Artist Xiao Lu boycotts exhibition amid CCP propaganda concerns in Sydney art scene

The University of Technology Sydney:

Located at the heart of Sydney, the Dr. Chau Chak Wing Building, a business school building at the University of Technology Sydney, was designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Frank Gehry. It is named after the same controversial figure mentioned earlier, Dr. Chau Chak Wing.

Western Sydney University:

Western Sydney University (UWS) has played a significant role in showcasing Chinese art exhibitions since the establishment of the Australia-China Institute for Arts and Culture (ACIAC). The institute was founded after a substantial donation promise of 3.5 million Australian Dollars by Huang Xiangmo in 2015.

Jing Han served as the director of the ACIAC. Her UWS webpage revealed her deep involvement with CGTV, a crucial component of China's state-run propaganda machinery. Han was noted as the "executive producer of the English edition of the100-episode documentary series A History of China commissioned by CGTV China".

In 2019, Huang Xiangmo was expelled from Australia on national security grounds. A 2020 report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, titled "Foreign Interference and the Chinese Communist Party's United Front System", outlined the workings of foreign interference through the CCP's united front system, responsible for influencing groups outside the party. The report highlighted Huang Xiangmo's role for the CCP as "one of the most informative cases of united-front-linked influence efforts" in Australia.

Following Huang Xiangmo's expulsion, the ACIAC was rebranded as the Institute for Australian and Chinese Arts and Culture (IAC), with Han Jing as the current director. Notably, both institutes have consistently refrained from featuring any exhibitions containing dissent art challenging the CCP.

UNSW:

At UNSW, Paul Gladston, the Judith Neilson Chair of Contemporary Art, stands as one of Australia's foremost authorities on Chinese contemporary art. Renowned for his stance on the apolitical nature of post-Mao avant-garde art in China, Gladston argues that, unlike their European counterparts, Chinese avant-gardes since the 1970s aimed to preserve the purity of art, running parallel (while not challenging either) to the state's political mobilization and propaganda efforts. While his perspective on avant-garde art in post-Mao China is debatable and warrants further scrutiny, one confirmed fact remains: Gladston and his arguments pose no threat to the CCP.

This is evident in the positive coverage Gladston receives from China's state media, Xinhua.com. The media outlet went to the extent of highlighting his presence at an event organized by the China Cultural Center Sydney, an entity directly overseen by a Chinese government official. Given that Xinhua.com is a significant mouthpiece for the authoritarian regime, such positive coverage suggests that Gladston's views, intentionally or unintentionally, align with approvals from the CCP, making him an unlikely target for criticism or opposition.

The Biennale of Sydney:

In 2014, the Belgiorno-Nettis family withdrew their sponsorship from the Biennale just days before the show's opening. Subsequently, major sponsors for the Biennale changed every two years until 2022 when Mirvac initiated a 5-year sponsorship.