Ai Weiwei

I've recently been researching the work of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. I already knew of and was a big fan of his work "Sunflower Seeds" (2010) but I've been delving deeper into what he does and he's such a remarkable and inspirational man. It's very refreshing and inspiring to go from Western work about techniques of paint and very first world conceptual musings to someone who's fighting for freedom and human rights. 

The above clip is a film about Ai Weiwei and his group trying to free his friend who had been detained by the Chinese Government following the group accusing the government of being responsible for the cover up of as well as the deaths of hundreds of children in the 2008 earthquake. The way they are treat and informed is despicable with Weiwei being physically beaten.

I think it's awesome that Ai Weiwei releases this information and makes people aware of the situation in the East. He really makes his idea about the individual changing things seem like a real possibility. It makes me feel quite guilty that I don't know about, actively find out about, or actively try and help a cause like that which millions of people are struggling with. It really puts things in perspective. It's amazing people have so much courage and fight in them; I think it's beautiful really.

I know his artwork is activist in its nature, but like I said before, it really does make "revolutionary" Western works like Tracy Emin's "My Bed", Hirst's "For The Love Of God" and even Mark Wallinger's pieces about protest seem laughable. Ai Weiwei really fights for freedom and we can't imagine what its like not to have freedom. Having said that, we just blindly walk around moaning everyday, mourning our little upsets, so it seems as though we are less free than Ai Weiwei, or atleast his spirit, as he is so powerful, brave, determined and active.