The Art Venue M+ Hong Kong

In Hong Kong art and politics are at a crossroads with politics. Many had hoped that the new M+ Museum would be a place that could display risqué or politically charged artworks (Chung). However; since the museum opened it has had to face the issue of a newly formed National Security Law that makes collusion with foreign forces, secession, subversion and terrorism a criminalized act (Chung, Sala). This new law has put the museum in a delicate situation where it had once was hoped to be a place free of censorship (Sala). This new law has left art in China at a crossroads with politics where no public displays are safe from this censorship by the State.

The art world has already felt the repercussions as the University of Hong Kong ordered the removal of the “Pillar of Shame”, a sculpture that memorialized victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre (Chung). A decision made after several people owning the work belonging to the pro-democracy group were arrested (Chung). Although the museum’s director Suhanya Raffel stated that there will be “no problem” with the display of installations with political themes, there has been a high degree of criticism (Sala). These are clear indications that China will use every tactic possible to force conformity and stifle creativity. Chinese artists however have always found ways to voice their messages.

The M+ Museum will continue to be caught in a tough position between creativity and politics. The new law that has been implemented in China and Hong Kong will force the museum to censor works that are shown. This will in turn force artists to find new creative ways to voice their messages. Creativity always finds a way and although the M+ may have to adhere to these new laws, new forms of expression will find a way to circumvent them.

The “Ink Art’ Symposium” series by the Met discusses art in Chinese culture, specifically the written word. The speakers give an informative analysis on how artists use the imagery of written words (Ink Art Part 1) as well as actual words in the forms of calligraphy (Ink Art Part 5). The use of written word in this way allows the artist to both directly and indirectly pass a message to those that view the installations.

The video “Ink Art’ Symposium, Part 5” discusses how calligraphy is used in China as decoration and was a large part of the cultural revolution (Ink Art Part 5). During the revolution the “New Way Style” (Ink Art Part 5) was introduced and is “a type of strip which has a very clear forceful presence” (Ink Art Part 5). Because of this, the modern style takes away from the traditional art of Chinese calligraphy and brings a new form of expression through voicing of opinion.

The video titled “Ink Art Symposium, Part 1” defines how Xu Bing used a form of “made up” text that symbolized writing but does not actually make up any legible words. The display by Bing almost caused riots because people were attempting to read it all looking for a hidden message (Ink Art Part 1). The message however that Bing was conveying was that if “the word can’t be read it can’t be censored” (Ink Art Part 1). This is a clear demonstration of how Chinese artists use art in resourceful ways to bypass censorship.

The “Ink Art’ Symposium” series explains and gives understanding to how written word is used in Chinese art. The speakers give examples of how messages are given both directly and indirectly using word forms and how the written word has evolved. Using these methods Chinese artists have been able to use written word as an outlet for their creativity in ways beyond the standard use of writing.

In the July 10th, 2008 post titled “Endless Surprise” Ai Weiwei's blog discusses the how the Chinese people are affected by centralized power. The blog begins by explaining that it is engrained in the people that “to discuss or understand the truth of any matter” (Weiwei & Ambrozy) is something that is not possible. The blog makes a sound point regarding the relations of personal dignity and human interests (Weiwei & Ambrozy) combined with thoughts on centralized power in society. This conveys a strong message of what the mindset is for the average Chinese citizen who has to live under the censorship of the state. The use of descriptive text produces vivid imagery of how free thought and creativity are considered to be against the social norm. Weiwei is intuitive in communicating how the limitations of rights feeds the fact that any citizen expressing their rights will be viewed as a threat (Weiwei & Ambrozy). Fear of being viewed as a threat or the social implications in turn limits their rights even more and continues to feed the cycle.

Erickson’s article “A Cultural Revolution” speaks about and comments on the work of contemporary Chinese artists. The works shown are innovative and highly creative. It is no surprise that during that period and today Chinese contemporary art draws a lot of attention (Erickson). These installations range from using multi-media and digital art to carvings, oil paintings and Xu Bing’s installation of the written word. Chinese artists clearly have a unique talent where they carry forward tradition while displaying their own creative aspects in their art. Erikson is able to convey that information by showing many variations of these installations and giving great detail about the artist and their work. What is particularly interesting about the article is the influence on the artists from locations they have lived and the variation in their age ranges.

Sources

Ai, Weiwei, and Lee Ambrozy. Ai Weiwei's Blog: Writings, Interviews, and Digital Rants, 2006-2009. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2011. Internet resource.

Chung, Stephy. “Hong Kong’s Extraordinary M+ Museum Opens amid Ongoing Censorship Fears.” CNN, 13 Nov. 2021, edition.cnn.com/style/article/m-museum-opening/index.html.

Erickson, Britta. “A Cultural Revolution.” The Atlantic, 1 July 2007, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/07/a-cultural-revolution/305986.

“Ink Art’ Symposium, Part 1.” YouTube, uploaded by The Met, 7 May 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG3v7cLuDcY.

“‘Ink Art’ Symposium, Part 5.” YouTube, uploaded by The Met, 7 May 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXLxvNqy2kc.

Sala, Ilaria Maria. “Review: Hong Kong’s Highly Anticipated M+ Museum Opens—but Can It Withstand Political Pressure?” The Art Newspaper - International Art News and Events, 12 Nov. 2021, www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/11/12/review-hong-kong-mplus-museum-opens.

Cover Image

Lee, Ansel. “Photo of Lighted City Buildings During Nighttime · Free Stock Photo.” Pexels, 3 Nov. 2019, www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-lighted-city-buildings-during-nighttime-3130060.