Ai WeiWei’s art is in New York but he isn’t. Ai Weiwei hasn’t been seen in over a month, since Chinese authorities took him into custody. In this article, the author talks about her interview with Ai before the Beijing Olympics. It is obvious, though frequent blogging, that Ai is adamant in his belief of freedom of speech. His art also conveys his bluntness (i.e. dropping the Han Dynasty vase; conversion of valuable antiques into works of art). As we discussed in class, much of his art represents the government’s destruction of priceless pieces of cultural sites for more modern edifices. Through his art, Ai Weiwei illustrates the facts of Chinese society, which is probably why he's being detained
This blog is meant to be a space for the Austin College community to discuss issues related to China and the Chinese language. For author permissions, please write to Dr. Jennifer Thackston Johnson: jtj.at.ac –at- gmail.com. Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas.
I believe it's important the Ai Weiwei lets his art travel, despite the fact that he himself is detained. It shows that even though the government has jailed his body, it cannot jail his beliefs.
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