tagged w/ Ai Weiwei
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“Interlacing” is the first major exhibition of collected works by China’s renowned dissident artist Ai Weiwei, currently on display at Zurich’s Fotomuseum Winterthur. The collection consists of an extensive selection of photographs, videos and explanatory essays that present the interweaving artist as a network, company, activist, political voice, social container and agent provocateur.
Ai Weiwei is a generalist, conceptual, socially critical artist dedicated to creating friction with/and forming reality. As an architect, conceptual artist, sculptor, photographer, blogger, Twitterer, interview artist, and cultural critic, he is a sensitive observer of current topics and social problems: a great communicator and networker who brings life into art and art into life. Ai Weiwei deliberately confronts social conditions in China and in the world in ways that have captured an international audience.
In 2003, Ai Weiwei played a major role, together with the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, in the construction of the Olympic stadium, the so-called “Bird’s Nest.” Subsequently, he publicly repudiated the project and the whole Olympic buildup as a preposterous fraud to put on a “good face” for the international community. In 2007, 1001 Chinese visitors traveled, at his instigation, to “Documenta 12” (Fairytale) in Kassel, Germany. In 2010, the world marveled at his large, yet formally minimal carpet of millions of hand-painted porcelain sunflower seeds at the Tate Modern.
Chinese officials announced in May, 2011, that the authorities were investigating Ai Weiwei on suspicion of tax evasion, after police officers had taken him from the main Beijing airport on April 3rd as he prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong. A global outcry went out, blasting the Chinese government for what was deemed a politically motivated move, claiming that the tax inquiry was a pretext to silence one of the most vocal critics of the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese legal authorities finally released Ai Weiwei on June 22nd, after a three-month detention, apparently ending a prosecution that had become a focal point of criticism of China’s eroding human rights record. Nevertheless, the terms of his release may silence him for months or even years.
This piece includes a number of photographs, a photo-gallery and three documentary short films.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/ai-weiweis-interlacing-a-chinese-activists-photographs-and-videos/“Interlacing” is the first major exhibition of collected works by... more
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After more than two and a half months of being detained, the world-famous artist and political activist Ai Weiwei has finally been released, according to Chinese state media.
The Chinese police said they released Ai on bail after he confessed to tax evasion and also because he suffers from a chronic disease.
Ai was the most high-profile dissident arrested during a widespread crackdown on rights lawyers, bloggers and activists in China this spring, drawing international attention and condemnation.
China's state Xinhua news agency reported that Ai was willing to repay the taxes he reportedly owed.
Ai's relatives said they did not know where the artist was being held after he was taken into custody at Beijing's airport.
"He has not come back yet. The police haven't told us he has been released. Journalists called us and told us about the Xinhua report," Ai's sister Gao Ge told AFP late on Wednesday. Ai's mobile is still switched off and his wife and lawyer could not be immediately reached by the news agency.
The burly, bearded avant-garde artist has angered authorities with his involvement in a number of sensitive activist campaigns and his criticism of the ruling Communist Party.
Britain, the United States, Australia, France and Germany joined Amnesty International and other rights groups in calling for the release of Ai, born in 1957, whose work was shown in London's Tate Modern gallery earlier this year.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/23/3251040.htmAfter more than two and a half months of being detained, the world-famous artist and... more
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Cuban artist Geandy Pavón dedicated the latest installment of his “Nemesis” project to artist Ai Weiwei who has been illegally detained by Chinese authorities since April 3rd.
“Nemesis-Ai Weiwei: The Elusiveness of Being” involved projecting an image of Ai Weiwei on the wall of the Consulate General of China in Manhattan.
http://youtu.be/yVYvPRM7fQICuban artist Geandy Pavón dedicated the latest installment of his... more
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“Never Sorry” is a fascinating 17-minute documentary short film about China’s renowned dissident artist Ai Wei Wei by freelance filmmaker Alison Klayman, who spent several months documenting his work and life, as well as capturing his many provocations and scuffles with the government. So who’s really so afraid of Ai Wei Wei? Well, the Chinese government for one. Ai Wei Wei is China’s most famous contemporary artist, acclaimed for his solo exhibitions the world-over.
Much to the Chinese government authorities’ chagrin, Ai Wei Wei has vociferously used his fame to speak his mind. A prolific blogger and tweeter, Wei Wei often publishes angry writings against injustice, corruption and abuse, which the Chinese censors invariably take down. Most famously, after assisting in the design of China’s renowned 2008 Olympic Stadium (the Bird’s Nest), Ai Wei Wei publicly repudiated the project and the whole Olympic buildup as a preposterous fraud to put on a “good face” for the international community.
A mere 5 days after the PBS television airing on March 29th of this short film, Ai Wei Wei was detained by police at Beijing airport, and proceeded to vanish. No word was given about where he was taken, only a vague statement from authorities that he had committed “economic crimes.” His associates and lawyer were also targeted and disappeared. A global outcry went out, blasting the Chinese government for what was deemed a politically motivated move; however, the protests appeared to have no effect. Youth culture began to assert itself, and based on the title of this short film, stencil graffiti and light tags imaging Ai Wei Wei went up all around Hong Kong and mainland China, in spite of extraordinary risks.
After 43 days of silence, Ai Wei Wei’s wife was finally allowed to visit him on May 15th. She has confirmed that he had not been maltreated and appeared to be in good health, but his imprisonment does not look as though it will be overturned any time soon. So for the time being, Ai Wei Wei is now China’s best known detainee.
This piece includes a number of color photographs, as well as the fascinating documentary short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/never-sorry-whos-so-afraid-of-ai-wei-wei/“Never Sorry” is a fascinating 17-minute documentary short film about... more
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Controversial Chinese artist Ai Weiwei - most famous in the UK for his "poppy seeds" exhibition at the Tate Modern this year - have today been released from two days house arrest, according to posts on the artist’s own Twitter feed. Ai Weiwei was put under under house arrest this weekend as police prevented him from attending an event at his new Shanghai studio which is set for demolition.Last night reprimanded Western leaders for putting trade relationships with Beijing ahead of their commitment to human rights. He made this claim a day before David Cameron's first visit to Chine since becoming Prime Minister. Ai, 53, is an outspoken critic of the country's Communist rulers and urged British Prime Minister David Cameron not to mince words with the leadership in Beijing when he arrives on Tuesday for a two-day visit.Western leaders "must insist on human rights issues, that it is inadmissible for citizens to be imprisoned because they think differently," Ai told AFP in a telephone interview."We want to hear them bring up these issues, see their lips move," he said."I don't know how the British prime minister will react. But in varying degrees, the American, French and German leaders betrayed the values which are most treasured by humanity."The United States, France and Germany have led calls for the release of jailed Chinese Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, but when officials or politicians come to China, their voices are more muted.US President Barack Obama spoke about his belief in "universal rights" when he visited China a year ago, but activists said he did not go far enough.French President Nicolas Sarkozy did not speak publicly about rights issues during an April visit, and President Hu Jintao's visit to France last week resulted in more than 20 billion dollars in contracts for French firms.German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China in July saw the world's top two exporting nations sign a series of deals reportedly worth several billion dollars. She publicly raised the issue of greater market openness -- but not rights questions."The Americans or Europeans that trade with China are in fact trading with a group of people who turn their backs on the most fundamental values," said Ai."This trade harms the interests of each ordinary citizen in China. They should keep that in mind," he said."If these politicians cannot manage to understand the problems at hand, they would do better not to come to China to do business."In a commentary published in the Guardian, Ai wrote: "Cameron should say that the civilised world cannot see China as a civilised country if it doesn't change its own behaviour."Ai's house arrest came amid a widespread crackdown on dissidents, lawyers and professors after Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month.Ai had planned a feast for supporters at his Shanghai studio on Sunday as an ironic celebration of a decision by authorities to demolish the building -- despite having originally asked him to build it.Supporters said on Twitter that hundreds had shown up at the studio."The Internet is the best gift to China -- this kind of technology will end this kind of dictatorship," he said.
Controversial Chinese artist Ai Weiwei - most famous in the UK for his "poppy... more
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