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Tate Modern's appeal to release Ai Weiwei

Art

Posted by Eliza Williams, 8 April 2011, 18:45    Permalink    Comments (10)

Tate Modern has posted this message of support for the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who was detained on Sunday at Beijing Airport, on its façade. The arts organisation is also encouraging people to sign this petition calling for the artist's release.

The gallery is currently showing Ai Weiwei's sunflower seeds installation in its Turbine Hall space. To help spread word of petition, it is suggesting that people show solidarity by using this photo as their avatar on Twitter. Tate's Twitter feed is here.

 

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10 Comments

Free Ai Weiwei!
ryan
2011-04-09 20:45:37

given the international, cultural & institutional weight of the Tate Modern - this is a sincerely limp way of calling for Ai Weiwei's release - very disappointed.
Al Khattat
2011-04-11 17:01:55

Art is one of our ways of expressing our freedom of expression. It is our another way of reaching people and touch their lives. They are just expressing themselves using their artistic abilities. They don't do any harm. FREE Ai Weiwei.
amudrea
2011-04-11 18:11:15

@ Al Khattat

what would you have them do???
How do you know this is the full extent to what they are doing??

A
A
2011-04-11 22:40:03

At least the Tate is doing more than most, good for them, the word will spread. FREE Ai Weiwei
matthellier
2011-04-12 13:54:22

Brilliant idea - well done the Tate!
David
2011-04-12 19:22:59

This is yet another reason not to buy MADE IN CHINA,
sounds like i'm hurting the people, no more than the Chinese already do.

DO NOT BUY MADE IN CHINA!

I'm going to start a campaign...
cheesy
2011-04-12 22:50:21

great ! this is what i have done for him so far...

http://www.arsnetwork.de/chrisjanik/Bilder/releaseaiweiwei.jpg
Chris
2011-04-25 01:37:57

Check out our Ai Weiwei, Lisson Gallery poster competition. http://www.jotta.com/jotta/pub...
Jotta
2011-05-31 16:59:45

Ai is out (22/6) but no one should kid themselves that his release represents any softening of the Chinese approach towards dissent. Beijing remains as hardline as ever on freedom of expression and, if anything, it's getting harder, not softer.

If you've any doubt I suggest you read the excellent and hugely entertaining book 'Limp Pigs and the Five-Ring Circus' by Mark Newham, a British journalist who penetrated to the heart of China's propaganda machine and survived to tell a previously untold tale. Highly recommended to anyone who cares about such things. China changing? Pah.
Lewis Cannon
2011-06-23 16:39:32

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