Artist behind Tiananmen crackdown memorial at University of Hong Kong seeks diplomatic help to relocate Pillar of Shame overseas
- Jens Galschiøt also requests through lawyers an HKU review of removal order on the Pillar of Shame, which pays tribute to victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown
- University says the statue, first erected on campus in 1997, will be deemed abandoned property after Wednesday’s deadline
Jens Galschiøt said he was talking to politicians from his home country as part of efforts to safely ship the Pillar of Shame out of the city, as he revealed his lawyers had formally requested the University of Hong Kong (HKU) arrange a hearing to review its controversial decision.
The artist has previously said that the two-tonne sculpture, first erected on HKU’s Pok Fu Lam campus in 1997, effectively belongs to him but is on permanent loan to the now-defunct group that organised the annual candlelight vigil commemorating those who died in the 1989 crackdown in Beijing.
“The lawyer and I will try to resolve the situation amicably and with satisfaction for both parties if possible,” Galschiøt said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Of course, I hope that my ownership of the sculpture will be respected and that I will be able to transport the sculpture out of Hong Kong under orderly conditions and without it having suffered from any damage.”
The artist also revealed that several members of the Danish parliament he was in contact with were dialling up the pressure on the country’s foreign ministry to intervene in the matter, while demanding the Chinese embassy offer “necessary help to bring the sculpture out of Hong Kong [so it] can be erected in a safe place”.
“I am, of course, deeply concerned that … it will not succeed and that the sculpture will be destroyed in connection with the move. I would like to emphasise that I consider any damage to the sculpture to be the responsibility of the university,” Galschiøt added.
