Image of artist/activist Ai Weiwei via Wikipedia
Today on this American Independence Day I'm celebrating freedom. Freedom meaning an absence of undue restrictions and an opportunity to exercise one's rights and powers: freedom of speech or conscience; freedom of movement. Freedom to create and display art.
I zipped over to London a couple of weeks ago (where I attended film school) and found one of the highlights of my trip at beautiful Somerset House. It was there in its historic courtyard that I saw the 12 bronze animal head re-creations that Chinese artist/activist Ai Weiwei stunningly produced of the traditional Chinese zodiac sculptures which once adorned the fountain of Yuanming Yuan, an imperial retreat in Beijing. These incredible heads (which were displayed until June 26th) surrounding Somerset House's sparkling fountains were made more powerful by the fact that Ai Weiwei had been detained by Chinese authorities on April 3rd. While I wandered the open courtyard admiring Ai Weiwei's fine work, he was imprisoned.
Chinese officials said they had detained him on suspicion of "economic crimes," but as we know from past experience, what Chinese officials say doesn't accurately reflect a freedom of speech or a freedom of press reality. From The Guardian...
He (Ai Weiwei) is the most high profile of dozens of activists and dissidents arrested, detained or harassed in recent months in what campaigners called China's most severe crackdown on human rights in over a decade. Several are still held and many of those who have been freed are understood to have been released under strict conditions.
I had a particular interest in these heads since I'd seen two of the originals--the rat and the rabbit--sold at the historic Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé auction by Christie's. I'd covered the sale for Vogue.com, and these exquisite historical heads were one of the many highlights of the sale. The Chinese had tried to stop the sale--they wanted the heads returned--but a French court ruled against them. Christie's went on to sell them for $36 million, though the Chinese national who placed the bid later said that his bid was a patriotic act in protest against the auction and that he wouldn’t be paying.
From a piece I wrote, I got a couple of responses from the Chinese. The first being the basis for the protest surrounding the auction--that Christie's had no right to sell these "stolen" artifacts (which international law and antiquities protocol had deemed free and clear). The other being that the zodiac heads meant nothing to their culture. They were worthless. Then why the international protest for them to be returned?
The Beijing National Stadium at night (Image via Wikipedia).
Ai Weiwei is a modern artist whose life and work are heroic. He lived in the U.S. from 1981 to 1993 and studied at Parsons School of Design. In 1993, he returned to China after his father became ill. More about him from Wikipedia:
Ai Weiwei (born 18 May 1957) is a Chinese artist and political activist, who is also active in architecture, curating, photography, film, and social and cultural criticism. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympics. As a political activist, he has been highly and openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He has investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of so-called "tofu-skin schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
He lives and breathes his creativity as well as the integrity of his beliefs. He fulfils himself and his vision, works for social justice in his country in a range of modalities in which he can express himself powerfully and beautifully as well as impact the world around him.
I can see why the Chinese would like to lock him up. Freedom of expression is one thing they're very afraid of. The American powers-that-be would mostly likely recommend he stick to "one" speciality as artists/writers are now often advised to do in the never-ending marketing of mere marketing concepts that books and art have become today. Let's not have originality, authenticity, or even a speck of truth as part of what we're selling in our modern culture. Let's just market concepts that sell.
But now for Ai Weiwei's zodiac heads...
On June 22nd, and after 81 days in detention, Ai Weiwei, returned home "a considerably thinner and noticeabley quieter man," according to The Guardian.
"I'm fine. I'm out," the 54-year-old artist told the Guardian in a telephone call shortly after his release on bail. "I'm back with my family. I'm very happy."
The state news agency, Xinhua, said police had released him "because of his good attitude in confessing his crimes" and a chronic illness.
My question to you is: Is Ai Weiwei really free?
Freedom. We are lucky to have it. And I celebrate it on this historic day.
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Unless otherwise indicated, all photos by Beth Arnold.
---Beth Arnold in Paris
