According to the reeducation through labor decision letter provided by his family, Li Cheng’s “performance art” was deemed a “naked and obscene performance” that “attracted many people to watch and caused chaos at the scene.”
Wang Zhenyu did not acknowledge the written decision and expressed his intention to apply for administrative review. If this fails, administrative proceedings will be initiated. In addition, considering that Li Cheng suffers from coronary heart disease, he is also preparing to apply for in vitro execution. "We should find some artists to identify Li Cheng's performance art, and invite legal experts to discuss the boundaries between art and law," Wang Zhenyu said. Li Cheng's lawyer Wang Zhenyu said that he first met Li Cheng on May 6, 2011. Li Cheng claimed to be a little unhappy. In the process of performing arts, Li Cheng is very calm. When being investigated by the police afterwards, Li Cheng also communicated with the police in detail. He was surprised by the current results.
My friend Guo commented that he lived in Songzhuang in 1998 and was recognized as a serious artist. Li Cheng's work "Art Sells Compared" on display this time is intended to use this behavior to satirize the cultural reality that art has been over-commercialized in the contemporary art world.
Guo said that he hired a large number of assistants to mass-produce works in a short period of time, signed his name on the works, and then sold them commercially. "He is worried about this phenomenon."
It is understood that Li Cheng wrote in his creative notes: "I came up with a solution for the work "Art Sells Better" in the middle of the night. To do it or not to do it? How to face family and faith? .... The collaborator is under great psychological pressure. She has her own social relationships and family structure. I am very grateful to her... I am sorry for my wife and daughter..."
Li Cheng’s wife said that she fully understands and supports her husband’s behavior.
Reeducation through Labor Decision (No. 834, Beijing l s subtitles '2011')●1989 On February 5, the "Chinese Modern Art Exhibition" just opened at the National Art Museum of China. Lu Xiao, an artist from Zhejiang who collaborated with her boyfriend Tang Song, shot her work "Dialogue" (a phone booth) twice with a revolver. Later, both Lu Xiao and Tang Song were sentenced to five days of administrative detention for disturbing public order.
On September 30, 2006, the poet Su performed a performance art on the roof of the World Bookstore, stripping off his clothes in public. He was administratively detained by the Beijing Haidian District Public Security Bureau for 10 days for violating Beijing Public Security Regulations.
●Songzhuang artist Guo said that they held an art festival in Chaobai River. He and two other artists were detained administratively by the police for nine days for being naked. "Nudity is an artistic language. "
Songzhuang artist Guo said that contemporary art includes performance art, and the works published in exhibition halls named after contemporary art can only be evaluated from an artistic perspective. It cannot be evaluated from the perspective of secular society. For example, in "Focus Plane", there is sexual activity, but it cannot be considered an obscene performance. In our circle, the definition of performance art is very open. Nudity is a language for expressing art. Every performance art has a theme to express.
“One year of reeducation through labor is inappropriate”
Li Cheng’s lawyer stated that Li Cheng’s behavior was performed at a specific time, place and in front of specific people. The place cannot be recognized as a public place and the behavior is not harmful to society. The police should be tolerant of art, and success should not apply to reeducation through labor.
Professor He Bing, deputy dean of the Law School of China University of Political Science and Law, said that according to the provisions of the "Public Security Administration Punishment Law", anyone who slanders others or intentionally exposes his body in public places, if the circumstances are egregious, shall be sentenced to not less than five days and not less than ten days. If the circumstances are serious, the person shall be detained for not less than ten days but not more than fifteen days. However, Li Cheng’s behavior did not constitute the crime of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” so it was inappropriate to impose a one-year sentence of reeducation through labor.
"Sexual display has crossed the bottom line of right and wrong"
Wang Dawei, a professor at the People's Public Security University of China, said that the punishment of one year of labor education given to Li Cheng by the public security organs should be respected. Li Cheng posed for sexual intercourse on the balcony of a public place, attracting onlookers. Some people posted the photos online for more people to see, which violated laws and regulations. This is far more serious than being naked in public. In any country, successful behavior will be considered an obscene performance, a blasphemy to art, and has broken the bottom line of right and wrong.