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

The Biennale of Sydney has been a platform for prominently showcasing various political artworks that scrutinize the CCP. Notable among these include Zhao Zhao's 'Constellation' in 2014, depicting images associated with the violent crackdown during the 1989 protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

In 2016, the Biennale featured "Ranjang Hujan" (The Raining Bed) by Indonesian artist FXHarsono, exploring the history of ethnic tensions in South Eastern Asia, partly rooted in the misperception of Chinese ex-pats as proxies of the CCP.

However, a shift occurred in 2018 when the Biennale did not include any artworks that might upset the CCP in any way. This marked a departure from previous years, raising questions about the evolving dynamics between artistic freedom and external influences on the Biennale's content.

Notably, the Biennale in 2018 received support from its Principal Partner, TWT, the Sydney-based property group whose parent company TWT Global in China was founded and led by entrepreneur TinaTian. Tian has garnered positive coverage in Chinese state-run media, including Chinanews.com.cn, which is affiliated with the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the CCP, and Huanqiu.com, which is also owned by the CCP.

Following TWT's cessation of sponsorship, the Biennale regained the liberty to feature content that might be sensitive to the CCP. In 2020, the Biennale showcased a short film created by Mayaw Biho, an Indigenous activist from the Amis/Pangcah tribe in Taiwan who is actively resisting Chinese colonization.

The trend persisted in 2022, as the Biennale prominently showcased an in creased representation of Taiwanese Indigenous artists. It's crucial to note that the Chinese government consistently avoids acknowledging the Taiwanese Indigenous status of First Nations, instead classifying them as "minorities". Presenting artworks that highlight the cultural autonomy of Taiwanese Indigenous communities, as opposed to depicting Taiwanese Indigenous subordination to the broader Chinese nationality, definitely exceeded the boundaries set by the CCP.

A pertinent question arises: What happened in 2018? Is it purely coincidental that, with the introduction of Chinese financial support, content potentially upsetting to the CCP was abstained from? This raises questions that the Biennale ought to address, inviting public scrutiny and judgment on the matter.

Xiao Lu Battling CCP's Artistic Influence in Sydney

Amidst this backdrop, asserting that the Sydney art scene is perilously close to becoming a playground for CCP propaganda is no exaggeration. Thus, Xiao Lu's call for vigilance against CCP propaganda infiltrating the Sydney art scene is both valid and necessary. The Raby Collection is not an isolated endeavour driven by a sole "Sinophile", as portrayed by some; rather, it is a strategic part of a broader campaign to wield soft power by showcasing CCP-approved artworks carefully curated to avoid unsettling the repressive regime.

Xiao Lu's boycott serves as a defiant stand to prevent Sydney from unwittingly becoming a haven for CCP's sanctioned aesthetics, inundated with artworks from or about China that strategically sidestep any challenge to the oppressive regime. This is why the public should rally behind her, supporting the resistance against CCP's narrative controls in Australia.