London Reality as Art Sequel

Text and photos by Chen Chi-Hsiang. Returning to London, I visited the new Tate Modern. As I emerged, the weather cleared. Passing over the Millennium Bridge, I arrived at St Paul’s Cathedral, stopped for a coffee break on the roadside, and then strolled along the Thames toward the seat of power—the magnificent, ancient Parliament Castle, heading in the direction of London’s famous Big Ben. It seems that visiting London without seeing Big Ben is like not having been there at all, much like visiting Paris, the City of Light, without seeing the Eiffel Tower. One can imagine this feeling, but am I merely a tourist?

I was simply enjoying a pleasant walk along the beautiful Thames, with the stunning architecture and urban scenery serving as an added gift. Arriving again at the vast, historic Parliament, the tall, exquisite Big Ben caught my eye so vividly that walking among the tourists made me one myself. The anti-war protest tents on the street opposite Parliament were still present, now condensed into two main banners: “Oil War plus a Skull (white text on black background),” which was quite striking; next to it, a cloth banner read “US, UK, Israel attack Iran and Syria.” Another group displayed the title “Oppose Torture.” Under freedom and democracy, London’s reality continues to persistently expose and resist injustice in the world, a very democratic expression. In any corner of this world, finding such protests against one’s own government’s unfairness and injustice is something I have only seen in front of the British Parliament, especially under the gaze of so many global tourists. This deserves serious reflection, yet it seems hard to imagine in Taiwan or other places.