Art should not be altered
When the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) unveiled a giant globe to the public, it was described to the student body as a “new sculpture on campus by Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger,” which is essentially an elaborate way of saying “a piece of art.”
How then, can the LSE defend its initial decision to rerepresent Taiwan as part of China in response to the political backlash from Chinese students? The main issue here is not the debate of who is and is not part of China, or who is or is not Chinese — but rather, the desecration of art.
All maps are political — this is a fact of life. However, if the school wishes to present a globe as a sculpture as opposed to a mere map, it must understand the difference. Maps can be changed and have been changed many times throughout history when nations and borders change. Art, however, does not and should not be changed. Although the concept of “what is art” has limitations and moral boundaries, the essence is that its creation is birthed through an artist whose decisions are conscious and intentional.
The facts in this case remain that Wallinger consulted UN maps, but ultimately still chose to represent Taiwan in a different color and named as the “Republic of China.” This is a decision that the artist took and we as viewers are not allowed to “correct.”
What we are allowed to do is to disagree with the artist’s choices, vision and presentation, but in no way are we within our rights to push for any modification of a work of art by superseding the artist’s decision.
The beauty of art is that it is long-standing; not only in the physical form, but also the message it sends. Art is in many ways, political and beyond our understanding of aesthetic beauty. We are allowed to disagree, dislike and even hate art, but rather than pushing for it to be taken away, torn down or altered, we should have a discussion.
One of the main purposes of art is to provoke discussion, as it is often a reflection on society.
The statement is there for us to take or leave.
The Chinese who pushed for the alteration without sincere discussion, as well as the school for bowing to this pressure, do not comprehend that merely entertaining this idea of changing any part of the globe is a violation of the sanctity of art.
In the Taiwan-China case, the situation remains complicated and gray, thus the right reaction would have been to open a real dialogue between the two sides to address the issue while respecting the artist.
Art does not simply exist to suit our own individual tastes. If I am offended by nudity, do I go covering up Michelangelo’s David? This situation sounds ridiculous and the same principle must be applied to Wallinger’s globe. In art, just because you do not like or agree with something does not entitle you to change it.
Before I am accused of bias, I must add that I have the most insight on this situation because I am literally half-Taiwanese and half-Chinese, as I have a parent from both countries. They have never let this issue come between them or negatively affect others, because they know that only through love and tolerance can divisive issues be overcome.
The LSE did not encourage proper discussion among its student body and rather than promote community, it promoted intolerance.
Sincerely
Disappointed
Name withheld on request
President William Lai (賴清德) attended a dinner held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) when representatives from the group visited Taiwan in October. In a speech at the event, Lai highlighted similarities in the geopolitical challenges faced by Israel and Taiwan, saying that the two countries “stand on the front line against authoritarianism.” Lai noted how Taiwan had “immediately condemned” the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and had provided humanitarian aid. Lai was heavily criticized from some quarters for standing with AIPAC and Israel. On Nov. 4, the Taipei Times published an opinion article (“Speak out on the
More than a week after Hondurans voted, the country still does not know who will be its next president. The Honduran National Electoral Council has not declared a winner, and the transmission of results has experienced repeated malfunctions that interrupted updates for almost 24 hours at times. The delay has become the second-longest post-electoral silence since the election of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party in 2017, which was tainted by accusations of fraud. Once again, this has raised concerns among observers, civil society groups and the international community. The preliminary results remain close, but both
News about expanding security cooperation between Israel and Taiwan, including the visits of Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) in September and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) this month, as well as growing ties in areas such as missile defense and cybersecurity, should not be viewed as isolated events. The emphasis on missile defense, including Taiwan’s newly introduced T-Dome project, is simply the most visible sign of a deeper trend that has been taking shape quietly over the past two to three years. Taipei is seeking to expand security and defense cooperation with Israel, something officials
Eighty-seven percent of Taiwan’s energy supply this year came from burning fossil fuels, with more than 47 percent of that from gas-fired power generation. The figures attracted international attention since they were in October published in a Reuters report, which highlighted the fragility and structural challenges of Taiwan’s energy sector, accumulated through long-standing policy choices. The nation’s overreliance on natural gas is proving unstable and inadequate. The rising use of natural gas does not project an image of a Taiwan committed to a green energy transition; rather, it seems that Taiwan is attempting to patch up structural gaps in lieu of
RSS