MISS MAO opening 14.07 Blacklist Projects , London

“ Pinocchio was a persistent liar and in Mao's time it was told that the communist party was the mother of all people.”

MISSMAO celebrates the inauguration and opening of Blacklist Projects with a unique and diverse international collaboration. The exhibition marks the beginning of a new dialogue and debate between artists and curators examining modes and myths in an information driven age.The catalyst for the show, the Gao Brothers’ ‘Small Silver Idol’, is seen here for the first time outside China. ‘Small Silver Idol’ is one of a series of red, silver, goId and white idols originally made in mud before being cast in fibreglass, and ranges in size from 2-20 feet high. Prior to its journey to Europe, it was shrouded in sack-cloth to avoid confiscation during police inspections. In fact, until 2003 the Gao Brothers themselves were on a government blacklist and unable to leave China. In recent years, Gao Zhen, 50, and Gao Qiang, 44, both from Shandong Province, are part of a new wave of Chinese artists showing at an international level. Due to censorship laws in contemporary China, and as a response to cultural sensitivities, MISSMAO will change her clothes when she tours to Beijing in September 2006. Updates will be posted regularly on http://www.missmao.co.uk