Jump Into 22 Art Street, Beijng's Other Arts District
advertisement
When people think art in Beijing, Shuangjing, and its 22 Art Street in particular, is probably the last place that comes to mind. To pour salt on the wound a little, a friend of mine involved in arts once referred to 22 Art Street as a “fake arts district.”
After moving to the area – with people telling me all the while that it’s “just a place to live” – I’m surprised everyday by how much cool sh*t can be found along this little street.
You can come back day after day to try something new here, and to help you do just that, I’ve provided the handy little guide below.
The first thing you’ll notice when seeing pictures of or going by 22 Art Street is a bunch silver statues. Men with insane smiles and without shirts bend and gesture in all sorts of different positions. These smiley statues are pretty much the calling card of Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun – but this is just where the street art begins.
There are also pigs slobbering all over a table (a take on "The Last Supper" or a commentary on gluttony, perhaps?), stoic Chinese workers, and even a bright red caged dinosaur. The artistic environment is constantly changing too, with new graffiti popping up every month around the hood.
Of the plethora of cafes around here, I often walk past two places – Unconditional Love and PT Coffee – which are packed on weekends and holidays, and which sport their own special styles despite being right next to one another. The former is a kind of moody whiskey bar, and the latter reads more like a typical corner café.
A number of newer (and more da ka-friendly) shops have been popping up lately, but these two stalwarts always catch my eye. Another great option is Today Art Museum’s own café, which doubles as an art book shop and is the perfect place to stop before you…
Handy map showing the extent of Today Art Museum
Today Art Museum is the art behemoth of the neighborhood. Founded in 2002, it showcases contemporary art from around the world in a number of buildings along the street, thus allowing visitors to take in different kinds of art as they move from one place to the next. The museum's exhibitions include "Miyazaki Hayao and Ghibli's World" (details on QR code below left) as well as the more recent "Sensory Garden" (details on QR code below right), both of which run through Golden Week.
Left QR (tap to enlarge): Miyazaki Hayao and Ghibli's World
Right QR (tap to enlarge): Sensory Garden
For the more fashion forward, there are also a number of boutique shops along the street to browse. Besides chic clothing stores, there's also a cool little shop selling sleek backpacks and outer wear.
But after all that art and window shopping, it's a good idea to…
In this regar, 22 Art Street delivers on options. For Chinese, there's Xiaoxiao Jiu Jia (which dishes out red-braised fish), a swanky Hunan joint, and even a branch of Shaxian Delicacies.
22 Art Street branch of Shaxian Delicacies
The Flame Burger, one of many options at Fat Tiger Burger
For Western fare, the community OG is Plan B, which serves up classic bar food, and was even in the running for our 2021 Burger Cup. Plan B faced competition in the cup this year from nearby Fat Tiger Burger, a newbie to the neighborhood serving up big burgers in a space shared with the fancy Adonis Bar & Cafe. Which leads us to…
After scarfing down a burger, you can imbibe a fine cocktail at Adonis from 7pm onwards. There are also Confidential and MurMur nearby for yet more cocktails, and then there's bar and restaurant the Drinking Library, which is also a branch of local Ai Whiskey Shop. If cocktails aren't your thing, there's Chuxin Izakaya, which specializes in Japanese bar fare like yakitori, beer, and sake.
Get immersed in the stunning backbar of Adonis
MurMur mixes up a nice rendition of whiskey cocktail Remember the Maine
From clothes to food to coffee to street art, there's tons to do at 22 Art Street. No matter how you spin it, from sunrise to sunset, it'll surely make for a day to remember.
Images: Vincent R. Vinci, Beijing LOOK, Fat Tiger Burger, Adonis
advertisement