位于北京朝阳区建国门外的外交公寓始建于1971年，是新中国第一片独享外交待遇，为各国驻华使馆、国际组织代表机构、各新闻机构及其人员提供办公、住宅用房的国际化社区。在二十世纪七八十年代，基于这里独有的国际资讯传播，外交公寓成为了中国早期当代文化艺术交流活动的发祥地。
作为非营利性艺术机构，尊重时代背景，专注对代表性艺术家个案研究。以艺术家自我判断为条件、基础，从以往不同时期的重要作品、重要展览、思想形成以及生活经验等多条线索进行梳理。通过艺术家在外交公寓12号空间的非公开性作品及档案资料的呈现，以此发现艺术家个体审美系统的建立过程。
The Diplomatic Residence Compound, located on Jianguomenwai Avenue in Beijing’s Chaoyang District, was constructed in 1971 as China’s first international office and residence compound for the overseas staff of embassies, international organizations and news agencies. In the 1970s and 80s, the compound’s uniquely international status made it a cradle for early Chinese contemporary art exchange activities.
Exhibition and Research Directions As a non-profit and experimental art space, DRC 12 focuses on the individual case studies of representative artists on the basis of artists self-organization, it presents artists who transform the site-specificity and socio-cultural context of DRC 12 into their projects, and explore different notions and methodologies of art.
