Danish sculptor asks Hong Kong court to return Tiananmen crackdown monument

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Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt formally requested that the Hong Kong High Court return his eight-metre-tall 'Pillar of Shame' sculpture, which commemorated the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown and served as an exhibit in the national security trial of the Hong Kong Alliance. The request followed the conviction of activists Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and the Alliance for inciting subversion, after which prosecutors sought the sculpture's confiscation. Galschiøt, who lent the piece to the Alliance in 1997, stated he remains the legal owner and intends to hire professional handlers to transport the work back to Denmark. The statue had previously been removed from the University of Hong Kong campus in December 2021 and placed in storage.

Consequences

The Hong Kong High Court must now issue a ruling on whether to grant the owner's request for the sculpture's return or proceed with the prosecution's request for its confiscation. The pending sentencing of the convicted activists, scheduled within two weeks, may further clarify the legal status of the items cited in the national security case.

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