The Hooligans

Rabble-rousers, riffraff, scoundrels, and criminals. Troublemakers, wanderers, deviants, misfits. They've gone by many names—but to the Chinese state, they were once known simply as The Hooligans. The Mao-era crime of "hooliganism" (流氓罪) was notorious for its broad scope and arbitrary enforcement. It became a blunt tool used to silence dissent, police morality, and punish anyone seen as a threat to political or social order, including sexual minorities and political dissidents. Refusing to cooperate, daring to defy, and stirring up trouble, the artists in this exhibition speak for those sacrificed to keep the peace.