Bangkok Gallery Removes China-Focused Art Under Beijing Pressure

The Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre (BACC) removed and altered artworks and artist names referencing Hong Kong, Tibet, and Uyghur ethnic minorities from the exhibition "Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity" following pressure from the Chinese Embassy and Bangkok city officials. The exhibition, which focused on authoritarian governments collaborating across borders, was curated by the Myanmar Peace Museum and included artists from exile communities. After opening on July 24, embassy officials visited the gallery and demanded the shutdown or censorship of works they deemed problematic, including multimedia pieces by Tibetan and Uyghur artists, and references to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The gallery stated these changes were necessary to avoid diplomatic tensions between Thailand and China, as communicated via the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the exhibition’s main funder. The curators and artists described the censorship as a chilling signal to exiled activists and a demonstration of authoritarian cooperation extending internationally. Chinese and Thai authorities declined to comment on the incident, while rights groups note China's ongoing campaign to silence critics abroad, including in the arts.