The World Turned Upside Down (sculpture)

The World Turned Upside Down is a sculpture by the Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger, on Sheffield Street, London, within the campus of the London School of Economics. The name World Turned Upside Down comes from a 17th-century English ballad.[1] The sculpture, measuring 13 feet (4 m) in diameter, features a globe resting on its North Pole and was unveiled in March 2019. It reportedly cost over £200,000,[2] which was funded by alumni donations.

For other uses, see The World Turned Upside Down (disambiguation).

The World Turned Upside Down

Disputed content

The artwork attracted controversy for showing the island of Taiwan as a sovereign entity, rather than as part of the People’s Republic of China.[3] After dueling protests[4][5] by students from both the PRC and ROC and reactions by third party observers (which included the President of Taiwan,[6] Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs[7] and the co-chairs of the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group in the House of Commons[8]) the university decided later that year (2019) that it would retain the original design which chromatically displayed the PRC and ROC as different entities but with the addition of an asterisk beside the name of Taiwan and a corresponding placard that clarified the institution's position regarding the controversy.[9][10][11][12]

A group of students repeatedly vandalised the globe for its omission of the state of Palestine, a non-member observer state in the United Nations.[13]

  • The World Turned Upside Down from a different angle
  • Post-it notes on the sculpture supporting Taiwan's independence
  • "Taiwan is Taiwan"

See also

References
  1. ""The World Turned Upside Down" – LSE unveils new sculpture by Mark Wallinger".
  2. "倫敦政經學院矮化台灣 留學生連署抗議破8000人響應！". 3 April 2019.
  3. Martin Bailey (5 April 2019), Wallinger's upside-down globe outside LSE angers Chinese students for portraying Taiwan as an independent state The Art Newspaper.
  4. Yan, Sophia; Lyons, Izzy (5 April 2019). "LSE considers altering sculpture to show Taiwan as part of China after student pressure". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  5. Parker, Charlie. "London School of Economics in a world of trouble over globe artwork". Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  6. "Taiwan will always be a sovereign country: Tsai". Focus Taiwan. Focus Taiwan. 5 April 2019.
  7. "Taiwan Foreign Minister writes open letter protesting LSE's decision to change depiction of Taiwan on sculpture". Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  8. "U.K. parliamentarians step into debate on Taiwan's name on statue". Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  9. Lin Chia-nan (11 July 2019). "Ministry lauds LSE for globe color decision". Taipei Times. Taipei Times.
  10. "Taiwan still distinct from China but given asterisk on LSE art work". Focus Taiwan. Focus Taiwan. 10 July 2019.
  11. Everington, Keoni (10 July 2019). "LSE ignores Chinese cries, adds asterisk next to Taiwan on globe". Taiwan News. Taiwan News.
  12. Lin, Shirley (10 July 2019). "LSE adds asterisk next to Taiwan on globe art installation". RTI. RTI.
  13. "Sculpture at London School Vandalized With 'Palestine' Graffiti, 'Boycott Israeli Apartheid' Sticker".

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