ART

Beijing police closed an unprecedented exhibit dubbed “Chinavant-garde” within hours of its opening Sunday after a melee erupted among thousands of excited spectators and a pistol-wielding artist fired two shots at her own exhibition. Western journalists witnessed the event in which eight people, including the artist, were detained by police. No casualties were reported. At least 5,000 people jammed the gallery to see the 300 works highlighted by a huge inflatable set of male sex organs atop air-filled surgical gloves and a “performance” creation featuring a man, draped in red towels, washing his feet with soap bearing caricatures of former President Reagan. The artist who fired at her work was unidentified.