Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A994-W644

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A994-W644

Release Date: March 7, 2017

发布日：2017年3月7日

Topic: The International Human Rights Arts Festival Uses Its Energy to Face Anger and Discord (Voice of America Report)

标题：国际人权艺术节以柔性力量面对愤怒与分裂(美国之音报道)

Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)

此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）

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The International Human Rights Arts Festival Uses Its Energy to Face Anger and Discord

March 7, 2017

-- by Fang Bing & Zhang Zhen, Voice of America

New York -

As American society becomes increasingly discord, artists in New York revealed a more civilized and open gesture through various art programs in an effort to promote social solidarity. The well-known Chinese pro-democracy activist Wei Jingsheng also participated in the festival, where he spoke about the inseparable relationship between art and human rights and democracy, as well as the encouragement of art during his 18 years of prison time.

Over the weekend, the first International Human Rights Art Festival was held in New York. Tom Block, founder and producer of the festival, said that American society is experiencing an unprecedented discord; he is trying to participate in this social dialogue with art-specific energy by organizing this event.

He said: "We will not say to others that you should not do such. We will say who we are, we think this way, and we will do this. In the presence of many discords and angry words we hope that people respond to our way of conveying more moderate information. And indeed we really hope that our work is based on the value of beauty, elegance, and unity of the values in all of us.

More than 150 artists performed more than 50 programs that focused on society and promoted human rights throughout the weekend, through various art forms of drama, music, dance, poetry, dialogue, visual arts, etc.

Wei Jingsheng Was Encouraged by Art During His Imprisonment

On Friday Wei Jingsheng, the well-known Chinese democracy activist, was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the festival as an honored guest. He said that art and human rights are closely related. During the late 1970s the Democratic Wall movement in China also gave birth to a new art movement -- Star Art Exhibition. During his 18 years of prison time, art even helped him through the lowest points of his life.

Wei Jingsheng, chairman of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition, said: "When I was in prison, it was the lowest point of my life. I was locked up alone and no one was allowed to talk to me. I would recite some poems to get great encouragement and great relief. These poems, including many ancient ones, indeed offer very strong encouragement.

Tom Block, the producer of the Art Festival, is a visual artist who cares about human rights and emphasizes the social significance of artistic creation. He met Wei Jingsheng 15 years ago and painted Wei as one of human rights defenders in his Human Rights Painting Project. Fifteen years later, he wanted to present his painting to Wei Jingsheng. He said:

"Someone said to Wei, it does not look like you. Yes, it is not realism, it is rather unique. But Wei said, 'The painting reflects my soul.' I am very touched by this. Today, I want to give this soul back to him."

Chinese Artists Can Play a Special Role

Wei Jingsheng said that artists play a special role in the transformation of Chinese society, and now Xi Jinping authorities have been suppressing more and more of the artists. He said,

"If you are engaging in human rights and democracy, then the authorities will suppress you. So we are all under repression. But we all have a heart. Once China has a little bit of change and becomes a little bit relaxed the artists will release a very big energy, because they are infectious."

Chuck Schumer, the minority leader of the US Senate and a senator representing New York State, sent a video message for the first International Human Rights Art Festival. Carmelyn Malalis, head of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, also attended and gave a speech at the opening ceremony.

Original link of this report:

http://www.voachinese.com/a/human-rights-20170306/3751982.html

Tom Block's painting of Wei Jingsheng:

http://www.weijingsheng.org/pic/newsletters/newsletters2017/newsletters2017-1/BlockTpainting2002WeiJS-6.jpg

Videos of this report is also available at:

https://youtu.be/YllO_GWQzlU or

http://www.weijingsheng.org/interviews/interviews2017/HumanRightsArtFestival170306VOAreport.mp4

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中文版

Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A994-W644

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A994-W644

Release Date: March 7, 2017

发布日：2017年3月7日

Topic: The International Human Rights Arts Festival Uses Its Energy to Face Anger and Discord (Voice of America report)

标题：国际人权艺术节以柔性力量面对愤怒与分裂(美国之音报道)

Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)

此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）

如有中文乱码问题，请与我们联系或访问:

http://www.weijingsheng.org/report/report2017/report2017-03/HumanRigtsArtFestival170307VOAreportA994-W644.htm

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国际人权艺术节以柔性力量面对愤怒与分裂

-- 美国之音方冰，章真报道

2017年3月7日

纽约 -

当美国社会变得日益分裂之际，纽约的艺术家通过各种艺术节目展示更加文明开放的姿态以促进社会团结。中国著名民运人士魏京生也参与艺术节，他现身说法，讲述艺术与人权民主密不可分的关系，以及艺术在他18年牢狱生涯中对他的激励。

首届国际人权艺术节周末在纽约举行。艺术节创办人兼制作人汤姆·布拉克说，美国社会正经历着前所未有的分裂，他试图通过举办这一活动，以艺术特有的柔性力量参与这场社会对话。

他说："我们不会对别人说，你不应该这样做，我们会说，这是我们，我们这样做，我们这样认为。我们希望人们对此作出回应，在存在很多分裂、愤怒言辞的时候，传递更温和的信息。我们确实希望我们的作品是以美、文雅以及能团结我们所有人的价值为基础的。"

150多位艺术家通过戏剧、音乐、舞蹈、诗歌、对话、视觉艺术等各种艺术形式，在整个周末艺术节举行期间演出了50多个关注社会、促进人权的节目。

艺术让他在囚禁中获鼓舞

星期五，中国著名民运人士魏京生作为嘉宾应邀出席艺术节开幕式。他说，艺术与人权关系密切，70年代末中国的民主墙运动就催生了新的艺术运动--星星画派。而在他18年的牢狱生涯中，艺术更帮助他度过了生命中的最低点。

中国民主运动海外联席会议主席魏京生说："我在监狱里关着的时候是最低潮的时候，一个人关着还不许人跟你说话。那我就自己背点诗歌啊，就觉得精神上得到很大的鼓舞，很大的缓解。包括很多古人的诗词，确实很多很给人鼓劲的。"

艺术节制作人布拉克是位关心人权、强调艺术创作的社会意义的视觉艺术家。他在15年前就认识了魏京生，并将他作为其人权捍卫者人物系列画中的一员。15年后，他说，要把这幅画送给魏京生。他说：

"有人跟魏京生说，这不像你。是的，这不是现实主义的，比较独特。但他说，'这画出了我的灵魂，'我对此很感动，我今天要把这个灵魂还给他。"

中国的艺术家能发挥特殊作用

魏京生表示，艺术家在中国社会转型中发挥着特殊作用，而现在习近平当局对艺术家的压制越来越厉害。他表示，

"你搞人权民主，那我就收拾你，所以大家都在受压制，但是大家都有一颗心，一旦中国稍微有点变化，稍微有点放松的时候，他们会发挥非常大的力量，因为他们有感染力。"

美国参议院少数党领袖、纽约州联邦参议员舒默为首届国际人权艺术节发来视频贺词。纽约市人权委员会负责人马拉利斯出席开幕式并致辞。

报道的原始链接：

http://www.voachinese.com/a/human-rights-20170306/3751982.html

艺术家布拉克赠送给魏京生的画：

http://www.weijingsheng.org/pic/newsletters/newsletters2017/newsletters2017-1/BlockTpainting2002WeiJS-6.jpg

美国之音报道的相关视频：

https://youtu.be/YllO_GWQzlU 或

http://www.weijingsheng.org/interviews/interviews2017/HumanRightsArtFestival170306VOAreport.mp4

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