Image

Batman vs Mao: Australian Gallery Removes Artwork Criticising China Because ‘That’s Racist’

China’s new ‘thing’ is to accuse the West of racism every time it attempts to criticise humanitarian violations and breaches of international law.

You can stage a mock beheading of Margaret Thatcher on International Women’s Day, but whatever you do – don’t upset the Communist Party of China with Batman memes.

Communist dictators have the emotional capacity of toddlers. Their grip on political power demands absolute, unquestioned subservience. Anything that opens a regime up to ridicule is not funny – it’s dangerous. The more frightened a leader is of mockery, the more fragile their regime.

In completely unrelated news, this week China threw a tantrum over an unoriginal, lightweight twenty-five-piece art collection hanging in the Ambush Gallery at the Australian National University.

Click here to support Alexandra Marshall’s work.

The regime was particularly displeased by the artist, Luke Cornish, replacing the face of Mao Zedong on a banknote with an image of Batman and then again with Winnie the Pooh. Had this been done to a Western leader they – uh – they wouldn’t even know about it, to be honest. That’s how far down the activist ‘offence’ scale this sort of thing is. The work is neither brave nor cutting. At best, it is playfully lurking a decade behind internet meme culture.

Winnie the Pooh was erased from China after images emerged in 2013 comparing the cartoon character to Xi Jinping and his awkward public appearances. If you want to use your social credit points for food and shelter, you cannot openly criticise Xi Jinping, and so these memes were employed to get around the ‘The Great Firewall of China’. The very existence of this digital barbed wire is an abuse of human rights, where Chinese citizens are prevented from seeing the rest of the world by their paranoid government.

I suspect it was not the image of Batman that upset the Communist Party, but rather the visual suggestion that Xi Jinping is another Chairman Mao. For all their censorial efforts, China has been unable to undo the link between Winnie the Pooh and Xi Jinping, and this latest freak-out is evidence that dissent has permeated Chinese culture.

This suspicion is backed up by the other item removed from the exhibition – a framed butcher’s cleaver painted red with the Uyghur flag laid over a person’s face and a hand across their mouth depicting the Communist Party of China’s flag.

The artist’s intention was to, ‘take the piss’ as he put it, out of China’s regime. Cornish wanted to start a conversation and call out China’s genocide in the northern province of Xinjiang. Instead, hundreds of bullying phone calls demanded the removal of the exhibition due to – wait for it – racism.

China’s new ‘thing’ is to accuse the West of racism every time it attempts to criticise humanitarian violations and breaches of international law. While occupying this ‘perceived weak social identity’ it is free to take swings at the United States, like it did at the recent Alaska conference.

While the Chinese regime did not tie its name to the complaints sent to the gallery, it is obvious that the bombardment of complaints was coordinated by their network of party-loyal citizens on Australian soil who have been involved inconsistent acts of foreign interference and subversion for years. The situation is so bad that pro-Hong Kong democracy students are threatened inside Australian university campuses by Chinese students while others remain too terrified to speak.

For those paying attention, China plays the same game as our local Marxists. They cry victim while using violence and a position of privilege to bully their neighbours. Left-wing governments in the West are confused by this tactic and are tricked into believing ridiculous things like a detention centre for illegal immigrants in Australia is somehow comparable to an ethnic and religious concentration camp of forced labour, sterilisation, and live organ harvesting.

Click here to support Alexandra Marshall’s work.

The only reason that the gallery bowed to the obvious foreign censorship of Australian art is because the Australian National University is one of the most idiotic Marxist outfits around. The accusation of ‘racism’ – unfounded as it is – scares them into abandoning what they have previously claimed to be the fundamental freedom of political expression for artists. In other words, they are cowards.

These are the same institutions that believe that using art to attack Western civilisation is a virtue. Passing an Arts Degree these days simply means writing something nasty about a conservative on a canvas and Blue-Tacking it to the wall. Alternatively, you could make a plaster cast of your privates and host an Extinction Rebellion performance piece inside the gallery. Bring vats of fake blood and the local drama troupe after an afternoon smoking Pot.

Cornish’s show was meant to be about the abuse of power. Well, he succeeded in turning it into a performance piece where all of Australia got to watch China abuse their tyrannical grip on the world in real-time.

They should rename it ‘Irony’.

Click here to support Alexandra Marshall’s work.

Special Request:

For nearly eight years, we've highlighted issues ignored by mainstream media and resisted globalist ideologies eroding Western civilization. We've done this joyfully, without paywalls, despite personal costs to our team. Your support has kept us going, but operating costs exceed donations, forcing us to use ads. We’d love to ditch them, so we’re asking for your help. If you value our work, please consider supporting us via Stripe or PayPal. Every bit helps us keep fighting for our kids’ future. Thank you!

What's New?

Use the blue arrows at the bottom to scroll through the latest.
20 Reasons to Believe the Resurrection

20 Reasons to Believe the Resurrection

"The evidence surrounding the resurrection demonstrates that it is not a mere legend but an event grounded in real history."
By
by Staff WriterApr 20, 2025
The Resurrection

The Resurrection

"The resurrection is Christianity. It is the core of our faith. Hence, Resurrection Sunday."
By
by Matthew LittlefieldApr 20, 2025
Is Taxation Theft or the Price We Pay for Civilization?

Is Taxation Theft or the Price We Pay for Civilization?

"Surely, there should be a seriously low cap on how much money a government can legally take from the public before being forced to concede they’re simply not able to do the job they’ve been tasked with."
By
by Ben DavisApr 19, 2025
White House Launches New Website Exposing COVID Response: Fauci, Lockdowns, Mandates, and Lab Leak Theory

White House Launches New Website Exposing COVID Response: Fauci, Lockdowns, Mandates, and Lab Leak Theory

“Public health officials often mislead the American people through conflicting messaging, knee-jerk reactions, and a lack of transparency," the White House has said.
By
by Staff WriterApr 19, 2025
‘Blessed Ramadan’ and ‘Happy Easter from the Dogs’? PM Accused of Snubbing Christian Australians

‘Blessed Ramadan’ and ‘Happy Easter from the Dogs’? PM Accused of Snubbing Christian Australians

"Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing backlash after he posted a social media message wishing Australians a 'Happy Easter weekend from Toto and Toby,' his dogs."
By
by Staff WriterApr 18, 2025
The Hope of Israel

The Hope of Israel

"Jesus was murdered by corrupt men so that you and I could be saved, so that the hope of Israel could be fulfilled."
By
by Matthew LittlefieldApr 18, 2025
UK Supreme Court Affirms Sex Is Assigned by Biology, Not Bigotry

UK Supreme Court Affirms Sex Is Assigned by Biology, Not Bigotry

"Despite the court ruling in favour of protecting female-only spaces, the Supreme Court still backs the legal 'right' for a man to identify as a woman, and punish anyone who doesn’t refer to him as one."
By
by Rod LampardApr 17, 2025
Kidnapped Pastor Rescued After Deadly Shootout

Kidnapped Pastor Rescued After Deadly Shootout

"Sullivan was delivering a sermon when six armed men entered the building and took him captive in front of his wife and children."
By
by Staff WriterApr 17, 2025

Image

Support

If you value our work and would like to support us, you can do so by visiting our support page. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Visit our search page.

Copyright © 2025, Caldron Pool

Permissions

Everything published at Caldron Pool is protected by copyright and cannot be used and/or duplicated without prior written permission. Links and excerpts with full attribution are permitted. Published articles represent the opinions of the author and may not reflect the views of all contributors at Caldron Pool.

Caldron Pool does not condone the use of violence, threats, or intimidation for political or religious purposes. We strongly advocate for peaceful, respectful, and free communication and open debate without fear of reprisal or punishment.