Li cofounded the small non-profit art space Wyoming Project in the Houyongkang Hutong in Beijing's Dongcheng district
Wyoming Project Beijing
The Chinese curator and critic Li Bowen has resigned his position as Beijing associate editor at the online magazine Ocula after a widely-circulated anonymous WeChat post accused him of gaslighting, sexual coercion and emotional abuse against multiple women.
“When I discovered last December that Li Bowen—curator, writer, and editor of Ocula—was lying about the fact that he was seeing three women at the same time, I stayed silent for the sake of self-protection,” a user with the pseudonym Qiaoqiao posted in Chinese on the social media platform late Monday night. “At the time, I couldnt have imagined other women in the art world were suffering from identical forms of deception, repetitive, long-term emotional abuse, as well as physical trauma. Li used his lies to maintain overlapping relationships with several women; his sustained insistence on having unprotected sex led his partners to resort to emergency contraception or even repeated abortions. I feel the obligation to tell the truth about Li Bowen now because I dont want to see more women and colleagues suffer from his deceit and abuse. It is my hope that this statement can help prevent future harm and serve as a warning to his peers and colleagues.”
Friends of the poster, also speaking anonymously, say that her statement was first shown to and backed by several other alleged victims. Many of the women were professional contacts of Lis, working in the Chinese art world, and some specifically in arts media, they add.
“Li Bowen has tendered his resignation,” Oculas editors say in a statement. “This was shocking news to receive as we had no prior knowledge. We felt it was important to allow time to fairly consider the information before responding. Generally, we believe editors have an obligation to research any matter before commenting on it, and as an organisation we believe in the importance of due process when considering issues related to those we work with.”
Li could not be reached for comment. In addition to writing for Ocula and other publications including Art Review Asia and Randian, Li last year cofounded the small non-profit art space Wyoming Project in the Houyongkang Hutong in Beijing's Dongcheng district with photographer Sun Shi. It has presented solo projects by artists including Zhang Ding, Gao Ludi and Chenchenchen.
Qiaoqiao, the anonymous accuser, also declined requests for further details about the allegations, but posted a follow-up statement yesterday: “1. This is not a public matter in the legal sense, and there are no such phenomena as the typical abuse of power, direct bodily harm or forced sexual intercourse. However, because it is in the gray area between morality and law, it is more serious and extensive, so it is imperative to have a public cultural discourse. 2. The primary purpose of the voices of the parties speaking out is to make more women in the art industry aware of and alert to Li's actions. 3. Subjecting Li Bowen to a public trial, or to be the target of ideological attacks, is not the ultimate aim of the parties, and is even contrary to the original intent. The complexity of this case lies in the public structure of emotional relationships and the violence and harm that these emotions, caught between private and public, can condone and create when not discussed. 4. We hope the entrance of this matter into the public domain will lead to a deeper discussion and understanding of the public structure of emotional relations.”
