OCT Contemporary Art Terminal and Loft Area

Introduction

OCT Contemporary Art Terminal (OCAT) is a brand new contemporary art organization under the umbrella of Shenzhen’s He Xiangning Art Museum, and is significant in being the first such professional institution to be established in association with, and administrated by, a State-owned art museum anywhere in China. It is part of the OCT Loft Area. Named after OCT, or Overseas Chinese Town, the theme-park-rich tourist destination where it is based, OCAT now has its main establishment in Shenzhen and exhibition venues in Beijing and Shanghai.

The core mission of OCAT is to integrate global resources earmarked for contemporary Chinese art, and to promote exchanges and interactions between China and the world in this respect. It aims, through exhibitions, forums and artist-in-residence programs, to construct an institution that is both about Chinese art and demonstrates international vision and professionalism. It set out to function as a hub–a supply center and a departure point for contemporary Chinese art–and the concept of being an ‘international terminal’ for contemporary Chinese art was made evident in its name.

Location

OCAT is located in the Eastern Industrial Area of Konka Electronic Group in Overseas Chinese Town, Shenzhen. The Area comprises large group workshops, which were built in the 1980s and used to belong to the Shahe Industrial Area. Overseas Chinese Town features several tourist attractions and theme parks, including “Splendid China”, “Chinese Folk Culture Village”, “Window of the World” and “Happy Valley.” OCT is an ambitious and kinetic environment, as illustrated by its mission statement, to: “integrate the traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese folk culture with the World cultural essences, presenting a perfect combination of the natural landscape with humanistic landscape and adopting the modern scientific and technological expressive means of sound, light and electricity, etc., coupled with the opera and song performances in the oriental “Broadway”, highlighting the combination of the quiescent and dynamic exercises and a variety of new styles and patterns, thus causing a great attraction to the audiences.”[1]

Getting There