The Pillar of Shame memorial stands in front of the Axel Springer University campus. Photo: Image Alliance/dpa | Hannes b. Albert
from BZ / dpa
In memory of the violent suppression of the Chinese protest movement against Tiananmen in Beijing on June 4, 1989, a “pillar of shame” was erected in Berlin.
The “Pillar of Shame” presented on Monday is a copy of the memorial erected by Danish artist Jens Galchiot in Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, the Pillar of Shame has been on display in various locations for more than two decades, most recently on university campuses. The eight-meter-high plastic was dismantled and stored there at the end of 2021. According to the Axel Springer Foundation for Responsible Freedom in Berlin, the “pillar of shame” was recently confiscated.
Chinese man standing on Chang’an Avenue. He met a column of tanks in Tiananmen Square. Nothing in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square reminds us of the bloody military operation of June 4, 1989 that left hundreds dead. Image: Image Alliance/dpa/AP | Jeff Widener
“Pillar of Shame” is a project by Galschiøt spread out in several locations across the world. Sculptures made of metal or concrete show a group of interlocking bodies that represent the oppression of individuals in their thirst for freedom. Jalshi wants to point out the events that should not be repeated.
In Brazil, an example commemorates the struggle of landless farm workers, in Rome global malnutrition is discussed, and in Mexico a column represents the 54 victims of the 1997 massacre in the state of Chiapas, in which paramilitaries attacked an indigenous community.
Galschiøt originally planned a “pillar of shame” for Berlin in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. However, the project has so far failed due to lack of support.
