STOP VESTLIG ARTWASHING AF HONGKONG

Nyhedsmail fra Jens Galschiøt:

Debat om censur i EU-Parlamentet. Christies, Art Basel, Sotheby's, Bonhams og Phillips valgte at holde sig væk fra debatten, så deres pladser stod tomme. Deltagere I debatten: Moderator: Samuel Chu (Præsident for The Campaign for Hong Kong). Eric Wear (Zoom-International Association of Art Critics (AICA)). Nik Williams (Index on Censorship), Jens Galschiøt Kunstner DK, Lumli Lumlong (eksileret Hong Kong kunstner-maler duo).

STOP VESTLIG ARTWASHING AF HONGKONG

Kære

Denne kunstevent fokuserer på, hvordan globalt vestligt ejede kunsthuse hjælper Kina med at censurere kunst i Hong Kong. Disse selskaber har en dominerende position på kunstscenen i Hong Kong, som er det førende kunstmarked i Asien. Vi kræver, at de ophører med (selv)censurering af kunst og står fast på humanistiske værdier ved aktivt at forsvare kunstnerisk ytringsfrihed i Hong Kong.

Vi opfordrer alle til at lægge pres på disse kunsthusene, som alle er baseret i Vesten og tilhører den globale elite i kunstverdenen.

Kunsthuse som Christies, Sotheby's, Art Basel, Phillips og Bonhams er nøglespillere i Hong Kong. De står overfor et eksistentielt valg om, hvilken side af historien de vil stå på. Vil de bruge deres kulturelle kapital til at hjælpe en totalitær stat med at artvaske, legitimere og normalisere overgreb på grundlæggende rettigheder i Hong Kong?

Målet er at få kunstinstitutioner til at stå imod Hong Kongs regering og nægte at deltage i censureringen af kunstværker.

Vi har udarbejdet et "Hong Kong Charter", som vi håber, at kunstinstitutioner vil underskrive eller inkorporere i deres CSR-politikker for at demonstrere for verden, at de ikke ukritisk vil fungere som en forlængelse af Kinas indflydelse i Hongkong.

Man kunne næsten tro, at de vestlige kunsthuse insisterede på at skabe en nutidig liveversion af den Oscar-vindende film "The Zone of Interest" - uden at lave direkte sammenligninger, selvfølgelig. Udtaler Jens Galschiøt,

Det ultimative symbol på kunstnerisk frihed -"Thousands of Pillars"

Skulpturen "The Pillar of Shame" er blevet det ultimative symbol på kunstnerisk frihed og ytringsfrihed i Hong Kong. Den 8 meter høje skulptur blev opstillet i Hong Kong i 1997 – lige før Kina overtog byen. I 23 år tjente den som et mindesmærke for massakren på Den Himmelske Freds Plads i 1989. I 2021 blev skulpturen brutalt fjernet af de kinesiske myndigheder for at understrege de nye tider i Hong Kong.

Ideen om at bruge 3D-modeller til aktivisme , af "The Pillar of Shame" stammer fra demokratibevægelsen i Hong Kong. I 2021 scannede unge aktivister skulpturen og begyndte at 3D-printe kopier, som blev brugt i mange sammenhænge som et symbol på retten til demokrati og ytringsfrihed.

Kunstneren bag skulpturen, Jens Galschiøt, har omfavnet ideen og udviklet et interaktivt konceptkunstværk, "Thousands of Pillars". Værket er en 3D-printer i en glasmontre, der kontinuerligt printer orange souvenir-lignende "Pillar of Shame" statuer, som distribueres til publikum.

På bunden af den tilsyneladende uskyldige souvenirskulptur er indgraveret kraftfulde slagord, som alle sætter fokus på at vestens auktionshuse og kunstinstitutioner bør stoppe med at hjælpe Kina med politisk censurering af kunst i Hong Kong.

Kunstværket vil dukker op forskellige steder i verden som et kunstværk fra helvede , der printer sine kontroversiel

le, tvetydige kunstværker ud til folk.

3D-Printer Udstillinger af "Thousands of Pillars" i Forår 2024

Marts - EU-Parlamentet: Sammen med udstillingen "The Forbidden Art."
Maj - Danmark: "Copenhagen Democracy Summit". 650 indflydelsesrige deltagere fra verdens demokratier fokuserer på den geopolitiske konflikt mellem demokratier og autoritære regimer. Deltagerne modtager en lille 3D-printet statue med budskabet om at "Stop Western Art Washing of Hong Kong."
Maj - Holland: "Hong Kong in Exile" i hollands parlarment i Hagg.
Juni - England: London-udstilling "Banned by Beijing."
Juni - Taiwan: 4. juni-udstilling.
Juni - Danmark: Folkemødet på Bornholm.

Det særlige ved "Thousands of Pillars" er, at det kan udstilles og ejes af enhver med adgang til en 3D-printer. Jens Galschiøt har gjort alle programmer frit tilgængelige og frafaldet sin ophavsret. Så det eneste, der kræves, er at sætte en 3D-printer op og trykke på tænd-knappen for at starte udstillingen.

Vi opfordrer alle til at deltage som aktivister og aktører i denne kampagne. For eksempel kan du tage den lille "Pillar of Shame" statue og placere den forskellige steder på kunstudstillinger, auktionshuse og museer.

Du kan også selv udstille værket på din arbejdsplads eller uddannelsesinstitution, hvor der ofte er en 3D-printer tilgængelig. Brug den lille skulptur til at tage billeder på ikoniske steder. Der er utallige måder at bruge 3D-skulpturen på. Vi opfordrer alle til at deltage i at lægge pres på den vestlige verdens kunstelite og deres auktionshuse for at opføre sig anstændigt i Hong Kong.

Programmer til 3D printer kan hentes her:

Standard Setup for 3D print:

Charter Against Art Censorship in Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Charter

Oversat fra engelsk:

Dette charter er et udkast udarbejdet efter møderne om kunstcensur i Europa-Parlamentet. Det sendes nu til høring hos forskellige NGO'er og kunstnere.

Vi, de underskrevne, kunsthandlere, udstillingssteder og kulturelle aktører, forpligter os til at forsvare kunstens ukrænkelighed i forbindelse med vores aktiviteter i Hong Kong. Vi tilslutter os følgende principper:

1. Vi fordømmer enhver form for kunstcensur, herunder men ikke begrænset til politisk motiveret censur, selvregulering og selvcensur, som begrænser kunstneres frihed til at udtrykke sig

2. Vi respekterer kunstnerisk frihed som en grundlæggende rettighed og forpligter os til at give kunstnere mulighed for at udstille og sælge deres værker uden frygt for repressalier eller indblanding i deres kreative processer.

3. Vi vil aktivt modsætte os enhver form for ekstern pres eller indblanding, der sigter mod at begrænse eller censurere kunstværker baseret på politiske, religiøse eller sociale hensyn.

4. Vi forpligter os til at opretholde et åbent og inkluderende udstillingsmiljø, hvor kunstnere fra alle baggrunde og perspektiver kan præsentere deres arbejde frit og uden forudbestemte begrænsninger.

5. Hvis vi deltager som repræsentanter for kunsten i debatter og møder i Hong Kong, vil vi også fokusere på spørgsmål omkring udøvelsen af fri kunstnerisk praksis i Hong Kong og modsætte os ethvert forsøg på at bruge kunst og kultur til at "Art Wash" politikker og praksis, der begrænser ytringsfriheden.

Underskrevet: [Navn på kunsthandler, udstillingssted eller kulturel aktør]

Slut på nyhedsbrevet. Vi nyder foråret og er i fuld gang med udstillinger og skulpturer.

Derudover er vi ved at forberede Jens Galschiøts 70-års fødselsdag den 4. juni, hvor vi inviterer til åbent hus på Galleri Galschiøt. Du vil modtage en invitation snarest.

Med venlig hilsen

Lasse Markus

Og de hårdtarbejdene gallerister på Galeri Galschiøt

Info:

Gallery Galschiøt, Mobil: +45 4044 7058

Jens@galschiot.com

www.Galschiot.com

EU Exhibition - Follow-up and links

Media Coverage (72 articles) (know of more? – please share)
Photos from exhibition and debates (use freely)
The Forbidden Art Exhibition (scroll to bottom of page):
Statement from China
Statement from Art Basel
Youtube. Debates: Human Rights - Art and Censorship - The Pillar of Shame - Opening part 1 - part 2

Dear all,

Thank you for taking part in the EU Exhibition and debates! It was a great experience and honor meet - and get to know - so many dedicated and knowledgeable people and we know that the events and meetings have set seeds for future projects and cooperation.

Though China did not roll back Article23 and the Art Market in Hong Kong seems to keep censoring, we definitely started some echoes that won’t die down easily. Chinas harsh reaction is a sign that a unifying EU is not on their wish list. Also MEP’s Thijs Reuten and Domenec Ruiz Devesa are working on a collected EU request to China to get back the Pillar of Shame.

On the Art Market side, the media has had a quite critical view on the Hong Kong Art Week in the light of oppression and censorship. Our debate and the exhibition was mentioned and quoted and Jens and especially Eric Wear got to share their points of views quite a lot. See the list.

If you did not read it already do check out US Department of States ‘2024 Hong Kong Policy Act Report’ it is very spot on.

Once again, thank you so much!

Warmest regards Jens and Lasse

All statements, photos and videos should be on the webpage.

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

Confirmed Participants
For Chinas Ambassador - Contact
For Art Basel Art Fair - Contact
For Christies Auction House - Contact
For Bonmans Auction House - Contact
For Sotherby Auction House - Contact
For Phillips Auction House - Contact

Portrait of sculptor Jens Galschiøt (PDF)

Contact Jens Galschiot: E-mail: aidoh@aidoh.dk, Internet: www.aidoh.dk, tel. +45 6618 4058, Banevaenget 22, DK-5270 Odense N

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:

- Mayer Brown law firm faced such severe criticism that they had to withdraw from Hong Kong for assisting China in removing "The Pillar of Shame" from universities. US Congress hearing about Mayer Brown with Samuel Chu (2021)

- 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"

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Galschiøt Sculptures around the world

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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.

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