Is Chinese Censorship Reaching Inside Britain’s Museums?
A report cited by the Guardian says London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) removed content from exhibition catalogues at the request of Chinese censors, raising concerns about foreign influence on U.K. cultural institutions. According to the report, images of historic maps and a photograph of Vladimir Lenin were cut after being flagged by China’s General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), which affects books printed in China. One affected publication is the catalogue for “Music is Black,” opening at the new V&A East museum on Friday, where a 1930s map of British Empire trade routes was replaced after printing was delayed. The V&A described the changes as “minor,” while U.K.-China Transparency director Sam Dunning called the pattern “disturbing.”
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This story was covered in Museum Power Plays and a Shaky Art Market