Off-Site

In direct contrast to the politically polite attitude of the official sector of the 2000 Shanghai Biennale is the unofficial off-site exhibitions.  Due to the graphic nature of some of these exhibitions I will try to keep the images more on the mild side due to my own personal tolerance (feel free to google).

exhibition catalog of an off-site exhibition by Ai Weiwei also translated as "Not Cooperating"

During the years after the Cultural Revolution, artist were allowed to produce their own work without fear of death but censorship is still strongly in place.  In 2000, artist were not allowed to show their work publicly without government approval.  That said, the underground artists (whom also worked throughout the Revolution) developed an international reputation with awards and prestige as they were limited locally; adding an interesting reversal factor to globalization (McDonald).  Therefore when the foreign visitors came to Shanghai for the 2000 Biennale, it was already an established fact on the existence and inclusion of these "off-site" exhibitions as part of the biennale when in fact, they were works that were censored and labeled "anti-government material" (Li Xu -curator- qtd. in McDonald).  These temporary exhibitions includes "Fuck off (Not Cooperating)", "Eating People", "Useful Life", and "Problem of Colourfulness" where variety of nudity, animal remains, human remains, and other aggressive materials or imagery where used with the intention to shock the viewer.

one of a series by Ai Weiwei in-front of Shanghai skyline

The pinnacle point of the 2000 Shanghai Biennale is (in my opinion) the juxtaposition of these purposefully upsetting off-site exhibitions with the hidden intentions of the political politeness of the official sector.  They speak on each other, creating a conversation between the official and the unofficial, on the State suppressed nature of the Shanghai Spirit and of the roaring being it could be.  The raw energy from the off site adds meaning to the undertones of the official venue and the politeness adds an edge to the dangerous explosion the unofficial contains.  

During the process of my research, there were some debate on whether the off-site exhibition was raided by the police or not.  Due to the political nature of China at the time (still is, my family in China does not have access to my work as my website is censored once inside the country without additional malware), such actions probably occurred as each exhibition did not last more than a few days before being deserted  In Tung's article (whom I suspect is asked to do some international political bandaging by the Chinese government), she stated that the police did not raid the off-site exhibitions out of greater openness in mind, tolerance, and therefore turned a blind eye.  But she then ended that statement with a quote from Loren Helbing; "there were a lot of foreigners in Shanghai during the biennale, and officials knew that if they closed the satellite events [off-site exhibitions] the outside world would laugh" (other sources all said the police raided). A beautiful display of wit by Tung through hidden intention in a political minefield.

I feel such incidents bring in the notion of the global stage once again (Hans Belting) and the idea that through globalization, with all the cultural brokering, political manipulation, and identity issues, also forces the nation's government to take account of their actions to a worldwide audience.  (relations to other political boycotting performed by artists during these global exhibitions where the whole world is watching - Sao Paulo)  Perhaps not much is done and political tactics soon sweeps it under the rug but it is acknowledged and known by some, the voices heard.