The Chinese Government Censors Two Art Exhibitions

BEIJING, CHINA - As the Chinese government attempts to control the country's image during this summer's Olympics games, censors have forced two art galleries to delay the openings of their shows, Bloomberg reports. Galleri Faurschou postponed a show of work by Andy Warhol of Olympic athletes that was set to open this weekend, because censors felt it was inappropriate to exhibit foreign artwork during China's biggest public event. Xin Beijing Art Gallery canceled a show of oil paintings by Ma Baozhong, because censors did not like his depictions of the Dalai Lama and former president Jiang Zemin.

The Olympics run from August 8 to 24, and in anticipation of the event, Beijing has attempted to control the behavior of its citizens. This week, Dongcheng district council put up posters telling residents of the city to avoid picking their noses or sitting with their legs apart in public. The posters also warned residents not to ask foreigners about their salaries, love lives, or health. According to Hong Kong's Ming Pao, yesterday's edition of the Beijing News was recalled after China's media watchdog agency found a photograph in the paper taken during the June 1989 Tiananmen Square military crackdown.

Galleri Faurschou is now hoping to open the Warhol show on August 7, after enlisting the help of the Royal Danish Embassy to convince censors to rethink their decision. Xin Beijing may postpone its show until as late as October or November, apparently giving the artist time to "enhance the details in a couple of his larger paintings," according to gallery director Li Feng.