2024 at Galschiøts Gallery + EU Demands the Return of the Pillar of Shame!

Looking Back and Forward in 2024 + EU Demands the Return of the Pillar of Shame!

-3D printing, EU Exhibition, Democracy Summit, Survival of the Fattest, New Sculpture for Copenhagen etc.-

Dear ,

After another (slightly too) hectic period, we at Galleri Galschiøt are ready for a well-deserved vacation. It has been full throttle and a significant part of the work has revolved around the Pillar of Shame, Hong Kong, and 3D printing.

Here's a brief recap of our doings since winter.

3D Printing and Artwashing of Hong Kong

The year started relatively quietly. Galschiøt bought a 3D printer so we could print small Pillar of Shame sculptures at the gallery, as an attempt to undermine China’s confiscation of the original Hong Kong sculpture, which has become something like a symbol of freedom for the country. We focused particularly on how the Western dominated art market in Hong Kong is used to 'normalize/whitewash' the takeover of the country and the human rights violations that have become part of everyday life in Hong Kong. AdaArticle about self censorship in Hong Kong

EU Parliament Exhibits the Pillar of Shame

In March, we exhibited the Pillar of Shame in the heart of the European Parliament, organized by MEP Marie Peter-Hansen (Greens) and a broad range of EU parliamentarians. Furthermore our Hong Kong curator Loretta Lau had assembled an impressive exhibition with art that is banned in Hong Kong. Scroll down to see the exhibition. There were also debates in Parliament about Art Censorship/Art Washing in Hong Kong and the human rights situation in China and Hong Kong. China tried to prevent the exhibition but without success, and it proceeded as planned.

Watch a short film about the EU exhibition.

EU Demands the Return of the Pillar of Shame

The exhibition was a great success. Subsequently, the EU made an official request to the Hong Kong authorities to return the sculpture, emphasizing that the matter has "potential to affect the bilateral relationship" between the EU and Hong Kong!

In mid-May, we participated in the Copenhagen Democracy Summit where we distributed 3D-printed Pillars of Shame to the distinguished pro-democracy visitors at the conference, organized by former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh.

The Hague Conference

Five days later, we packed the car for The Hague in the Netherlands, where the grand conference 'ImagiNation - Hong Kong in Exile' gathered the half of Hong Kong diaspora for debates on culture and identity for the hundreds of thousands of fled and exiled Hongkongers that have been forced to settle outside their homeland. See one of Galschiøt's debate from the conference.

Jens Galschiøt turned 70 on June 4th - the same date that Chinese students were massacred at Tiananmen Square in Beijing 35 years earlier. Jens was invited to commemorations in Taiwan and London but chose to stay home and make a grand birthday reception with music, speeches, festive performances, and delicious food. Over 500 attended, and Galschiøt was deeply moved by all the wonderful contributions and gifts from the guests.

The Democracy Summit

Folkemødet on the island of Bornholm is an annual Danish political festival where politicians, organizations, and citizens gather for open debates and discussions on democracy, social issues, and policy-making. Like always Galschiøt contributed with sculptural decoration, and the 'Cultural Stage', with debates on art, sexuality, a greener world, and another celebration of Galschiøt's birthday with freestyle sculpture rap, and serving festive bubbles.

The studio/gallery in Odense, were likewise working hard throughout the period to create the small and large sculptures that keep the economy running and finance the many aforementioned activities. On April 11, the sculpture group 'Your Perception' was ready for the opening. We also created sculptures for the H.C. Andersen Award, Best of Odense, Schiøt's Chef Award and held several bronze casting courses at the gallery.

Now we have a couple of weeks for a newsletter, finishing sculptures that need to go into the electrolysis bath over the summer, general cleanup, etc.

In summary – we believe we've earned this vacation. But don't worry – we won't get bored when we come back.

New Sculpture for Copenhagen - Sculpture for COP29 in Azerbadjan - Survival of the Fattest

Gallery Galschiøt in the Fall of 2024

After summer, we are planning a lot of activities that are remarkably unrelated to the Pillar of Shame.

A New Sculpture for Central Copenhagen.

On September 11, a full-size sculpture of a B&W worker will be ready for unveiling on the Canal of Christianshavn in central Copenhagen. Here, it will remind us of a bygone era when physical labor shaped and drove our capital city. We have been working on the project for several years and look forward to seeing the sculpture installed.

Let's not forget the climate.

In November, the Climate Summit COP29 will be held in yet another oil country – Azerbaijan – with poor conditions for demonstrators, human rights, and artistic expressions. This year, there is a particular focus on (the lack of) funds for climate adaptation in poor countries, so we think it's appropriate to mark the event with Galschiøt's iconic sculpture 'Survival of the Fattest,' which we are currently modeling in a smaller and more transportable version (see picture above).

We also look forward to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025. A Pillar of Shame already stands there, and we are planning to set up a grand sculpture ensemble and creating a grand and very noticable climate decoration. If you have good contacts for this, do let us know.

We will end the year with a Galleri Galschiøt 'door' in the an Advent Calendar, where one can get a 3D-printed Pillar of Shame. In this way we secure the Christmas spirit at Galleri Galschiøt in good time.

Many good summer greetings,

Galschiøt's office gallerist, the hardworking workshop gallerists, and Jens G.