Chinese artist gets naked with late father’s remains but is it art?
- Widespread condemnation over photographs published one day after China’s annual festival to honour the departed
- Social media account suspended but artist’s mother supportive of his actions
A Beijing artist who posted photographs of himself with his late father’s decades-old remains on the weekend has been booted from China’s social media platform Weibo after attracting widespread public condemnation.
The artist, known as Siyuan Zhuji, published the controversial photos on art website Artand, as well as Weibo, on Saturday, the day after China’s Ching Ming, or grave-sweeping, festival when families honour their departed ancestors.
The pictures were taken at the end of March when the remains were being reinterred after damage occurred to their original resting place in Chuzhou, Anhui province, where they were buried 30 years ago.
“I treated this as a real artwork, I did this for art,” the artist told the South China Morning Post in a phone interview. “Real art should not be afraid of facing the public or being out in the world.”
Siyuan, 33, said the pictures were taken by his wife, with help from the caretaker at the cemetery, who arranged the remains in a discreet location.