Chinese artist Gao Zhen, arrested in 2024 on charges of slandering China's heroes and martyrs, remains in detention with deteriorating health, according to Human Rights Watch. The nonprofit reports that Gao, known for politically charged works challenging Communist orthodoxies, has fainted, may have arteriosclerosis, and has been denied medical bail. His 118 artworks, created between 2005 and 2009, were seized from his studio. Gao, a US permanent resident, has written to dissident artist Ai Weiwei comparing his situation to Ai's 2011 detention, lamenting the lack of international outcry.
This case matters because it illustrates China's escalating crackdown on artistic dissent under President Xi Jinping, using a 2021 law criminalizing criticism of national heroes. Gao's prosecution for works made years before the law's enactment raises serious concerns about retroactive justice and the shrinking space for political critique in China. The case also highlights the risks faced by artists who invoke historical traumas like the Cultural Revolution and Tiananmen Square, and the limited power of international advocacy to secure their release.