Why Weiwei?
Posted by cathedralofshit on May 17, 2011
It’s a misunderstanding to suggest that we were ‘calling on’ galleries to boycott the fair – although that would be an understandable position and what logically Charlie Finch’s position would lead to. We were simply highlighting that the taking part in lots of high-profile media interviews highlighting Ai Weiwei’s cause and then jetting to Art HK to capitalise on his increased notoriety might be… er… a little… hypocritical?
That said, participating in Art HK is looking increasingly like participating in a Middle Eastern arms fair and claiming the weapons you’re flogging are merely for “crowd control”…
BREAKING COVER: http://www.artreview.com/profiles/blogs/criticism-of-ais-commercial
Gifty said
I liked the Lisson trying to claim going to Hong Kong was ok because it has special status a sort of Chinese Bophuthatswana. Come off it Greg.
Fumer said
Strikes me as being a little bit difficult to be ‘in the art world’ and not be a complete hypocrite… I mean when one considers that it is the 2nd biggest unregulated market in the world, behind drugs… It’s hard not to suck the cock of the rich and look up at them with such a sweet smile when the alternative is signing on, or getting a part time job where in essence one just gets poked in the cornhole as a unit of work… Perhaps I think of myself as above the majority when it comes to ethics, or I’m good at lying to myself (and desperate enough to believe my own bollox) but listening to the lying art world liar gits get all preachy about bad people doing bad things… WTF get a history book and check out the crazy shit we Englanders have been up to over the last few hundred years… Well at least that’s what a lot of the Chinese say…
I wonder if being locked up is good for sales?
gonemansland said
Agreed and if anyone doubted that it was all about the cash you only have to listen to Emin blabbing
on about how the Tories really understand and appreciate art and how Labour people don’t buy her work anyway. Fuck moral values just show me your wallet.
Nam June Poke said
Who cares they lit mr wee wee out now!