BY: CONNOR BRIAN
“I think there is a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression.” says Ai Weiwei in an interview with BBC Radio 1 in 2011
He is a man who has experienced the exact opposite of freedom all his life. His father was Ai Qing, was the famed Chinese poet, who in 1967, was declared a “class enemy” by the ruling party. When Ai Weiwei was only 10, his father and the family were exiled to a labour camp in the middle of the Gobi Desert. From there, Ai watched his father, formerly a respected artist, reduced to clean the communal toilets for over 200 people. He was beaten daily and lost vision in one of his eyes due to severe nutritional deprivation. For Ai Weiwei this was his first lesson in the inherent risk of political dissent.
This experience moulded him into the artist he is today, a man who is disgusted by the abuse of power by the Chinese government. His work often intends to create political transparency and openly dissects the dogma of the ruling class. Due to this, within his own country he has been imprisoned, assaulted, put under surveillance and restricted from travelling outside of Beijing. Yet, none of it has held his tongue and stopped him from taking a resolute, nonviolent stance against injustice across the globe.
“The world is not changing if you don’t shoulder the burden of responsibility.” explains Ai Weiwei
“My favourite word? It’s ‘act.’ “.
Courtesy the artist © 2015 Ai Weiwei
Study ofPerspective (1995 to 2003) is one of Ai Weiwei’s most controversial series, where he photographs himself flipping off important monuments around the world. He describes it as his personal form of rebellion against any government authority who blatantly or covertly disregard the freedoms of its citizens.
There can be a powerful assertion behind a single gesture when used in the proper context. With a raise of his middle finger, Weiwei champions the social responsibility and individualism of he generation, and shows just how fragile the powerful can truly be.
“There are no outdoor sports as graceful as throwing stones at a dictatorship.” says Ai Weiwei in an interview with BBC Radio 1
Courtesy the artist © 2015 Ai Weiwei
Courtesy the artist © 2015 Ai Weiwei
Courtesy the artist © 2015 Ai Weiwei
Courtesy the artist © 2015 Ai Weiwei
Courtesy the artist © 2015 Ai Weiwei
Courtesy the artist © 2015 Ai Weiwei
Courtesy the artist © 2015 Ai Weiwei
Courtesy the artist © 2015 Ai Weiwei
Ai WeiWei currently has an exhibition at the Royal Academy until December 15 2015
Image Sourcing: contemporaryartcurator.com, emptykingdom.com