Sex act in Beijing gallery sends artist to labor camp

A man who staged a lewd scene of performance art in Beijing was ordered to spend one year in a labor camp for having sex in public and his lawyer claimed he would appeal for an administrative review on this punishment, Beijing News reported today.

Cheng Li, a 57-year-old artist from Lanzhou, Gansu Province, displayed his work "Art Prostitution" by having sex with his female partner during a performance art show named "Sensitive Zone" in the Beijing Modern Art Gallery in March. The show was open to invited professional artists only.

Cheng was detained by police on March 23, according to his friend Guo Zhenming. On April 25 Police informed Cheng's lawyer Wang Zhenyu that Cheng was to spend one year in a labor camp as punishment for his pornographic art.

Wang told Beijing News that Cheng would appeal for an administrative review. "We'll find some artists to justify Cheng's act," Wang said, adding that Cheng was "surprised" to learn about his punishment because his wife also understood and supported her husband's art.

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