A large-scale artwork exhibited during Hong Kong Art Week has been censored after the artist revealed the artwork was embedded with pro-democracy messages. Pro-Beijing media accused the work of being “pro-black rioters”.
Title No rioters, the digital moving image work of Los Angeles-based artist Patrick Amadon was part of the video exhibition “The Sound of Pixels”, organized by the Art Innovation Gallery in Milan. The projection features works by more than 70 digital artists from around the world on an LED billboard that measures 230 feet by 67 feet and was visible until today, March 23. The display, the largest of its kind in Asia-Pacific, hangs from the facade of a department store in the Causeway Bay shopping district.
Amadon’s moving image work depicts a CCTV surveillance camera. After the screening kicked off, the artist revealed on social media that he had secretly included the names of the political prisoners imprisoned in Hong Kong who were arrested after the 2019 pro-democracy protests; details of their sentences and alleged crimes appear in the text. The title of the work is part of a popular protest slogan from the 2019 protests in Hong Kong: “No rioters, only a tyrannical regime.”
The artist’s message was reported by some local media, and shortly after, the public media Wen Wei Po published an article on Wednesday, March 22, accusing labor of being “pro-black rioters”. The work was removed from the screening program by the owners of the Sogo department store.
“Hong Kong Art Week Pretend[s] the Chinese government didn’t crush a democracy and turn Hong Kong into a vassal surveillance state for a week because it’s a convenient place for a good market,” Amadon told Artnet News. “I think it sends the message that money can buy absolution again.”
A screenshot of Patrick Amadon’s flashing text No rioters. The names of imprisoned pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, including Benny Tai and Joshua Wong, are among 47 others charged with breaching Hong Kong’s new national security law. Image courtesy of the artist.
Amadon confirmed to Artnet News that his work has been removed. He said he knew the work might be controversial, but said its outright censorship was unexpected. “I knew that the names, ages and sentences of the protesters would be prohibited. But it is art and a few years ago it would have been acceptable and legal expression,” the artist said.
Amadon noted that he did not notify Art Innovation Gallery of the messages hidden in the flashing text. “[I] would not [to force] the responsibility or the obligation to know them,” he said. “Did I think that would cause this firestorm? No. I wouldn’t have imagined it would agitate as much as it obviously did. I guess that struck a chord.
In response to Artnet News’ investigation, Art Innovation Gallery founder and CEO Francesca Boffetti said the gallery had been informed by their ombudsman that the owners of Sogo had decided to remove Amadon’s work from exhibition, and added that the gallery respects Sogo’s decision. “Art Innovation is based in Milan and in Europe, [where] there is freedom of expression. In China, the culture is different from ours,” Boffetti told Artnet News.
Sogo and its owner Lifestyle International did not respond to requests for comment from Artnet News.
The removal of No rioters came after tuesday cancelation of the release of a British slash horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. The film, which has been approved by the local film censor board, was originally scheduled to hit theaters in Hong Kong today, March 23. But the distributor backtracked, announcing the sudden cancellation and citing “technical reasons”, adding that the film could not be screened. The incident sparked speculation as the cartoon character’s image had previously been linked to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Winnie the Pooh was banned in China.
Both incidents occurred as Hong Kong celebrates its post-pandemic comeback on the international stage amid the opening of Art Basel Hong Kong alongside various art events at its cultural institutions. The international art world is back, but the city is markedly different. There were also reports of Hong Kong’s increase self-censorship following the implementation of the sweeping National Security Act in 2020.
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