#Art #Freedom
Italian city defies China bid to scrap dissident's art show
An Italian city is going ahead with plans to host an art exhibition by a Chinese dissident despite a request from China's embassy to cancel it.
The show, called "China is (not) near," is due to run from November 13 to February 13, 2021 in the northern Italian city of Brescia.
The exhibition by #Badiucao, a cartoonist also known as "The Chinese Banksy", is expected to denounce Chinese political repression and censorship of information on the COVID pandemic.
Brescia Mayor #EmilioDelBono told local press that his office would not comply with a request from the Chinese embassy in Italy to scrap it.
He said the friendship between the Italian and Chinese people "is not in question", but "I think it is important to show that you can stay friends while criticising some things".
The deputy mayor, #LauraCastelletti, earlier tweeted that "For us art and freedom of expression are an essential combination".
#Italy #FreedomOfExpression
Source: Stand News, #Oct23 https://thestandnews.page.link/PHgLpzQ5HDsT9fKR8
Italian city defies China bid to scrap dissident's art show
An Italian city is going ahead with plans to host an art exhibition by a Chinese dissident despite a request from China's embassy to cancel it.
The show, called "China is (not) near," is due to run from November 13 to February 13, 2021 in the northern Italian city of Brescia.
The exhibition by #Badiucao, a cartoonist also known as "The Chinese Banksy", is expected to denounce Chinese political repression and censorship of information on the COVID pandemic.
Brescia Mayor #EmilioDelBono told local press that his office would not comply with a request from the Chinese embassy in Italy to scrap it.
He said the friendship between the Italian and Chinese people "is not in question", but "I think it is important to show that you can stay friends while criticising some things".
The deputy mayor, #LauraCastelletti, earlier tweeted that "For us art and freedom of expression are an essential combination".
#Italy #FreedomOfExpression
Source: Stand News, #Oct23 https://thestandnews.page.link/PHgLpzQ5HDsT9fKR8