However, the boundaries of censorship are difficult to define. Xi reiterates that art should “serve the people” and be rooted in a Marxist consciousness, there have been recurring crackdowns on content across all mediums. Xi gave a now well-circulated speech warning that salacious art results in “cultural garbage.” Now, whenever Mr. While censorship in China dates to long before Mr. For example, nudity is generally not allowed. This includes adhering to censorship guidelines. The gallery, like other cultural organizations in Beijing, may receive directives from the local cultural bureau, one of many government entities that can influence, or sometimes even dictate, what kind of artwork should not be shown.Īll galleries must operate within Chinese law. Des is Pierre Alivon, a French photographer who has lived in Beijing for four years. As two toned torsos lean into each other, both clad in only white briefs, one man cups the weight of the other’s groin. Another work depicted a deeper level of intimacy.
On the wall hung a mural depicting a group of male companions, casually dressed in boxer shorts in the lower corner was an image of one hand gently grasping another. Des, the center of the gallery was dominated by a bronze sculpture of a dozen sinuous men, clean shaven and nude, beating drums. Des, provides a window into the current state of gay art in Beijing. And on the third floor, the art gallery, ART. testing, practice rooms for a men’s choir, yoga and dance classes. Since the center’s opening, its clientele has remained mostly gay men, but it’s more than just a place to find a date. Destination, which opened 15 years ago as a nightclub and has since expanded to become a cultural center, is one of the few places where gay men can be open about their sexual orientation, according to observers. However, there is a quietly present gay community in Beijing.