"Sina's Shameless Cheating"
(you tube)
Well-known Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and supporters rushed to the 2010 "Art Power List" ceremony site, to present the organizers with many silk banners with "Sina's Shameless Cheating" on them to protest against Sina's black-box selection.
Sina.com launched 「Art Power List" contest on Jan. 26. Ai Weiwei received an overwhelming amount of votes.
However, one day later, on Jan. 27, the webpage displaying the voting results disappeared.
The webpage suddenly resurfaced on Feb. 15.
Within "Artists of the Year" category, however, Ai Weiwei's name has completely disappeared.
In the category "Art Institutions of the Year", Three Shadows Photography Art Center was picked.
Perhaps Sina didn't realize that Ai Weiwei is actually the center's consultant.
The next day, many netizens voted for the center. With over 5,000 votes, Three Shadows topped the list.
At 8 p.m. on the same day, the organizer Sina.com changed the votes received by the 1st runner-up from around 3,400 votes to over 5,000 votes. Three Shadows' votes were reduced to 4,500 or so. Many netizens made screenshots as proof.
On Feb. 17, many called Sina.com to question about the altered votes, but Sina.com refused to disclose details.
On Feb. 21, on the award ceremony, Ai Weiwei and his supporters arrived at the scene,
and presented many banners to the organizers, with words "Sina's Shameless Cheating".
Well-known Chinese musician "Little Left Curse":
The whole process is ridiculous and very humorous. In the cold, people lined up to take photos with Ai, because the banner at the back said Sina is shameful.
Ai Weiwei said, many so-called artists bow to power. They have done so many detrimental things.
Yet they still want to obtain the honors. There are struggles in many countries to bring such people down.
Ai: In fact, China has no real contemporary art, because the contemporary art is closely linked to social realities and the openness of the society. When a country blocks and oppresses all this, the platform for arts cannot really exist.
On Feb. 19, Sina.com announced the award ceremony. Ai openly asked for netizens' opinions online.
Many netizens found that as an open network media, Sina.com carried out unfair black-box selections.
Sina.com bowed to the CCP's Propaganda Bureau and 「self-castrated」. As a media, it lost credibility.
"Little Left Curse" said, art should be more entertaining, and should allow everyone to participate.
Open and fair rules should be established. He believes Sina.com may have unspeakable difficulties, because
they are monitored by the Propaganda Bureau.
NTD reporter Tang Yan and Xue Li
No comments:
Post a Comment