Recent Event Highlights: Reasons for detainment change...again?, Reasons for detainment change, Reasons for detainment emerge, and 9 more...
Created by kwishon on Apr 17, 2011
Last updated: 04/17/11 at 02:36 PM
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According to the Facebook event, this past "Sunday, April 17, at 1 PM local time, supporters are invited to participate in 1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei, by bringing a chair and gathering outside Chinese embassies and consulates to sit peacefully in support of the artist’s immediate release.
Referencing the spirit of his work, 1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei calls for his immediate release, supporting the right of artists to speak and work freely in China and around the world."
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163478807041517
Ai's imprisonment has caused a worldwide outcry from human rights groups, politicians, and arts organizations. Now, according to David Ng in the Los Angeles Times, on Sunday, some of Ai’s supporters are planning a show of solidarity through a peaceful sit-down in front of Chinese embassies, consulates, and other government buildings around the world.
http://artforum.com/news/#news27988
"The Beijing-backed Wen Wei Po newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying Ai, an outspoken government critic, is suspected of evading large amounts of tax, though no exact figure was given, and destroying papers that might have been used as evidence against him."
His family denies these claims. It said he was also being investigated for bigamy because he has a young son with a woman other than his wife and is suspected of spreading pornography online.
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=46569
Architect/designer and manager for Fake Design, Liu Zhenggang’s family confirmed that at around 11:00pm on April 9, 2011, Liu was taken away by two police cars. They did not show any proof of proper procedures nor identities. He has now lost contact for 60 hours.
Liu Zhenggang, Ai Weiwei’s partner in Fake Studio and an architect, has been reported as missing.
http://www.freeaiweiwei.org/
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is leading an international effort to call for the release of Ai Weiwei.
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/museums-press-for-the-release-of-ai-weiwei/?partner=rss&emc=rss
The Los Angeles Times says that Chinese authorities accused Ai Weiwei of “economic crimes” as criticism poured in from the United States and elsewhere about Beijing's crackdown on dissent.
It's originally reported that Ai's detainment is involved in improper departure procedures at the airport.
A Chinese newspaper, Global Times, writes: “Ai Weiwei . . . has been close to the red line of Chinese law. As long as Ai Weiwei continuously marches forward, he will inevitably touch the red line one day,” the newspaper wrote. “Ai Weiwei will be judged by history, but he will pay a price for his special choice,” it added. The newspaper also hinted that Ai had infringed the law by attempting to fly from Hong Kong to Taiwan without completing his “departure procedures.” Chinese citizens require a special permit to visit the island."
http://en.huanqiu.com/opinion/editorial/2011-04/641187.html
"BBC News reports that France and Germany have called for the immediate release of the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called on China for an “urgent explanation” of his fate. A spokesman for the French foreign ministry said the country was “very concerned” about his disappearance."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12963468
On April 3, prominent and controversial Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was stopped at Beijing Airport and detained by police.
"A man who answered the phone at the Beijing Public Security Bureau on Sunday declined to answer questions about Mr. Ai’s whereabouts and hung up."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/world/asia/04china.html?_r=1
"The artist is best known for his political activism revolving around the earthquake that hit china's Sichuan Province in 2008. Since then he has faced physical abuse from authorities, his new studio was recently demolished and his name and work has been censored throughout China among other things."
http://tbpdesign.blogspot.com/2011/04/free-ai-weiwei.html
"On 15 December 2008, Ai Weiwei supported an investigation into student casualties in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake started by another Chinese artist. The investigation aimed to compile a list of students killed in the earthquake by 12 May 2009, the earthquake's first anniversary. As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Weiwei#Sichuan_earthquake_student_casualties_investigation
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