China art bears brunt of leadership change
Ahead of crucial party congress, censors have stepped up their hunt for “objectionable” works of art.
China is set for one of its clandestine, once-every-decade leadership changes, and in the country’s art world, paintings and sculptures can be just as cloaked in secrecy.
At a recent gallery show in Shanghai, censorship officers ordered several paintings covered or removed, even after pre-approving the works.
Some believe the leadership change is one of the reasons behind the increase in interference from the censors.
Curators take a diplomatic view of the censorship. Some say the work they see in other, more well-established art centres is not even worth censoring.
Art experts even claim that censored works draw greater sums on the international market.
Charles Stratford reports.