David and Wayne returned to Beijing on Thursday and we made plans to meet up Friday morning at Three Shadows Photography Art Centre on the outskirts of Beijing. In addition to being a photography gallery and resource, it also operates an artist-in-residence program. The buildings were designed by Ai Wei Wei, who has a studio nearby, and are characterized by their grey brick facades. The exterior walls are studded with small cubbyholes that make convenient spots to place a votive or build a bird's nest.

We sat down with Leise Hook and Jillian Schultz who oversee the residency program. The Centre had recently been threatened with an eviction notice by the government - the reasons being unclear, though the official explanation was an interest in redeveloping the area. Jillian explained that at this point, it was a matter of just waiting to see if the plans to raze the buildings would actually be carried through. It seemed like a precarious situation, but apparently nothing new to the founders of the Centre - photographers RongRong and Inri. They had had several of their studios torn down by the Chinese government.

[As an update to this blog post, I received an email recently from Jillian which read: "On the brighter side of things, I'd like to share with you the fact that just yesterday (12/13/11), when asked about the threat of demolition, RongRong very confidently stated that he thinks it has passed. While the threat was truly eminent a bit over a year ago, things seem to have calmed down and the work we've done to draw public attention to Three Shadows and Caochangdi district as a whole seems to have paid off."]

After our meeting we toured the facilities. There was an incredible exhibit on display titled "Coal + Ice". It had an environmental focus. In one section of the exhibit, large-scale photos of Himalayan glaciers were taken in the exact same location as historic photos from the turn of the last century. The deterioration of the glaciers, which are vital sources of water for some of the world's major rivers, was made starkly evident. It was a powerful juxtaposition of imagery.

Wayne had arranged a lunch meeting with a former graduate student of his from Ohio State University. Jake Chen is the project manager in the education and public programs department of the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in the famous 798 Arts District in Beijing. Accompanying Jake was the deputy director, Qaio Cui. She had spent several years in Germany as a music student and had a cosmopolitan air about her. It was a pleasant and edifying conversation. The Ullens engages the public in a number of outreach programs throughout the year and has emerged as a major cultural institution in China. It was impressive to listen to the range of activities that Jake and Qaio Cui organized through the museum. The meeting ended on a high note with plans to keep in touch and the possibility of working together in the near future.

David and Wayne had plans to catch Yo Yo Ma that evening at "The Egg" - the National Centre for the Performing Arts - and had another meeting to attend before the show. We parted ways and I decided to try and squeeze in a visit at the Huan Tie Times Art Museum. It was impromptu and I didn't know what to expect from my visit. I arrived to find the front door of the museum locked. Discouraged, I spent several minutes exploring the area and trying to figure out my next move. As I walked past the museum again, I noticed a man exiting it. I ran up to him and asked if he worked there and if the director might be available. He knew enough English to understand my request and I was soon on my way to the director's office. Xiaojuan Sun was gracious with her time and listened as I explained through a translator the Alliance's proposed project. I leaned that the Museum hosts international artists and provides them with accommodations, as well as an exhibit. She expressed an interest in our project and we made plans to follow up with each other via email once I had returned to the states.