Ai-Weiwei on freeDimensional

Ai Weiwei on Tiananmen Square

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000

China Loses by Forgetting about Tiananmen Square

by: Ai Weiwei

In the last month, in two separate cities, I was involved in events related to the rewriting of the history of Chinese contemporary art. In Shanghai, two of my works, “Stool” and “Sunflower Seeds,” were included in an exhibition commemorating the 15th year of the Chinese Contemporary Art Award. A half-hour before the show opened, local officials had my name erased from the exhibition’s wall text and barred the artworks from being displayed.

Ai Weiwei released; colleagues still detained

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

BEIJING — China said Thursday that dissident artist Ai Weiwei, who was released from jail a day earlier, remained under investigation and would be prohibited from leaving Beijing for at least the next year as a condition of his bail. “Ai Weiwei is still under investigation,” Hong Lei, the foreign ministry spokesman, told a regularly scheduled news briefing. “He is not allowed to leave his area of residence.” Lei said the “area of residence” referred to Beijing, and that Ai was not being placed under house arrest.

CHINA - Ai Weiwei imprisoned

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Some weeks ago, we broadcast news of well-known artist and activist, Ai Weiwei’s studio being demolished. Fearing an uprising like those sweeping the Middle East and North Africa, the Chinese government Ray Ban outlet recently detained Ai Weiwei and now the government has virtually deleted him from the Chinese internet. AccessNow is building up a petition on his behalf; click here to sign the petition and learn about other steps you can take to let the Chinese government know that we are watching their actions.

Prominent Chinese Artist’s Studio Torn Down

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

BEIJING — The studio would have stood at the heart of an embryonic arts cluster on the outskirts of Shanghai, drawing luminaries from around the world. It took two years to build, and one day to tear down. The new Shanghai studio designed by Ai Weiwei, a protean artist who is one of the most outspoken critics of the Chinese Communist Party, was completely Ray Ban outlet razed at the order of government officials on Tuesday, Mr. Ai said in a telephone interview from Shanghai on Wednesday. Mr. Ai said a neighboring studio he had designed for a friend had also been destroyed. “Everything is gone,” he said. “It’s all black now. They finished the job at 9 o’clock last night.” It is the latest act in Mr. Ai’s escalating conflict with government officials over the Communist Party’s authoritarian rule — a clash that Mr. Ai now views as performance art. Mr. Ai said he did not know why officials decided to destroy the studios, but suspects it was because of his political activities. Excerpted from a New York Times article by Edward Wong__.