bricworks3 the watercube post-olympics ai weiwei - ARCHILEPSY ...

Politically critical exhibits like ‘Remembering’ have been met with
strong opposition from the Chinese government. In 2009 he was beaten
by police and days later would require brain surgery while in Germany.
The surgery was to relieve brain hemorrhaging caused by the police
striking him in his head. Outside his studio, the government keeps
surveillance cameras. This is in addition to regularly tapping Ai’s phone
and monitoring his bank accounts. Just last year he was detained by
the government for alleged tax evasion. In an effort to bail him out ,
supporters began to raise money but the Chinese government declared it
illegal fund-raising. In addition to these hardships, he also lost his new
Shanghai studio after it was demolished by the government, claiming
he had failed to follow planning and building procedures. What makes
this incident odd, is that Ai was invited by Shanghai government
officials to build a studio in what is meant to be a new cultural district.
'sunflower seeds'
rad artist spotlight
> 100,000000 Porcelain Sunflower Seeds fill
the Turbine room at the Tate Modern
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