PRESS RELEASE 12. juni 2022: (especially to Kongkong infolist)

 

 

On the night of June 12, a large model of Pillar of Shame is exposed to vandalism.

 

Surveillance cameras revealed that black-clad men began repainting the 4-meter-high work of art that had just been erected in downtown Taipei, Taiwan, to mark the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing on June 4, 1989.

 

Artists Jens Galschiøt, who created the sculpture, today at 11 GMT time participated in a video meeting in Taiwan, where he was informed about the vandalism. He was asked by the Taiwanese organizers of the meeting "New School for Democracy" what may prefer that they did to spread the damage to the artwork The Pillar of Shame.

 

This conference was also attended by 2 of the most famous Chinese artists from the democracy movement, Kacey Wong and Badiucao and the two artists decided together with Jens Galschiøt on the spot to let the black paint become part of the monument as a symbol of China's aggression over for the arts and for the democracy movement. Badiucao suggested that if one caught the perpetrator of the sculpture and as punishment ask him to paint and repair the sculpture again

 

In connection with June 4, there have been extensive activities around the sculpture where hundreds of Taiwanese have held memorial day with lit candles all night around The Pillar and Shame to commemorate and honor the victims of China's massacre on the tannin square their own students on June 4, 1989.

 

Perhaps it is precisely this ceremony on June 4 in Taiwan that has triggered the memorial sculpture being subjected to vandalism in Taiwan. The vandalism was presumably carried out by people who support the Chinese system and Xi Jinping's attempts to suppress the memory and history of the 1989 massacre.

 

The vandalism on the Date of June 12 is not accidental. It is precisely on June 12 that the students and democracy movement in Hong Kong has chosen as a day of remembrance for the attack the democracy movements in Hong Kong where millions have been involved in defending democracy and freedom of speech in the city. China has for the first time won the battle against democracy and freedom of expression in Hong Kong when they introduced the new security law, which has meant that many are in prison and even more are accused of criticizing China and defending freedom of expression. Thousands of pro-democracy activists have moved from Hong Kong to asylum and to pro-democracy countries.

 

 The sculpture in Taiwan is set up in connection with an exhibition about China's critical art. There is a brand new 3 d printed version of the Pillar of shame sculpture over three meters high. It is part of the exhibition together with the other Chinese artists.

 

The sculpture is set up on a podium in the public space. The address where also the ceremonies around the 33rd anniversary of the massacre in Beijing and June 12 will be held ..

 

The original sculpture in Hong Kong is still locked inside a steel container in the city and Galschiøt is working with 2 shipping companies and his lawyers to have the sculpture sent to Europe. 12 crane and transport companies have so far refused to take on the task as they are afraid of being accused by the Safety Act of helping to carry out the rather simple transport task. It has taken 6 months so far, but the artist is still optimistic that he will succeed in getting the 8 meter large and ton heavy sculpture out of Hong Kong

 

Artists state in this connection that it is an almost absurd and very symbolic manifestation approaching "art performance" that Hong Kong s University has decided to have the symbol of freedom of speech that has been erected at the university for 25 years, enclosed inside a steel container on the university's own grounds.

 

Copies of the Pillar of Shame a just now exhibited in the Center of Oslo and in Prague at the art museum Doks