Journalism of Courage
Hong Kong’s swanky new M+ museum — Asia’s largest gallery with a billion-dollar collection — has opened amid controversy over politics and censorship. M+ boasts 183,000 square feet (17,000 square meters) of exhibition space, 33 galleries and over 6,400 works in its collection that range from modern and contemporary art to architecture and moving images; A reception counter is seen inside the "M+" visual culture museum. (Text and Images via AP) ((AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, M+ aims to put Asia on the global map for art and was built to rival London’s Modern Tate and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. (Text and Images via AP) (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
But the museum has come under fire for censorship, after it decided not to display a piece by Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei after pro-Beijing politicians said that it was “spreading hatred against China” and could violate the city’s sweeping national security law. On its website, M+ replaced the digital image of the work with its logo; A woman looks at the artwork "Crucified TVs – Not a Prayer in Heaven" created by South Korea artist Chang Young-hae, inside the "M+" visual culture museum during a media preview in the West Kowloon Cultural District of Hong Kong. (Text and Images via AP) (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The work by Ai, titled “Study of Perspective: Tian’anmen (1997),” depicts Ai raising a middle finger at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, where a bloody crackdown by the People’s Liberation Army on pro-democracy protesters on June 4, 1989, killed hundreds, if not thousands; A man stands in front of a poster of an installation titled "Asian Field", designed by British artist Antony Gormley (Text and Images via AP) (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Some of his works will be on display, but not the other images from Ai’s “Study of Perspective” series featuring middle fingers aimed at the White House, the Swiss parliament and the Mona Lisa, though they're still on the museum's website. (Text and Images via AP) (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The art installation "Braiding" created by Chinese artist Lin Tianmiao ((Text and Images via AP) (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
A photographer takes a picture near a painting titled "New Beijing" created by Chinese artist Wang Xingwei (Text and Images via AP)(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
A woman poses for a photograph near the art installation titled "Strategie en chambre" created by Chinese artist Wang Du during a media preview in the West Kowloon Cultural District of Hong Kong, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. Hong Kong's swanky new M+ museum _ Asia's largest gallery with a billion-dollar collection _ is set to open on Friday amid controversy over politics and censorship. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
A painting titled "Rouge 1992" created by Chinese artist Li Shan, is seen during a media preview (Text and Images via AP) (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
