Art Student Found in Terracotta Army

[gerardwilkie]

Check this out :

New recruit joins Terracotta Army

A German art student briefly fooled police by posing as one of China's terracotta warriors at the heritage site in the ancient capital, Xian.
Pablo Wendel, made up like an ancient warrior, jumped into a pit showcasing the 2,200-year-old pottery soldiers and stood motionless for several minutes.

The 26-year-old was eventually spotted by police and removed from the scene.

Unearthed in 1974, the statues are said to be one of the 20th Century's greatest archaeological finds.

The ancient clay soldiers were created to protect the nearby tomb of the legendary Emperor Qinshihuang who united China over 2,200 years ago.


Police confiscated Mr Wendel's costume and sent him home

Mr Wendel is reported to have entered the museum on Saturday where he changed into his outfit, jumped over a barrier and took up a position on a pedestal he had taken along.

"I got to the area where he was supposed to be, looked around and didn't see him - he looked too much like a terracotta warrior," Hong Kong newspapers quoted a security guard as saying.

As Mr Wendel's "performance art" did not harm any of the ancient relics, he was not arrested or charged but given "serious criticism", the reports said.

Mr Wendel had his costume confiscated and was sent back to the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, where he is studying

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5355546.stm

 

[Philo_T]

Nice one!
:lol:

 

[Doctor_Occupant]

The chap was given 'serious criticism' eh?

Why does that strike me as being a lot scarier than 'a stern talking to', which is the sort of thing one might have expected from Dixon of Dock Green?

 

[gerardwilkie]

Still you've got to admire the nerve of the guy . That was a work of sheer and utter genius.

 

[GNC]

What's the difference between that and standing in a shop window display pretending to be a shop dummy for the benefit of passersby?

 

[Rrose_Selavy]

What's the difference between that and standing in a shop window display pretending to be a shop dummy for the benefit of passersby?

The Soldiers are a lot older, probably better dressed and as far as I know , not for sale.

-

 

[GNC]

What's the difference between that and standing in a shop window display pretending to be a shop dummy for the benefit of passersby?

The Soldiers are a lot older, probably better dressed and as far as I know , not for sale.

-

I'm just bitter because I was fooled by such a joker when I was a toddler.

 

[Spookdaddy]

Erm... A German artist with a fondness for old soldiers, bizarre uniforms and standing on pedestals - shouldn't we call someone? :shock:

 

[jefflovestone]

Still you've got to admire the nerve of the guy . That was a work of sheer and utter genius.

Yeah, seriously. That could have really blown-up in his face. I take my hat off to the guy for sheer balls. Makes Banksy's scam look a bit minor in comparison.

 

[ArthurASCII]

So that's art is it?

The words hoax or prank seem more suitable.

What a nob. He could easily have destroyed some REAL art.

 

[jefflovestone]

So that's art is it?

The words hoax or prank seem more suitable.

What a nob. He could easily have destroyed some REAL art.

I agree that 'prank' or 'hoax' are probably more suitable if all he wanted to do was fool some guards and have a laugh but we don't know, as yet, his reasoning or the point he was trying to make.

I agree with the general point that the terracotta army are more valuble in art (and obviously monetary terms!) but, again, when it comes to defining 'art', would Qin have been happy with seeing his army in terms of art?

 

[Kondoru]

I think Qin, stuffy as he was, may very well have made a slight smile at this.

`Serious critism`? or in the Maoist fasion `serious self critism`??