How as an artist do we use on-line media to communicate our thoughts and concerns? How as an on-line audience are we expected to respond to this?’ Liz Weiwora, the Programme Coordinator for the Liberation exhibition, hopes that the exhibition will answer some of these questions. It features, as well as a visual art exhibition, a blog discussion between the curators and some guest speakers on the topic. There will also be workshops exploring the notion of false identities on the internet. The emphasis specifically is on the blocking of sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube in China. These sites are so popular the use of them is seen almost a personal right, a necessary form of self-expression; banning them is a form of censorship. The Liberation artists and curators are hoping their blog will provide a platform for a debate on freedom of expression, and a demonstration of the power of the internet as a means of communication.
Liu Ding’s ‘Gravestone for Rumour Mongers’ is a testament to the damaging power of the internet. In 2008 he was attacked on an online art forum by people claiming his work was plagiarised from Western artists. ‘Gravestone for Rumour Mongers’ used these postings as tabloid newspaper headlines placed around a room with black acrylic clouds on one wall and gravestones on the floor. This work was the inspiration for the whole Liberation exhibition.
In contrast, Brendan Fan will be using the internet as a tool for positive communication and creativity. He will publicise a number of events on Flicker and Facebook, that the public will be invited to attend. The opening day of the exhibition saw him organise a party in London, where he got a couple of people to introduce themselves to strangers as Brendan Fan, and attempt to befriend them.
Meanwhile Beijing-based artist Yan Xing demonstrates what for him has been an ongoing piece of work for some time. ‘They Are Not Here’ is the title of the work, named for the sign he put up on the door of the hotel room he hired for it. Inside the room were seven men, each occupied with a different activity, and unable to communicate with any of the others. Four cameras documented Yan Xing as the director, documenting the seven men. The aim is to explore what rights the artist has over his or her creation: the issue of ownership is, of course, something that is troubled by the anonymity of the internet.
For the artists and curators, internet censorship in China is a topic close to their experiences. When Ying Kwok, the curator, was working in China this year, he did not receive a large number of emails from his colleagues. Meanwhile, the ever more strict censorship from the Chinese government has led Google to consider shutting down Google.cn, along with its offices in China. It would seem that the Liberation blog has a timely point to make about how the internet has become a vital point of communication and self-expression.
find out more on the Chinese Arts Centre website
Katie Dickinson
