A Symbol to Stop Art Washing

Newsletter from Jens Galschiøt:

Censorship debate in EU Parliametn. Christies, Art Basel, Sotheby's, Bonhams and Phillips chose to stay away from the debate, so their seats stood empty. invitation. Participants: Moderator: Samuel Chu (President of The Campaign for Hong Kong). Eric Wear (Zoom-International Association of Art Critics (AICA)). Nik Williams (Index on Censorship), Jens Galschiøt Artist DK, Lumli Lumlong (exiled Hong Kong artist-painter duo).

STOP WESTERN WASHING OF HONGKONG

Dear .

The statue The Pillar of Shame has become the ultimate symbol of artistic freedom and freedom of expression in Hong Kong. The 8-meter-high sculpture was erected in Hong Kong in 1997 - before China took over the city.

For 23 years, it served as a memorial to the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. In 2021 the sculpture was brutally removed by the Chinese authorities, to underscore the arrival of new times in Hong Kong.

The idea of using 3D models of the Pillar of Shame Statue originated from the work of democracy movement in Hong Kong. In 2021 young activists scanned the sculpture and began 3D-printing copies, which were used in many contexts as a symbol of the right to democracy and freedom of expression.

The artist behind the sculpture, Jens Galschiøt, has embraced the idea and developed an interactive conceptual artwork, "Thousands of Pillars". The work is a 3D printer in a glass showcase, continuously printing out orange souvenir-like Pillar of Shame statues, which are distributed to the audience.

At the bottom of the seemingly innocent souvenir sculpture are engraved impactful slogans, all pointing out that the Western world's auction houses and art institutions should stop aiding China in political censoring of art in Hong Kong.

The artwork appears in various locations around the world as a hellish artwork, printing out its controversial ambiguous artworks to people.

3D Printer Exhibitions: Spring 2024

· March - The EU Parliament: Alongside the exhibition "The Forbidden Art."

· May - Denmark: "Copenhagen Democracy Summit". 650 influential participants from the world's democracies focus on the geopolitical conflict between democracies and authoritarian regimes. Participants receive a small 3D printed statue with the message to "Stop Western Art Washing of Hong Kong."

· May - Netherlands: "Hong Kong in Exile" in the parliament.

· June - England: London exhibition "Banned by Beijing."

· June - Taiwan: June 4th exhibition.

· June - Denmark: People's Summit on Bornholm.

What's special about ”Thousands of Pillars" is that it can be exhibited and owned by anyone with access to a 3D printer.

Artist Jens Galschiøt has made all programs available for free use and waived his copyright. So, all it takes is setting up a 3D printer and pressing power to start the exhibition.

We encourage everyone to participate as activists and actors in this campaign. For example, you can take the small Pillar of Shame statue and place it in various locations such as art exhibitions, auction houses, and museums. You can also initiate the work at your workplace or educational institution, where a 3D printer is often available.

Use the small sculpture to take photos in iconic locations. There are countless ways to use the 3D sculpture. We urge everyone to put pressure on the Western world's art elite and their auction houses to behave decently in Hong Kong.

Background information:

Stop Artwashing

This art happening focuses on how global Western-owned art corporations are assisting China in censoring art in Hong Kong.

These corporations hold a dominant position in the art scene in Hong Kong, which is the leading art market in Asia.

We demand that art corporations cease (self-)censoring art and stand firm on humanistic values, actively defending artistic freedom of expression in Hong Kong.

We urge everyone to exert pressure on these art corporations, all of which are based in the West and belong to the global elite in the art community.

Art houses such as Christies, Sotheby's, Art Basel, Phillips, and Bonhams are key players in Hong Kong. They face an existential choice about which side of history they will stand on.

Will they use their cultural capital to assist a totalitarian state in artwashing, legitimizing and normalizing abuses ofs basic rights in Hong Kong?

The goal is to encourage art institutions to stand against the Hong Kong government and refuse to participate in censoring artworks.

We have drafted a "Hong Kong Charter" that we hope art institutions will sign or incorporate into their CSR policies to demonstrate to the world that they will not uncritically act as an extension of China's influence.

One could almost believe that the Western art corporations insisted on creating a contemporary live version of the Oscar-winning film "The Zone of Interest" - without making any direct comparisons, of course.

Jens Galschiøt, Artist

Charter Against Art Censorship in Hong Kong:

The Hong Kong Charter

This charter is a draft prepared after meetings on art censorship in the European Parliament. It is now sent for consultation with various NGOs and artists.

We, the undersigned, art dealers, exhibition spaces, and cultural actors, commit to defending the inviolability of art in Hong Kong. We adhere to the following principles:

1. We condemn any form of art censorship, including but not limited to politically motivated censorship, self-regulation, and self-censorship, which restricts artists' freedom to express themselves.

2. We respect artistic freedom as a fundamental right and commit to providing artists with the opportunity to exhibit and sell their works without fear of reprisal or interference in their creative processes.

3. We will actively oppose any form of external pressure or interference aimed at limiting or censoring artistic works based on political, religious, or social considerations.

4. We commit to maintaining an open and inclusive exhibition environment where artists from all backgrounds and perspectives can present their work freely and without predetermined limitations.

5. If we participate as representatives of the arts in debates and meetings in Hong Kong, we will also focus on issues surrounding the exercise of free artistic practice in Hong Kong and oppose any attempts to use art and culture to "Art Wash" policies and practices that limit freedom of expression.

Signed: [Name of art dealer, exhibition space or cultural actor]

Best

Jens Galschiøt

17 maj,2024

More Info:

Gallery Galschiøt, Cell:+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

Take a look for yourself at our interactive map.

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Take a Virtual tour around Galschiøt's Gallery with Google Street View

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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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