Shanghai Gallery Removes Controversial Video Ranking Women From 'Prettiest To Ugliest'

An art student's video at a Shanghai gallery ranking women from 'prettiest to ugliest' as part of an exhibition has been pulled following massive backlash. OCAT Shanghai apologised for exhibiting the seven-hour piece by artist Song Ta, saying there had been "omissions in due diligence."

As per reports, Ta's project titled 'Uglier and Uglier' comprised approximately 5000 visuals of women at his alma mater campus, ranking them basis looks. The film was originally produced in 2013, the BBC reports, and has been presented at several shows since.

After raking up wide criticism on Chinese social media, OCAT Shanghai withdrew the work and in a statement apologised for displaying it. "After receiving criticism, we re-evaluated the content of this artwork and the artist's explanation, we found it disrespected women, and the way it was shot has copyright infringement issues," they were quoted saying on Weibo.

The exhibition 'The Circular Impact: Video Art 21' at OCAT of which 'Uglier and Uglier' was part since April has reportedly been shut for public viewing.

Video At Shanghai Gallery Ranking Women Raises Concerns Of Privacy, Objectification

As per reports, Ta speaking of his project in interviews over the years has said the ranking of women was divided as beauty, medium, ugly. To make his venture "less creepy" he reportedly included a female assistant to work alongside him, CNN reports.

The video purportedly began with what Ta deemed the prettiest women ending with those he considered the least attractive, thereby urging audiences to visit as early at the start of the show as possible.

"Within this (seven-hour-plus) video you will see them show up accordingly from the prettiest to the ugliest... So if you want to see the campus queen, you have to go to the museum as early as possible. Otherwise, when the dusk comes, it will become a living hell in this place," Ta was quoted saying in reference to his film.

In a 2019 interview with Vice, Ta defended his film saying, "I think I have the right to tell the truth."

OCAT, further in their statement, has said, "As an art gallery that supports a diversity of art concepts, we will take this as a lesson, and constantly improve ourselves, treating everyone with empathy."