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Galschiøt looks back on 2023 and ahead to new projects
A hectic and exciting year, in the midst of a geopolitical storm, has passed. Another period of politically significant art exhibitions and exciting events is on the horizon. So hold on tight as we reflect on the Galschiøt’ian activities of 2023 and 2024.
 Dear ,
2023 actually started relatively calmly before things went haywire in May. Just as we had sent 250, up to 9 meters tall, Pillar of Shame banner lithographs worldwide, Hong Kong police seized the Pillar of Shame from HK University (which already refused to hand it over to Galschiøt, its rightful owner). The purpose was, and is, to use the sculpture as evidence against the democracy movement that had maintained the sculpture for 25 years. The news got the world's attention, greatly assisted by Hong Kong's Secretary of Security Tang Ping-keung, who accused artists of state subversion and later called Galschiøt a thief (without specifying what he was supposed to have stolen).
Meanwhile, China's totalitarian influence in once-free Hong Kong was displayed when a Chinese law student was arrested with a Pillar of Shame banner in her apartment. It cost her half a year in prison in Hong Kong and deportation to China. Since then, no one has been able to contact her. Although we did not send her the banner, we are deeply saddened by the case and concerned for the Chinese woman.
During the same period, we exhibited a Pillar of Shame model at the Alliance of Democracies conference in Copenhagen in May. The following week, we erected the full-size Pillar of Shame sculpture in the heart of Berlin, in collaboration with the Springer Freedom Foundation. Here, the sculpture was painted orange to match the one in Hong Kong. The exhibition drew official Chinese anger from the Chinese embassy, as Taiwans ambassador painted the sculpture (see media coverage).
In Denmark we were going strong too in 2023, e.g. arranging cultural debates at the Peoples Summit, and setting up a huge exhibition ”Art with an Edge" with Galschiøt sculptures like Unbearable, My Inner Beast, Ending Homelessness, 550+1, the Pillar of Shame and more.
In the fall, Galschiøt visited Taiwan, where he was invited by the New School of Democracy, which has 3D printed a three-meter-high model of the Pillar of Shame, that was vandalized by pro China forces last year. A month later Galschiøt partook in the London exhibition ‘Canvas of Courage’ with a Pillar of Shame model, which is now exhibited by the entrance to Amnesty International’s headquarters.
At Galschiøt's Gallery and Workshop in Odense, where we spend our daily lives, things were busy too with around 20,000 visitors in 2023. There were concerts, a performance of the theatre play 'When Art Calls,' 12 bronze casting courses, visit and exhibition by Mexican painter Rey Morales, a series of tours, and several business conferences. The gallery was also further digitalized, with the option of a digital street-view tour and an (almost completed) map of all Galschiøt's exhibitions around the world.
2024 is not in danger of being a quiet year either. Even though there is currently peace to write this newsletter. On the sculpture front we are completing a B&W-worker for Copenhagen; a huge decoration for Odense and several other pieces. In addition, we are establishing an even larger galvanic tub so that we can cast the entire Pillar of Shame sculpture in copper.
In the spring, we have a Pillar of Shame exhibition in the EU Parliament in March; Another one in The Hague, Netherlands, in May; and we intend to exhibit the Pillar of Shame in London for the annual commemoration of the Tiananmen massacre on June 4th.
Within the next few months, we expect a request from the new Danish King Frederik X to have Gallery Galschiøt as the royal courts’ supplier of art and curiosities. At the same time pigs will have learned to fly.
All in all, we have plenty to do and plenty to write about in 2024.
May you have the greatest of all years.
Best regards – Galschiøt’s Royal Secretary
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This mail has been sent from the sculptor Jens Galschiøt's workshhop.
Contact to the workshop:
Galleri Galschiøt
Banevænget 22 5270 Odense N Tlf : (+45) 6618 4058 Fax:(+45) 6618 4158  E-mail: aidoh@aidoh.dk
websider: To Gallery Galschiot To Galschot webside Overview over Galschiøt sculptures Portrait of a sculptor Jens Galschiøt (PDF)
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