The Gao Brothers under Chinese Government Scrutiny and Their Secret Exhibitions

In China, the artist and sculptor Gao Shen, who works as a duo with his younger brother, has been arrested.

The activities of the Gao brothers have always been under the close scrutiny of the Chinese authorities. Their anti-government stance is partly explained by the fact that in the 1960s their father was imprisoned on a political charge, and they have not seen him since. The artists have never concealed their critical views of the Chinese government. They would reveal the venue of their exhibitions only a couple of hours before the opening, by means of word of mouth and coded messages.

Among their best-known works are a cycle on the theme of prostitution in China and the series of figures of Mao Zedong, “Miss Mao”, which portrays the leader of the Celestial Empire with a woman’s breasts.

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The Gao Brothers under Chinese Government Scrutiny and Their Secret Exhibitions

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