Beijing Artist Auctions Glass of Air in Pollution Protest

Returning from a business trip in the south of France, Beijing artist Liang Kegang brought with him a glass of “French air” that he had personally bottled in the French village of Forcalquier. He then auctioned the item in front of an audience of 200 Chinese artists and collectors. The item was eventually bought by fellow artist and entrepreneur Li Yongzheng, who bid 5,250 yuan (approximately £512, or $843).

The auction was staged as a protest against the terrible air quality in Liang’s native city, and across the country of China as a whole. It is not the first protest of its kind either – just two months ago, 20 artists wearing dust masks pretended to be dead in front of the Temple of Heaven park in the capital city. These protests are just some of the most vocal cries among a growing level of civil unrest with the air quality in China.

The Extent of the Problem

Citizen unrest is a good reflection of the extent of the problem, which should not be underestimated. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has deemed the levels of pollution to be several times that which is considered to be safe.

Indeed, in Beijing this January, the levels reached an unprecedented 25 times the maximum amount deemed safe by the WHO. In response, the local authorities have taken to showing screenings of the rising and setting of the sun throughout the city. For many inhabitants, this is the only chance they are afforded of seeing the solar rays, since a thick blanket of smog all but excludes them from the city. As well as reminding people what the sun looks like, these screenings are an attempt to remind everyone that avoiding pollution is a collective responsibility.

In December of last year, escalating levels of pollution in Shanghai prompted the government to warn young children and elderly residents not to venture outside. In fact, all residents were encouraged to limit their exposure to outdoor air for several days until a cold front approached the city and alleviated the harmful elements.

Governmental Response

The Chinese government have pledged to tackle the problem, though doing so appears to be easier said than done. They must work to reduce levels whilst still maintaining economic stability and ensuring unemployment levels do not rise.

Ever the masters of innovation, the Chinese have come up with a novel way of combating pollution. In March of this year, the first anti-pollution drones were deployed, which release chemicals into the air, reacting with the smog and freezing the harmful elements. The drones have a radius of 5km and can carry 700kg of the smog-fighting catalysts.

Such measures may seem drastic, and such protests by Liang may seem preposterous, but the levels of pollution in China and especially in its capital are similarly desperate. Hopefully, auctioning French air has had the desired effect in prompting the Chinese government into action and the drones will be just the first in a series of attempts to improve that most basic, yet most precious, of commodities.