[url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,866514,00.html]C4 to show artist eating dead baby [/url]
Monday December 30, 2002
The Guardian

Channel 4 was yesterday back in the dock over plans to broadcast a programme showing a performance artist eating the flesh of a dead baby.

[red]The documentary, Beijing Swings, which looks at the extreme practices of some artists in China, also shows a man drinking wine that has had an amputated penis marinaded in it.[/red]

The programme, which has been condemned by the Chinese embassy in London, will be broadcast on Thursday night. A spokesman for Channel 4 said last night: "The programme will be controversial and will shock some viewers but a warning will be given before it goes out on air."

The documentary shows stills of Zhu Yu, the artist, biting into the body of a stillborn infant. He says: "No religion forbids cannibalism. Nor can I find any law which prevents us from eating people. I took advantage of the space between morality and the law and based my work on it."

Zhu, who is a Christian, says religion has had a major impact on his work.

But the Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, said: "Jesus Christ said suffer the little ones to come unto me, not that they should be eaten for public entertainment. This programme sounds hideous."