FFrom a rocky perch, a life-size depiction of a female protester wearing a helmet and gas mask looks out over the chaotic city. The statue, known as the Statue of Liberty Hong Kong, was carried to the top of Her Rock by a lion during the 2019 pro-democracy protests. It was to be her final resting place. But now, the only thing that remains of that intention is the photo. The statue was vandalized by unknown assailants the day after it was lifted to the top of the mountain, but it is said to be a landmark symbolizing the resilient spirit of Hong Kong people.
A photo of a short installation of the Statue of Liberty is one of several images related to Hong Kong that will be on display at the exhibition “The Forbidden Art,” which opens on Monday in Brussels. The performance, to be staged outside the EU parliament building, aims to demonstrate “a passionate defense of artistic freedom as a fundamental human right”.
Many of the artists featured no longer feel safe working in Hong Kong. “The government wants to silence us all,” says Ramli, one half of the artistic duo Ramli Ramrong, which she formed with her husband Ramrong. The couple left Hong Kong in 2021 due to concerns for their safety. “We are worried that Hong Kong’s culture will disappear,” Lamrong added. “But on the other hand, there is also the possibility that Hong Kong culture will re-emerge around the world.”
The exhibition was curated by Hong Kong-born artist Loretta Lau and Danish sculptor Jens Galcioto, who created the Pillar of Shame, which was removed from the University of Hong Kong in 2021, and is a testament to Hong Kong’s global standing. It is held while trying to maintain. While it is a hub for the arts, it is also grappling with an exodus of artists, prompting calls for international arts organizations to boycott Beijing-controlled territory.
“I feel sorry for the artists who will remain.”
In September, Eric Ware, former president of the Hong Kong branch of the International Association of Art Critics, published the following paper: open letter It called on galleries to boycott Art Basel’s 2024 Hong Kong art fair, which opens on March 28. “Censorship should be rare, there should be debate over safeguards, and it should never be used to support repressive governments or erase collective memory.” Weir wrote. “Unfortunately, this is not the current situation in Hong Kong.”
Explicit and implicit limitations on artistic expression are becoming increasingly apparent. In 2020, after months of pro-democracy protests, the Chinese government introduced a national security law that broadly criminalized secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. Chinese authorities say they need to restore stability. Critics say the vague language is crushing opposition. Recently, authorities have spoken more and more often about the need to tackle “soft resistance” (an ambiguous term). It seems that you are referring to Using “media, culture, and art” to rebel against authorities.
All of this leads to opaque or complex decisions in the art scene. in January at the Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture. canceled the rental contract It ended its partnership with the performing arts group Fire Makes Us Human due to complaints from the Education Department citing national security concerns. The following month, her M+, a museum of visual culture, removed the name of “Beijing Bastards,” a famous film about China’s disillusioned youth, from its credits and Pamphlet of the screening. Regarding the decision, an M+ spokesperson said, “Regarding the mentioned film, the film title has been updated by filmmaker Zhang Yuan and the M+ curation team.”
Artist Casey Wong, who left for Taiwan in 2021, says, “I feel sorry for the artists who remain in Hong Kong.I think their minds are very quick.” They are censoring themselves. ”
Photo: Jayne Russell/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock
Wong predicts more artists will leave after the new homegrown national security law, known as Article 23, comes into force this year.of draft text It proposes sentences of up to life in prison for some crimes, such as sedition and treason. A Chinese government spokesperson said Article 23 was necessary for “Hong Kong’s lasting stability and security” and that the bill was “just, lawful and beyond reproach.” Stated.
A booming market
With many of Hong Kong’s most outspoken artists in exile or silent, commercial organizations have become central to discussions about the future of Hong Kong’s creative industries.
government To tell Hong Kong still has a “vibrant arts and culture community,” as evidenced by its share of the global art market. according to According to the Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report, China and Hong Kong’s share of the market in 2023 will rise to 19%, ranking second after the United States.
“Hong Kong still has significant advantages over other markets in the region,” says Weir. “The biggest advantages are probably taxes and generally an environment that makes the movement of goods very smooth.” As a result, Ware said, art institutions “both accept regulation in Hong Kong and probably It’s increasing.” [are] It is the party that exports those restrictions to other markets. ”
An Art Basel spokesperson said the fair has “never faced any censorship issues with our exhibitions, nor have we been asked to take any special action since the introduction of the national security law.” ” he said.
“Since arriving in Hong Kong in 2013, Hong Kong’s art scene has grown by leaps and bounds…and our shows have become a staple of Hong Kong’s art community.”
Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 received HK$15 million ($1.9 million) in funding from the government’s Mega Arts and Culture Events Fund, managed by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Government funding agreements now routinely include national security clauses.
An Art Basel spokesperson said: “We always comply with the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which we operate.”
This comment echoes the one made by director Henry Tan of M+ Gallery, the flagship gallery of the cultural hub West Kowloon Cultural District, when it opened in 2021. “Opening M+ does not mean that artistic expression is above the law. It is not.”
Currently, the museum is promoting its collection of Ai Weiwei’s “Perspective Studies” series. In this series, Ai Weiwei gives the middle finger to various landmarks. But while some photos from the series have been promoted online, listings for the Tiananmen Square version, in which Beijing’s central square has been overturned by dissident artists, are display It’s just a gray square with the M+ logo on it. A museum spokesperson said: “M+ handles curatorial duties in a professional and independent manner. All of its content is fully compliant with Hong Kong laws and regulations while maintaining the highest standards of professional and artistic integrity. .”
Defenders of Hong Kong’s art scene point to the fact that art can sell even in mainland China’s more restrictive environment. Political freedom, even in its emasculated form, may not be necessary to keep an urban arts industry afloat. But “people need to be able to think about their environment,” Ware said. “Once you start hemming it down, you lose something. You lose some of the dynamism of society, you lose the ability to be self-critical as a society…all of this undermines society’s ability to evolve.”
