Ɖ Lundn artstydnt huz Ćînīz p’liticl-slogn ḿṛl cōzd a storm
Transcription of an Observer article of 30 August 2023
Royl Colij v Art stydnt Wañ Hanźeñ ʈt a Bric Len wōl wz betr ɖn a gaḷri
Wnzde, 30 Ōġst 2023
Ẃn Wañ Hanźeñ, a Ćînīz stydnt at ɖ Royl Colij v Art, atndd a grajụtśo in a wérhǎs on Bric Len in īst Lundn in Jlî, h faund ɖ spes crǎdd, unimajiṇtiv n unfit fr prizntñ art.
It wz wɖ ɖs in mînd ɖt at 11pm wn nît rlịr ɖs munʈ Wañ n a tīm v 22 uɖrz pentd a Ćînīz p’liticl slogn in bold red caṛctrz alñ a nirbî wōl strećñ nirli 100 mītrz.
Ɖ artwrc – ẃć spelt ǎt ɖ Ćînīz guvnmnt’s “soṣ́list corvalyz”, includñ ɖ wrdz pṛspeṛti, dmocṛsi n frīdm – wz dzînd t b a “sîḷnt rmîndr v ɖ opreśn v ʈt, presfrīdm n fri spīć ɖt z stl rampnt in Ćîna in 2023”, ɖ artists sd.
It pṛvoct uɖrz t gṛfīti ovr it wɖ refṛnsz t ɖ Tiaṇnmn Sqer maṣcr in 1989, n ɖ frezz “Fri Tîwan”, “Fri T’bét” n “Fri Uigrz”. Bt in a muv dscrîbd bî sm az îronicli ttaḷterịn, Tǎr Hamlits caunsl swiftli pentd ovr ɖ wōl’z mes v slognz n iśùd Wañ a £50 fîn.
“Cntmprri art z ol abt dǎtñ evrʈñ n hvñ a rbełs spirit,” sd ɖ 27-yir-old, hu olso gz bî ɖ nem Yi Ćua. In ɖt sns ɖ wrc – cnsrnd wɖ dmocṛsi, fri spīć n ɖ poḷrîzd îdioḷjiz v Ćînīz n YC culćrz – wz īvn mor s’xesfl fr him ɖn xpctd.
Ɖ gṛfīti rspondñ t ɖ wrc startd apirñ wɖn aurz, smʈñ ɖt Wañ sd h welcmd. Bt it wz ɖ baclaś onlîn ɖt alarmd him. H hd a toṛnt v deʈ̓rets on sośl mīdia n hiz faṃli rsivd ʈreṭnñ cōlz at ɖer hom in Ćîna’z īstn Źeijañ provins.
“Art z riyli abt hǎ t rflect ẃt’s in ɖ public n gv ɖ public a spes t dscus n rflect on ɖer ǒn,” sd Wañ, hu intrpṛts ɖ slogn az poẓtiv n az reprizntñ ẃt śd b yṇvrsl valyz, nt jst ɖoz ɖ Ćînīz Coḿnist parti clemz t hold.
Az an artist, Wañ sz h z inṭrestd in xplorñ ɖ crosnaśnl pspctiv on hǎ ɖ YC n Ćîna difr îdịlojicli, n ẃr ɖe c’lîd.
In a prīvịs wrc, h plest fîv matṛsz in Pic̣dili Src̣s, oḟrñ t pe wilñ ptisipnts a minimm wej t lî dǎn in ɖ hart v sntṛl Lundn – smʈñ h b’livz wd’nt b axptd in Ćîna. Bfr muvñ t Lundn a yir ago, h peid duznz v Ćînīz farmrz t b rcordd jumpñ lîc frogz in a fīld.
Fr Wañ, ɖ setñ v hiz lêtist artwrc in Bric Len z simbolic v ɖ YC’z “fri” n “ceotic” culćr ɖt standz in starc contrast t Ćînīz ssayti, ẃr sć gṛfīti dz nt xist.
Ɖ caunsl’z dsiźn t pent ovr ɖ slogn, n ɖ gṛfīti ɖt foloud, riḍklz ɖ “wstn cnspśn” v fri spīć n dmocṛsi, h sd. “It’s olso part v ɖ frīdm v spīć in ɖ YC’z valyz. Mcñ ɖs dsiźn t pent it ovr z riyli śowñ ɖ hipocṛsi v ɖ wst.”
In ɖ wīcs sins, Wañ sz h hz traid t prṣvir ʈru ɖ criṭsizm n h hz bn most hartnd bî an anoniṃs letr snt t ɖ art colij in hiz dfns.
“I c’nt cntrol it, I’m jst ɖr fr ɖ wrc t hapn.”
