Human Rights Foundation presents the exhibition "The Guilty Will Kneel"
From May 19–30, the Human Rights Foundation presents The Guilty Will Kneel, a powerful group exhibition featuring artists from Burma, China, Hong Kong, and Tibet. Hosted at Atelie Studio in Via Vika as part of the 2025 Oslo Freedom Forum, the exhibition confronts authoritarianism head-on, revealing the role of art as a tool for resistance, remembrance, and resilience. Atelie is proud to collaborate with the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) to bring this important exhibition to life in Oslo.
Participating artists: Sai —, K, Ma (Burma); The Gao Brothers (China); Sanmu Chen (Hong Kong); Tenzing Rigdol (Tibet)
Curator: Clara Cheung / C&G Artpartment
Exhibition dates: May 19–30, 2025 (12:00 - 16:00)
Venue: Atelie, Via Vika, Ruseløkkveien 26, Oslo
Through film, sculpture, drawing, and painting, the participating artists explore the impact of state violence, censorship, and repression – and the unyielding force of creative expression.
From Burma, artists Sai —, Ma, and K present deeply personal and politically charged works that document the military junta’s brutality. Their contributions range from satirical manuals and haunting visual poetry to powerful children’s drawings created in the aftermath of the coup.
The Gao Brothers from China present Mao’s Guilt, a sculpture that led to the 2024 arrest of Gao Zhen for “insulting national heroes.” In Hong Kong, Sanmu Chen was arrested for silently tracing the numbers “6.4” in the air — a reference to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. These acts and artworks highlight how even subtle gestures can be criminalized under authoritarian rule.
Tenzing Rigdol, a Tibetan artist in exile, contributes paintings that speak to the enduring control of the Chinese government in Tibet and the persistence of Tibetan identity and spirit, even in diaspora.
The exhibition is curated by Clara Cheung, an artist, curator, and former Hong Kong district councillor. Cheung previously collaborated with HRF on the acclaimed solo exhibition of North Korean artist Song Byeok. She also serves as a core partner on HRF’s Art in Protest Residency Program, which supports artists who face political pressure, censorship, or exile.
Sai —, Ma, and K are this year’s residency artists. Over the course of one month, they are supported through mentorship, networking, and professional development, culminating in a group exhibition at The Nunnery Gallery in London.
The Guilty Will Kneel is presented as part of Oslo Freedom Forum 2025, under the theme “Imagine” – a tribute to the power of envisioning a freer future, and the courage it takes to express it.
For more information:
oslofreedomforum.com
e-flux.com/announcements/663358/the-guilty-will-kneel
