Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing

Opened in 2017 in Dashanzi, Chaoyang, Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing occupies a former military factory building in the city’s premier arts district. The space is dedicated to developing Chinese art and culture, cross-disciplinary practices, and global exchange, cultivating a ‘Creative Energy’ that integrates contemporary art with sustainable development.

The two-story, 1,749-square-metre building was renovated and applied with clean energy principles displaying dynamic data visualization to demonstrate how art, architecture, and technology impact the urban environment. Geothermal wells support the building’s heating and cooling requirements, and the terrarium along with the enormous air purification turn the space into a living organism. Communal spaces act as experimental hubs where artists, thinkers, and the public meet new ideas through future-thinking exhibitions and related programs.

Throughout the year, Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing hosts several cultural events and educational programs that encompass art and design. The first exhibition at the Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing, ‘Social Mobility’: Envisioning Bodies in Motion, explored the new concepts of movement and mobility, while the second exhibition, Human (un)limited, explored the interplay between culture and technology in the machine age. In addition to spaces for temporary exhibitions, the Garage features an immersive, large-scale LED screen showcasing video and animation works that address healthy waterways and other environmental issues.

Hyundai Motor also promotes and supports young contemporary Chinese art curators under the ‘Hyundai Blue Prize’ project. Initiated in 2017, the prize is awarded to two winners every year, and offers mentorship and funding to actualize an exhibition at Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing. The award’s previous themes of social mobility, future humanity, and social intelligence each examined technology’s potential to enrich human relationships. ‘Resonant Cities,’ the theme of the Hyundai Blue Prize 2020, extends the conversation by focusing on sustainability and social responsibility of art in future cities.