The art of compromise

There is little doubt that scores of M+ visitors will be looking out for a highly controversial piece by mainland contemporary artist Ai Weiwei when the mega museum opens to the public next Friday. Will they find that particular piece, which features Tiananmen Square in the background?

Although Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee, chief executive of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, stopped short of answering this directly, it is only to be expected that those eager to see the exhibit - whether out of personal curiosity or for other reasons - will be disappointed.

The chance of this particular piece - which features a middle-finger gesture in front of the square - seeing the light again is very slim under the current political landscape.

The work was part of a collection donated by Swiss collector Uli Sigg three years ago, well before the national security law that was enforced here at midnight of June 30 last year.

When revealed to the public by the media, the piece was immediately greeted with mixed reactions - including rounds of condemnation from pro-Beijing politicians and supporters.

Although it was then permissible to be displayed publicly without fears, would Fung - a seasoned administrative officer from the government - allow it to be publicly exhibited now that the far-reaching national security law has been in force for over a year?

The answer is obvious, despite Fung's witty reply to a media question that any pieces that may violate the law would not be exhibited.

Nobody has concluded whether or not the Ai piece breaches the law. But no one in the cultural district authority would be prepared to take the chance after seeing many people locked up without bail pending trial under the national security law for acts that would have been okay in the past.

The Ai exhibit may be an isolated case, but it is of sufficient concern to pose a dilemma that the cultural district authority will have to face in the longer term.

Donations are a common way for world-class museums to acquire exhibits and it is extremely rare for a museum to cherry-pick items to accept what it likes and refuse what it doesn't.

Otherwise, philanthropists would be deterred from donating to the museum, narrowing their sources of exhibits that would undermine their growth to become truly top class in the long run.

So what exactly will the public see when M+ opens to them for free next week?

Presumably, the exhibits will be carefully selected from the 7,700 items that the museum already has in its possession.

Some may still be critical from a sociological perspective but none will be anywhere near the political red line.

While Fung won't let this happen, it can be anticipated that the cautious approach will also invite criticism from some corners of society.

In the SAR, the arts are not risk-free.