The exiled Chinese artist spoke to Sky's Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips about the cancellation of his exhibition by a gallery in London.
      • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        9 months ago

        There is an entire universe of difference between the government telling you you can’t say something and arresting and/or disappearing you if you ignore them, and privately owned museums, exhibit halls, or online platforms refusing to do business with you if you say something stupid in public that harms people’s perceptions of you. You’re absolutely free to spout every hot take and conspiracy theory you want (there’s certainly no shortage of people who do), but nobody is obligated to respect you or do business with you if you do. What’s not going to happen is an FBI agent or cop coming around to “have a chat” and if you refuse to publicly retract your statements then quietly sending you off to some gulag without telling anyone where you’ll be worked to death and then your organs harvested and sold. That’s the difference between “the West” and China.

    • wurzelgummidge@lemmy.worldEnglish
      23·
      9 months ago

      You’ve clearly never been to China. Winnie the Pooh mugs, t-shirts and the other usual shit are all available in China. Most of it is made there.

      You can’t believe all you read in western media. When it comes to coverage of places the US doesn’t like, you can’t believe very much at all.

  • Deceptichum@kbin.social
    21·
    9 months ago

    Dude discovered that you can’t criticise Israel and says it’s the same as people being locked up or executed under Mao.

    Yeah it’s fucked that anyone critical of Israel is shutdown by pressure from various associations and lobbying groups, but it’s a massive reach to say this is the same as under Mao.

    • Rikudou_Sage@lemmings.worldEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      Yeah, thinking society is stupid for their societal pressure versus going to jail for having the wrong opinion. Truly no difference.

    • Tarte@kbin.social
      0·
      9 months ago

      You can. He is not being imprisoned or even punished. But other people are not obligated to do business with him, either. That is their freedom.

  • dubyakay@lemmy.caEnglish
    21·
    9 months ago

    While a bit over the top, I respect his opinion. Watch any of the documentaries made about him or attend any of his exhibitions and you’ll see this guy is the real deal. He’s been through shit with the CCP and has always been pushing boundaries with his criticism on repressive politics, policies and social issues for as long and he’s been alive.