are accused of Exteme Arrogance as they decline or plainly ignore
official EU Parliament invitation for censorship debate
Dear
"The auction houses make billions from art sales in Hong Kong while suppressing freedom of expression by enforcing Chinese censorship of their art. When the EU raises the issue, they refuse to participate."
says artist Jens Galchiøt from Brussels, where he, along with EU Parliament member Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, is organizing the exhibition and debates starting today. He continues,
"It is an expression of extreme arrogance! Parliamentarians, Experts and NGOs from all over the world are participating. Even China has issued a statement! But not a single auction house will show up to discuss their responsibility."
Contact:
Background
EU Exhibits ‘The Pillar of Shame’ at the Parliament
Debates in Parliament & Presentation of Arts Censored by China
March 18th-21st, 2024
March 18th-21st: Art exhibition in front of the EU Parliament
- The Pillar of Shame. World-known confiscated memorial from Hong Kong and an icon of China's takeover.
- Forbidden art. Condemned as subversive by China and Hong Kong. Curated by Loretta Lau (NGO Dei)
- Information, small debates, 3D printer producing small Pillars of Shames.
March 19th, 12.00 – 14.00: Grand Opening
- Performance of ‘Glory to Hong Kong’. A protest anthem that Hong Kong has tried to ban.
- Speeches by MEP Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, Curator Loretta Lau, Artist Jens Galschiøt, Hong Kong activist Finn Lau, MEP Isabel Santos (SD), MEP Anna Fotyga (ECR).
Debates in the EU Parliament
(registration required - aidoh@aidoh.dk)
March 19th, 17.00-19.00: Human Rights violations, Chinese Censorship and infiltration in EU
- China Extensive Human Rights violations – an overview.
- Hong Kong’s Democratic Derailment.
- Persecution of Dissidents inside Europe.
- China's censorship inside Europe.
Participants: Moderator: MEP Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, Zhou Fengsuo (President of Humanitarian China), Simon Cheng (Hong Kong exiled pro-democracy activist), Iverson Ng - (Junior Research Fellow), Megan Khoo (Research and Policy Advisor at Hong Kong Watch) – Sarah Brooks (China Director, Amnesty International), MEP Thijs Reuten (SD, NL), MEP Isabel Santos (SD PT), Anna Fotyga (ECR). China’s ambassador in Belgium did not wish to participate.
March 20th, 11.00-13.00: Hong Kong’s Art Censorship, Western Responsibility, Collapse of the Art Market.
- Political Art Censorship in China and Hong Kong as a way of oppression.
- firsthand accounts by artists.
- What role do Western Auction Houses play in political art censorship in Hong Kong?
- Can the Western Art Market accept that its auction houses perform political art censorship in Hong Kong?
- Is Hong Kong’s Art Market about to Collapse? If so, will it create a Domino Effect?
Participants: Moderator: Samuel Chu (President of The Campaign for Hong Kong). Eric Wear (International Association of Art Critics (AICA)). Nik Williams (Index on Censorship), Lumli Lumlong (exiled Hong Kong artist-painter duo). Sotherby Auction Houses may come, Art Basel. was invited but could not attend - see reply. The Auction Houses Bonhams, Phillips and Christies were officially invited by MEP Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, but chose not to reply.
March 20th, 15.00-16.00: The Pillar of Shame – from Tiananmen Memorial to Symbol for Freedom.
- Artist Jens Galschiøt talks about the turbulent and dramatic story of his sculpture ‘The Pillar of Shame’. From the initial exhibition at HK University to its’ removal by Hong Kong’s authorities and on to its’ digital afterlife as 3D-prints, banner-lithographs and symbols against China’s takeover.
- This event takes place outside by the art exhibition. It is open for all.
Participants: Artist Jens Galschiøt, MEP David Lega (EPP), MEP Reinhard Bütikofer (Greens)
|
Contact List –
We are available for interviews and additional information.
- Jens Galschiøt (artist behind Pillar of Shame and this exhibition)
aidoh@aidoh.dk - ph +45 4044 7058 / +45 66184058
- MEP Kira Marie Peter-Hansen. (Member of EU Parliament, Host of the exhibition)
kira.peter-hansen@europarl.europa.eu ph. +40 2618 8749
- Loretta Lau (Curator on exhibition. Director of NGO Dei)
loretta.lau@ngodei.org - ph +44 7923 951278
- Dr. Eric Wear, former HK President of Int.nat. Association of Art Critics (AICA), ericottowear@mac.com
- Samuel M Chu (moderator on Censorship debate), Campaign for Hong Kong samuel@hkcampaign.org Phone +1 626 589 1330
Participants in exhibition & debates
Here is a quick teaser
Here is a teaser about the groundbreaking event we are hosting in the EU Parliament between March 19th and 21st, 2024.
EU Parliamentarian Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (Greens) is hosting this controversial China event in Brussels, supported by members from virtually all groups.
What happens:
- We display the sculpture ‘The Pillar of Shame’, China's No. 1 object of hate, in front of the parliament.
- We display a large outdoor exhibition featuring China-critical artworks banned by China.
- Debates inside the parliament focusing on two critical issues: (more info + registration for debates )
- 1. China's abuses against its own population and the persecution of those who have fled to the West, including offering million-dollar bounties for selected dissidents.
- 2. Western-owned art auction houses' responsibility in assisting China in imposing extensive art censorship in Hong Kong. We ask: Can we accept them acting as collaborators in a totalitarian Chinese assault on human rights in Hong Kong?
We have invited debaters, experts, dissidents, and artists from around the world to participate in discussions, providing unique personal insights into the situation. We have also invited China's ambassadors in Denmark and Belgium to join the debate
We have sent invitations to the most powerful art houses with branches in Hong Kong, inviting them to a meeting in parliament to explain their stance on taking social responsibility in the countries where they operate (CSR).
With EU debates, we spark the discussion on the Western art market's complicity in undermining freedom of speech and human rights in Hong Kong. Can the auction houses withstand continuing their political art censorship in Hong Kong, or will pressure force them to adhere to Western values and refuse to participate in political art censorship in Hong Kong?
We demand that they actively use their economic influence in the fight against art censorship; for the sake of their artists, themselves, and to champion Hong Kong's basic right to freedom of speech.
What makes Hong Kong's art market unique is that the world's largest Western auction houses completely dominate and set the tone in this market. This dominance is economically advantageous, but it also has a significant downside if they acquiesce and participate in China's attempts to impose art censorship and severe restrictions on freedom of expression.
We hold them accountable for aiding China in imposing the rules of totalitarian rule in the city, directly contradicting the values one would expect from a Western-owned company (CSR). If the companies refuse to stand against art censorship, they will be very vulnerable to a PR disaster. A disaster that will be greatly amplified by the unique character of the art world as a conveyer of image-building products
.
The possibility of a Collapse in the Art Market: The Art houses face serious problems if China deploys the police and legal system to assert that Hong Kong is part of China and that Hong Kong must abide by Chinas rules. If Hong Kong ends up issuing a direct ban on selling, exhibiting, and promoting China-critical art, the conflict may escalate to the point where the international art market may have to cease all activities in the city and move the entire art market to another country. A collapse in one of the most crucial financial markets in Asia may become a reality. Part of this scenario is already a reality today, as subversive activities abroad (e.g. China critical art exhibition in Europe) can be punished in Hong Kong See elaboration Eric Wear (AICAs) explanation on this
Staying and imposing China's censorship cannot be an option for Western companies that thrive on providing cultural capital and image enhancement for their clients.
The EU event is just the starting point. We may be optimistic in believing that good will prevail, and we know it can be an uphill battle. Therefore, we will work to exert global pressure on auction houses to make them refuse to participate in censorship of speech and art in Hong Kong. There are many, dedicated people, that are concerned to see China’s totalitarian system gaining significant influence in the world. We plan to engage these good people to put spotlight on censorship of art and freedom of speech. Some of these people will also participate in the debates in the EU Parliament.
It has succeeded before in stopping and influencing the art industry. Recent examples include:
- Another example could be Nan Goldin (USA) and other artists' actions to persuade museums to reject sponsorships from the Sackler family, whose pharmaceutical companies were implicated in the opioid crisis in the USA.
It might be naive, and we may not stand a chance, but we are taking it.
Best regards,
Jens Galschiøt, the artist behind "The Pillar of Shame"
__________________
Take a Virtual tour around Galschiøt's Gallery with Google Street View
It is now possible to walk directly into Gallery Galschiøt and look around. So now the whole world can come visit, without having to travel halfway around the world. Of course, we still hope that our many thousands of annual guests will stop by and look at art and drink coffee. Click here and take a virtual tour.
_________________
About Jens Galschiøt
Danish artist Jens Galschiøt has created many socio-critical sculptures and installations through the years. Most often they are placed in public spaces around the world – as needle-sticks and silent reminders of a world that, in his opinion, is out of balance, and where exploitation of the world’s resources, inequality and migration are a constant part of the picture.
|
9 meter tall banner litographs
Galschiot and former prime minister and Nato General Secretary Anders Fogh
|
|
|
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
******************************************
******************************************
Subscrition and unsubscription of informations from Jens Galschiøt
If you want to be unsubscribed from this infolist, then click here: Unsubscribe
If you want to update your name, e-mail etc. on this list, click here: Change Profile
|
|
