On June 4th, DOX will lead the joint opening day to unveil the “Pillar of Shame” as a continuation to the Badiucao exhibition, hosted against the Chinese Embassy’s urge to cancel. A press conference and discussion will be held regarding the future of Hong Kong with shared experiences from international communities; the rise and fall of communism in Czechoslovakia; the ongoing struggle in Tibet and East Turkestan. NGO DEI will open their exhibition in the evening showcasing a variety of documentaries and political art.

The exhibition portions will present in three parts, featuring famed artists and works around the pro-democratic movement in 2019; renowned sculptor, Jens Galschiøt’s “Pillar of Shame”, a tower of deformed bodies commemorating thousands of possible deaths in Tiananmen Square, will display in DOX; “Lady Liberty Hong Kong”, a symbolic embodiment of the demonstrators in 2019, will be among the exhibition in NGO DEI; lastly, Book World Prague 2022 will host Nathan Law, a leading pro-democratic activist from Hong Kong, to discuss his experiences leading to his current exile in London. Many significant photographs documenting the development of the movement will also be a part of their outdoor exhibition. 

On June 25, NGO DEI, with a section of its exhibition featuring documentary photography of 2019, will also dedicate a panel to discuss press freedom, its deterioration in Hong Kong in relation to Europe. Since the establishment of the National Security Law, the press freedom ranking of Hong Kong has fallen from 18th to 148th. The increasing censorship has made it difficult for local and foreign journalists alike.