An American artist says the removal of his covert tribute to local dissidents from the side of a department store in Hong Kong illustrates the shrinking space for free expression in the Chinese territory.
The artwork’s removal also comes as Hong Kong tries to revive its international reputation with events like Art Week, which is headlined by Art Central and the Asia edition of Art Basel.
More than 10,000 people have been arrested in connection with the 2019 unrest, and more than 200 under the national security law, which can lead to a sentence of up to life imprisonment. Demonstrators have objected to government descriptions of them as “rioters,” a crime that under Hong Kong law is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
It is not clear whether the government was involved in the decision to remove the artwork. The Hong Kong police did not respond to a request for comment, while the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau told NBC News it had not contacted Sogo about the matter.Francesca Boffetti, the gallery’s chief executive, told The Associated Press she did not know whether the government had ordered the work be taken down and that there had been no mention of any law or potential fines.
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