By now we are all aware of the unfortunate cancellation of the autumn edition of DAFF, the bi-annual design, art and fashion fair put together by the collective of happening hipsters that make up The Ice Cream Truck.
The last minute cancellation was a sobering moment indeed – some might even say a wake up call – to the fact that many operating, broadly speaking, within the creative live events industries are doing so by (often implicit) invitation only.
A legitimate event can be organized, the appropriate papers can be filed and permissions obtained, but within the context of a state that believes the arts are decidedly intended as vehicles to promote socialist values, and the added fact that foreign influences are under increased scrutiny – within the tech sector initially but surely elsewhere – no degree of 拍马屁 or assurances from powerful friends can guarantee that everything will go smoothly.
The excuse for the cancellation revolved around fears from the Xuhui district authorities about security, leading to a revocation of venue rights. This is ironic given that TICT actually moved to the West Bund on the basis of promises from the site administrators that their event could be bigger and better than before.
The decision to work in the arts is one than entails a great degree of surrendering to ‘the powers that be’. To the artist him/herself this involves dedication to a cause that may never yield rewards, a comfortable living, recognition, and such. Likewise for those who go to the effort of bringing creatives and their peers and wider communities together, the administrative and organizational burden is always under threat of being undermined, with the risks being exacerbated in the case of those events that are not seen as being oriented toward, or even counter, clear sociopolitical and/or economic goals.
Soft power is high on the agenda here, and yet all we see is the force-feeding of farcical state-engineered cultural products and the systematic dismantling of rich opportunities existing within our own borders. What a waste.