Beijing Tries to Shutdown Dissident Artist’s Exhibition in Poland

Chinese political cartoonist Badiucao speaks in front of one his satirical illustrations of Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam with the title 'Is the Bill Dead' during the Be Water: Hong Kong v China event at Melbourne City conference centre on September 04, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

A Chinese-Australian dissident cartoonist is appealing to the federal government for support after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempted to shut down his art exhibit in Poland.

The exhibit, scheduled to open on June 9 at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, Poland, presents the works of Badiucao.

Its namesake, “Tell China’s Story Well,” is inspired by a party slogan from Chinese leader Xi Jinping that calls on the CCP to present China’s international image in a positive light.

Badiucao’s exhibit highlights issues such as the Tiananmen Square massacre, Xinjiang’s concentration camps, the human rights abuses of Hong Kong protestors, the CCP’s bullying in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, as well as Xi’s support for Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

One painting depicts Xi eating human flesh.

The Ministry of Culture of Poland, one of Ukraine’s most faithful allies since Putin’s invasion, provided funding for the exhibition.

The Chinese Embassy in Warsaw sent a letter to Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, expressing outrage at its content.

“These posters are a smear of the image of China and Chinese leaders, hurt Chinese people’s feelings, and undermine bilateral relationships between China and Poland,” reads the letter seen by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“We firmly reject this.

“We don’t want this kind of exhibition which undermines China–Poland relationship to be held in Poland.”

Poster for Badiucao's exhibition in Warsaw, Poland. (website of Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art)

The 37-year-old Badiucao responded by saying the Chinese Embassy representative in Poland, Yao Dongye, had visited the host twice to discuss the exhibit.

“Mr. Yao, Counselor of the Chinese Consulate in Poland, visited the art museum in Warsaw @u_jazdowski again today where my latest solo exhibition # Tell China’s Story Well will be held.

“Counselor Yao strongly expressed how my exhibition would hurt the image of Chinese leadership and hurt the feelings of little pinko, and emphasized that Warsaw’s ‘patriots’ numbered thousands,” Badiucao wrote in a Twitter post (in Chinese) on June 13.

“Before he left, he rejected the signed exhibition poster as a gift, which also hurt my feelings as an artist.”

Strong Reaction From Polish Community

The CCP’s intervention has triggered a strong reaction in Poland.

The organiser released a statement criticising the communist regime’s intervention.

“We would like to express concern and astonishment at the actions of the Chinese Embassy in Warsaw against the Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, which have been carried out for several days, whose aim is to prevent the opening of the exhibition,” the statement said.

“At the same time, the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art website was blocked in the People’s Republic of China.

“We urge all committed to free speech and expression to support us and the artist in resisting this pressure by visiting the upcoming exhibition and by writing letters of support to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.”

Stan, a well-known Polish YouTuber, said the Chinese Embassy officials’ actions may have violated the Polish Constitution.

“No matter what country the CCP is in, it only wants to hear those words like ‘Long live the Emperor’ that supports it,” he told Radio Free Asia. “The guarantee of freedom of expression in Poland is also enshrined in our Constitution. The Polish Constitution, Penal Code, and laws prohibiting totalitarian propaganda.”

“The pressure of the Chinese Embassy is unconstitutional, which is directly ignoring the guarantee of freedom of expression in Polish law. [I am] glad that the organiser did not cooperate with the CCP’s demand.”

Badiucao Says Hosting A Similar Exhibit in Australia is Tough

This is not the first time the CCP has tried to censor Badiucao, who calls himself the “CCP’s least favorite artist.”

Having long engaged in cartoon creation and political satire, Badiucao was due to hold an exhibit in Hong Kong in 2018. However, it was cancelled due to pressure from Beijing.

While he has gained international recognition for exhibits in the Czech Republic, Italy, and Belgium, the young artist said it was difficult to garner support in Australia.

“There’s so much self-censorship happening in the arts community, especially in Australia, to the extent that I rarely have any chance to show, whether it’s a commercial venue or a government-funded institution,” Badiucao told The Sydney Morning Herald.

A visitor takes photos of "Winnie the Trophies, 2017", an artwork by Chinese dissident artist Badiucao at the exhibition "China is (not) near -- works of a dissident artist", at the Santa Giulia museum in Brescia, Italy on Nov. 12, 2021. (Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)

Badiucao met Australia’s ambassador to Poland, Lloyd Brodrick on June 14.

“They discussed Badiucao’s work, his concerns in relation to personal safety, and the support the Australian government was providing,” a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.

DFAT said Brodrick saw Badiucao’s exhibit with the artist and talked about his work and safety.

The ambassador also discussed Badiucao’s safety with Polish officials and representatives from Ujazdowski Castle.

“I am gald to see solidarity and support to the freedom of speech from Aussie embassy in Poland,” the artist wrote in a Twitter post on the same day.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Chinese Embassy in Poland and the country’s Ministry of Culture and Historical Heritage for comment.