Hong Kong, April 30, 3pm:
The Pillar of Shame painted Orange
The eight meter tall sculpture The Pillar of Shame was today painted orange by the Chinese Democracy Movement.
We have just received photos and uploaded them to the internet at:
http://www.thecolororange.net/uk/page160
The authorities had tried to obstruct the painting of the sculpture by denying the Danish artist Jens Galschiot and his staff access to Hong Kong as they landed in the airport on April 26. The expulsion has caused wide discussions in Hong Kong about whether China is now introducing their own visa rules and censorship on to Hong Kong. The Danish artist has been in Hong Kong several times before and is known for making peaceful art installations. He has put up The Pillar of Shame which has become a renowned memorial about the massacre on the Tiananmen square in Beijing 1989.
The Chinese Democracy Movement decided to paint the sculpture orange by themselves to put focus on Human Rights in China and show support to the world wide project TheColorOrange about using Orange in connection to the Olympic Games 2008 to boost the awareness about the Human Rights violations in China. The painting of the sculpture was made by students from the University of Hong Kong and by Chinese members of the Democracy Movement which has its base in Hong Kong. Amongst others the Movement counts the chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Union, Cheuk Yan Lee, the poet Szeto Wah, the Human Rights lawyer Albert Ho, the activist and artist Longhair, and several Hong Kong MPs.
The painting of the sculpture was covered by TV channels and newspapers from all over the world as many had come to Hong Kong to cover the arrival of the Olympic Torch on Chinese ground (Hong Kong) on 2nd May. So they used the opportunity to cover also the painting of The Pillar of Shame, an event with the purpose of focusing the Olympic Games 2008. But the media’s attention had also increased dramatically due to the expulsion of the Danes. So it seems that the Hong Kong authorities have shot themselves in the foot.
Jens Galschiot declares from his workshop in Denmark: “It’s amazing to see the photos from Hong Kong knowing that my TheColorOrange has got its own life and is spreading independently of me. This is ideal from my view as an artist. It is a testimony that the campaign has become a cornerstone in the debates about the OG2008. It will be a manifest way of saying that China does not comply with its human rights obligations.”
Jens Galschiot is today a happy artist.
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The main international news agencies have vastly covered the events and can provide features, photos, videos, etc.
More detailed information, photos, videos about the Orange activities in HK: http://www.TheColorOrange.net/uk/page144
Contact to TheColorOrange in Denmark:
Jens Galschiot, Banevaenget 22, DK-5270 Odense N, tel. +45 6618 4058, evening +45 6614 4038
mobile +45 4044 7058, E-mail: contact@TheColorOrange.net, www.TheColorOrange.net
Contact to Danish Orange photographer in Hong Kong:
Niller Madsen, TV Documentary: +45 40 215 415
For information about the activities in HK contact the Hongkong Alliance
(the democracy movement in Hong Kong):
Secretary Ocean Fung +852 2782 6111
E-mail contact@alliance.org.hk, internet www.alliance.org.hk
