The 33rd commemoration of the massacre of students in Tiananmen Square in Beijing is approaching. It happened in 1989 and on the anniversary, June 4th, the massacre is commemorated all over the world.

 

But now Chinese authorities have taken down the Pillar of Shame - an 8-meter high memorial in Hong Kong - and tucked it away in a container. At the same time, the authorities have banned any commemoration of the massacre both in Hong Kong and in China.

 

But the attack on the sculpture has only made it an even greater symbol. Now The Pillar of Shame is both the symbol of the massacre in Beijing in 1989 and of the destruction of the democracy in Hong Kong. A destruction that has made the vibrant city a shadow of itself - with a consistent suppression of freedom of speech, rule of law and democracy. Many have been imprisoned or fled Hong Kong and all China-critical art has been banned.

 

 

By using ‘Augmented Reality’ it becomes possible to erect Pillar of Shames anywhere via a mobile phone. To that end, we have developed some extremely detailed, completely lifelike and very effective virtual models of the Pillar of Shame, which can be downloaded for free.

 

We urge everyone to use this technique and prevent China from suppressing the memory of the massacre and the assault on Hong Kong's democracy.

 

Make movies and pictures with the sculpture and post it on social media and become a part of the movement. If enough people use their mobile phones as a peaceful weapon against the suppression of freedom of expression in China, Hong Kong and the rest of the world, these events could spread everywhere.

 

You can see a small silly film here, where Galschiøt and his art student League Jacobsen test whether you can move around the non-existent sculpture

 

• You can download your own 3D model of The Pillar of Shame and place it wherever you want. It requires (unfortunately) an iPhone of newer model. Follow the QR code and see description at the bottom of this page. You can also download files for Android phones but the technology inside the operating system is not quite ready yet, so you should probably find a program that can help the phone. However, we have uploaded the android files so you can try for yourself. You find a quick guide under the ‘technique’ in this e-mail. 

 

By using a iPhone (only works with newer models), it is possible to place a Virtual 3D Pillar of Shame in the middle of the "reality" and make video where is appears as a real object in the film. It is very simple to use the technique; everyone will be able to figure it out with a few minutes of practice.

 

• Download the AR file using the QR codes, it takes a while to download it. Or downloaded for free. her

 

• Push the file, (the little star) even if it says it cannot retrieve it. Now the camera opens.

 

• Push the Pillar of Shame file icon with your finger. The sculpture is now placed in the room, as a 3D object. Move your phone around for the sculpture to be positioned in the room.

 

• You can decide the location and size yourself and move it around to suit the room or place where you are filming.

 

• If people walk through the place where you have placed the Pillar of Shame, the illusion is broken. But if you put it in a place where people do not go, it will look like a real object..

 

• With your camera you can go very close to it and see an extreme level of detail and film it from all angles.

 

• The file is made to use the positioning system of the mobile phone for the Pillar of Shame to maintain the position where you have placed it, no matter how you move the camera around. It will retain its size in relation to the room you have set it up in.
If you e.g. have put up a 15 meters high Pillar of Shame in the middle of Victoria Park in Hong Kong, you can, when you walk to it, film from the bottom up and see the top fade into the sky. If you have made it 30cm tall and placed it on a table, you will be able to photograph it from above. The sculpture will retain its level of detail so if you walk close to it with the camera, you will still be able to see all the details clearly.