This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/24/hong-kong-cancels-light-display-countdown-end-autonomy-beijing

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Hong Kong cancels light display countdown to end of autonomy from Beijing Hong Kong cancels light display countdown to end of autonomy from Beijing
(4 months later)
Days after it was launched, organisers have cancelled an art installation on Hong Kong’s tallest skyscraper that carried a politically provocative message about the city’s relationship with mainland China.Days after it was launched, organisers have cancelled an art installation on Hong Kong’s tallest skyscraper that carried a politically provocative message about the city’s relationship with mainland China.
The organisers of a large-scale public art exhibition said in a statement on Sunday that they were dropping the light show on the building’s exterior, which featured a countdown to the end of Hong Kong’s status as a special region of China.The organisers of a large-scale public art exhibition said in a statement on Sunday that they were dropping the light show on the building’s exterior, which featured a countdown to the end of Hong Kong’s status as a special region of China.
Related: Hong Kong surprised by conciliatory tone of China's visiting 'enforcer'
Local artists Sampson Wong and Jason Lam used the LED lights on the 118-storey International Commerce Centre’s facade to display the number of seconds left until 1 June 2047, to stir debate amid growing concerns about Hong Kong’s future under Beijing rule.Local artists Sampson Wong and Jason Lam used the LED lights on the 118-storey International Commerce Centre’s facade to display the number of seconds left until 1 June 2047, to stir debate amid growing concerns about Hong Kong’s future under Beijing rule.
However, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the show’s curator said the artists changed the show’s title and their explanation of what it represented without consulting them.However, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the show’s curator said the artists changed the show’s title and their explanation of what it represented without consulting them.
They said in their statement that the “disrespect” shown by Wong and Lam “put at risk any future possibility to work further in the public space”.They said in their statement that the “disrespect” shown by Wong and Lam “put at risk any future possibility to work further in the public space”.
The installation’s debut last week was seen as especially subversive because it occurred during a visit by the Chinese Communist party’s number three official, Zhang Deijiang, although the artists have said the timing was coincidental.The installation’s debut last week was seen as especially subversive because it occurred during a visit by the Chinese Communist party’s number three official, Zhang Deijiang, although the artists have said the timing was coincidental.
Originally titled Our 60-second friendship begins now, Wong and Lam renamed the artwork Countdown Machine after the exhibition opened. They also changed its original description, a reference to a scene in director Wong Kar-wai’s movie Days of Being Wild, to a more politically sensitive theme: the “ongoing struggle” to determine Hong Kong’s fate.Originally titled Our 60-second friendship begins now, Wong and Lam renamed the artwork Countdown Machine after the exhibition opened. They also changed its original description, a reference to a scene in director Wong Kar-wai’s movie Days of Being Wild, to a more politically sensitive theme: the “ongoing struggle” to determine Hong Kong’s fate.
A former British colony, Hong Kong became a specially administered region of China after Beijing took control in 1997 and retains civil liberties such as freedom of speech unseen on the mainland and considerable control over its own affairs.A former British colony, Hong Kong became a specially administered region of China after Beijing took control in 1997 and retains civil liberties such as freedom of speech unseen on the mainland and considerable control over its own affairs.
However, Beijing’s tightening grip on the city has sparked anxiety among residents about what will happen after its 50-year special status expires in 2047.However, Beijing’s tightening grip on the city has sparked anxiety among residents about what will happen after its 50-year special status expires in 2047.