Ho Tam, Plate with Gang of Four (FC-004) (2025)

Ho Tam  
Plate with Gang of Four (FC-004) 
2025  
inkjet on glossy photo paper  
edition of 5  
22 x 17 inches
unframed
 
 
The Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The members consisted of Mao Zedong’s last wife Jiang Qing, the leading figure of the group, and her associates Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, and Wang Hongwen.
 
The Gang of Four controlled the Communist Party of China through the latter stages of the Cultural Revolution, although it remains unclear which major decisions were made by Mao and carried out by the Gang, and which were the result of the Gang of Four’s own planning.
 
The Gang of Four was labeled a major “counter-revolutionary force” of the Cultural Revolution and officially blamed by the Chinese government for the worst excesses of the societal chaos that ensued during the ten years of turmoil. Their downfall on October 6, 1976, a mere month after Mao’s death, brought about major celebrations on the streets of Beijing and marked the end of a turbulent political era in China.