"Ai Weiwei"; Prison, Handcuffs, and a Broken Jar

Ai Weiwei, whether intentionally or not, is a highly political artist; from the themes of his works to his imprisonment, all of which together have made him the most famous Chinese artist and one of the most recognized artists in the world. The Royal Academy of Arts in London, considered one of the most prestigious art institutions in the world, has dedicated a major exhibition to review his works; from his first pieces since returning to China from the United States in 1993 to his latest works, which, as usual, have been accompanied by much controversy and uproar: from the issue of his UK visa—initially granted a very limited visa to attend the opening of this exhibition, after which the British government apologized and granted him a proper visa—to the Chinese government's opposition to his works, which is always newsworthy. Many remember Ai Weiwei for his famous photo; where he holds up his middle finger—an obscene gesture—in front of Tiananmen Square (the site of the student massacre), effectively directing it towards dictators. The Chinese government had issues with his works for years and ultimately arrested him on April 3, 2011, just before his flight to Hong Kong, and he was released on June 22 of that year due to international pressure. Ai Weiwei recounted his prison story to Barnaby Martin, and he published these memories in the form of a book; a story that was also the basis for a play titled "The Detention of Ai Weiwei" at the Hampstead Theatre in London in 2013. However, this new exhibition tells various stories from his imprisonment. A complete room is dedicated to different prison cells in real dimensions, where Ai Weiwei has displayed himself in various positions within these cells. Viewers can see inside these cells through a glass hole, where a statue of Ai Weiwei is seen alongside two guards who were constantly present over him, even while he was sleeping or urinating. Ai Weiwei has also designed wallpaper that features three main motifs: handcuffs (symbolizing imprisonment), surveillance cameras (symbolizing being under control), and Twitter (symbolizing international support and the thirty thousand people who were willing to send financial help for his release—he was arrested on the pretext of tax evasion). In Ai Weiwei's early works, the several-thousand-year-old heritage of China plays a central role; where the artist looks at it with a sense of nostalgia and regret, seeing it as something lost. One of his most famous works is a series of three photos depicting the moment a jar falls and breaks in his hands. The rest of his works are also linked to politics in various ways; from works made of marble (a symbol of power; which again manifests in forms like a marble surveillance camera) to a marble mask that is clearly a protest against the excessive air pollution in major Chinese cities, which sometimes ignites political discussions. The intertwining of politics in the fabric of his works is not surprising; since Ai has tasted the flavor of life with politics since childhood: his father was a cultural advisor to Mao, but one year after Ai's birth, he was exiled with the onset of the anti-intellectual wave in China. Memories of exile remained with Ai until he went to the United States in 1981, and two years later, he became acquainted with the works of Western artists such as Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp in New York. In 1985, he presented his first work influenced by Duchamp, and four years later, his first retrospective was held in Hong Kong. However, in 1993, when his father was ill, he returned to China and has since faced many problems with the Chinese government, including a years-long travel ban that was recently lifted. Perhaps for these reasons, Ai Weiwei is a clear example of a political artist who, for better or worse, owes much of his credibility and fame to the intertwining of his works with politics and the related controversies. He likely knows this and consciously benefits from it.