Zhang Haiying

Some years back, a group of artists were hounded out of Beijing by authorities. Some went to Songzhuang village, a farming town an hour away. Now, that village is a boomtown ?- based on the market for contemporary Chinese art. Communist officials drink beer with bohemians. Will the rising tide raise all the artists’ boats ?- or capsize them? Jocelyn Ford goes to Songzhuang to find out.