© 2024 Aspen Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Ai Wei Wei's Mission To Give Voice To The Voiceless

Ai Wei Wei Studio

Artist Ai Wei Wei became famous for works criticizing the Chinese government. He paid a high price for standing up to the authoritarian regime; he was imprisoned, and now lives in exile in Berlin. He continues to use his art to address global issues, ranging from freedom of expression to the refugee crisis.  Ai Wei Wei spoke at Anderson Ranch Arts Center recently and said human connection and communication are central to his work.

 

Ai Wei Wei once smashed a rare Han dynasty urn, while staring into a camera. He’s visited over 40 refugee camps all over the world.

These bold actions may have come easier for the artist than speaking in front of the crowd in the Schermer meeting hall at Anderson Ranch. The 60 year-old artist said, in quiet English, "I’m very nervous, just shaking here."

However, Ai has made a career of using fear to inspire art and action. While working in Beijing, he created provocative pieces that challenged censorship and corruption within the Chinese government. He was arrested and his passport was confiscated, but returned to him in 2015.

"After five years of detention, they said, 'Wei Wei, you’re free.' What do you mean I’m free? I’m always free. Even in detention, I think I’m free because I don’t think anybody can stop your thinking or your understanding of the world," he said.  

 

And Ai saw his exile as a chance to fight for human rights all over the globe. That mission has continued to drive his work.

 

"As an artist, I can use my voice to give to somebody who is voiceless," he said. 

Ai said refugees are some of those without a voice.  He documented the global refugee crisis in his film “Human Flow.”

"Why do I have to make films like that?  It’s maybe because it relates so much to my childhood. My father was exiled when I was born. We never have a sense of home. So that kind of feeling has been with me all along," he said. 

Since moving to Berlin, Ai said he’s become more interested in the West.  And he sees similarities between the U.S. and Chinese governments. For citizens living in either place, the future seems unpredictable.

"Now you see these kind of problems reflected in U.S., today’s political situation. You know, even though it’s a democratic society. But you still see so much uncertainty about our future here," he said.

Ai said that superpowers won’t be able to solve the world’s problems. He believes that can only be done by individuals as they recognize a common humanity that crosses borders.  

"There’s no American future or Chinese future. There’s only our global future," he said.  

Though Ai values the connections the Internet has made possible, and has actually become known for documenting the minutiae of his life online, he warns against information overload in lieu of real connections.

"Try to know less, but care more," he advised.

Ai has been called the world’s most well-known artist, but he’s determined not to be lulled by his fame. He said he'll continue to use his art as as an alarm for others, waking them up to raise their own voices for humanity.  

 

 

 

Contributor Christin Kay is passionate about the rich variety of arts, cultural experiences and stories in the Roaring Fork Valley. She has been a devotee of public radio her whole life. Christin is a veteran of Aspen Public Radio, serving as producer, reporter and interim news director.
Related Content