It was a year ago today. With just a few tweets from his account by an assistant, Ai Weiwei’s detention was announced to the world:
April 3, 2011. Ai Weiwei was detained by two customs officers while crossing customs in Beijing Capital Airport. Just separated Ai Weiwei and his assistant. By the two customs officers taken to a separate location. Ai Weiwei’s phone has been shut off, and he’s already been out of contact for 50 minutes. The situation is unclear. Please everyone pay attention. (Note: This is an assistant tweeting.) [link]
Liu Xiaoyuan: He might be detained. [link]
One hour ago a bunch of police came to Ai Weiwei Studios at Caochangdi FAKE 258 with a search warrant and 8 staff members were taken away to Bejiing Chaoyang District Nangao police station for questioning: Xu Ye, Qian Feifei, Dong Jie, Xiao Wei, Xiao Xie, Xing Rui, Jiang Li, Xiao Pang’s nephew. Lu Qing is with the police at home. There are now police in front of the studio and no one is allowed to enter. Ai Weiwei was detained at Beijing Capital Airport 3 hours ago and [we] have been unable to contact him. (This is an assistant tweeting). [link]
It would be a terrifying day that I and many others will certainly never forget, and in the following weeks and months, some associates would be detained, others followed, harassed and surveilled and others (those who were foreigners) pressured to leave the country. His once-lively Twitter account, like those of many other activists in China, went dark. It would unleash a flurry of actions and protests around the world, including “Missing” signs which Diane Gatterdam, who is now a Bird’s Nest contributor, placed around New York City.
Mr. Ai was released on June 22 under severe restrictions, one of which stipulated he not use social media. It would be a few more months, but on August 6, 2011, he jumped onto Twitter anyway, with a simple “What’s up.“ We’re happy to report he’s been tweeting ever since.
Last Sunday Jian Ghomeshi from Q, a daily talk program on Canadas CBC Radio One featuring arts, culture and entertainment did an excellent interview with Ai Weiwei via phone
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/1221254309/ID=2213647183
After weeks of speculation, Bo Xilai has finally been stripped of his official positions in Chongqing.
The video above is of a singsong at FAKE Studio, Ai Weiwei’s headquarters. The song is called ‘The Bo Xilai Song’ and is an old recording which Ai has reposted in light of recent developments. Bird’s Nest has provided a translated version of the original video.
Good luck searching for terms like Tibet, immolation, the Dalai Lama, Falun Gong, democracy movement, Sheng Xue (dissident writer) and Ai Weiwei.
(Source: The New York Times)
An online interactive slideshow of the “Black, White & Gray Cover Books”, a series of books that Mr. Ai helped publish after returning to China in the early 90s about Chinese avant-garde art. The books have since achieved cult status.
http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2012/printout/works/the-grey-cover-book/
