary artists and more than 100 cutting-edge designers at home and abroad, for the art and design enthusiasts dedicated original and forward-looking creative products. All income for the Ullens Art Store is used for UCCA art exhibitions and public projects.

UCCA Education-Creative Studio is a flagship classroom for art education for children aged 2-11, starting from the UCCA natural art “maternal”, combining art courses, creative workshops, and exploring The multi-faceted curriculum is designed to guide children to learn how to understand, how to think, and how to practice them by guiding children to perceive, think, create and express their art, so that they can create a new From the perspective of art to deal with the relationship between the self and the outside world, and in the academic and future work of self-confidence outstanding.

Story Café specializes in the art of lifestyle, selection of origin of fine coffee beans and high-end ingredients, showing zero added health and delicious. Story Café was officially opened in UCCA on August 20, 2015.

Industrial Bauhaus-style UCCA space, formerly known as the construction of the 1950s industrial plant, while retaining the original architectural style at the same time, by the architect Jean Michelle Wilmot and Ma Qingyun co-design, outside the gate Facade by the architect Zhang Yonghe design, transformation to meet the international large-scale exhibition, brand activities, art space. UCCA has a total area of ​​8,000 square meters, with the exhibition hall, exhibition hall, corridor and corridor four exhibition space, also includes the Gallery, theater, lecture hall, large living room, salon and other multi-purpose hall.

Mr. Ullens’s father was a Belgian diplomat, and his uncle had served as a Belgian ambassador to China. Since then, Mr. Ullens has established deep feelings for China. In the early days, Mr. Ullens often traveled to and from China for business activities, and began his collection of ancient Chinese paintings, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The mid-80s of the 20th century, the Chinese art pioneer movement, then deepened his interest in Chinese art. Since then, he was deeply attracted by the unique creation of Chinese artists. His collection is one of the world’s largest collections of Chinese art, with more than 2,000 pieces of art in different areas of the Chinese history, including sculpture, painting, installation and images.

Ullens celebration is the Beijing art community in the winter attention event, is also a blend of social networking platform. Every time the celebration dinner is held in UCCA, we invite the best quality chefs and restaurants in the city to design the celebration dishes and appoint well-known contemporary artists to provide exciting performances for the dinner and work together to create a unique contemporary cultural experience Enjoy the scene. At the same time, you can also bid at the celebration dinner for your favorite outstanding contemporary art works. All the works have been donated by artists and designers who have participated in the UCCA exhibition. The celebration dinner will be used to support public projects such as art exhibitions and lectures held by UCCA to promote the long-term development of the organization.

UCCA cooperates with well-known and cutting-edge artists in China and internationally to organize academic activities such as academic exhibitions and public projects. It is committed to sustaining the development of Chinese contemporary art and promoting international exchanges. Nearly a million visitors present the most forward-looking art and culture.